A man was arrested and is set to appear in court after a viral social media video contained racially inflammatory remarks.
A 50-year-old man is set to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today for allegedly making racially offensive remarks in a widely circulated social media video.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps), the Western Cape commercial crimes unit launched an investigation after a formal complaint against the suspect.
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Details of the video
In the video, the suspect reportedly expresses his dissatisfaction with the state of South Africa. He made derogatory statements about a specific racial group.
According to Saps spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa, that “specific racial group” intended to harm white people. The suspect explicitly detailed the nature of the perceived threats.
“The remarks in the video whose basis is not apparent, explicitly detail the type of harm that white people are set to suffer at the hands of black people,” says Potelwa.
He further urges white citizens to “wake up from their slumber”.
Additionally, the video contains insulting references to two politicians who are named in the footage.
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Warning on social media conduct
The police confirmed that the suspect was arrested in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday. He now faces charges of crimen injuria and contravening aspects of the Cyber Act.
Potelwa indicated that further charges could be added as the investigation continues.
Law enforcement officials have reiterated the need for responsible social media use.
“A stern warning is issued to all social media users to engage on platforms responsibly. Failure to do so will have dire consequences,” Potelwa said.
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Woman who sued city of Cape Town loses case
In a separate incident, a woman lost her lawsuit against the city of Cape Town for injuries she suffered after stumbling over an uneven pavement.
After falling on Victoria Road in Camps Bay, Magdalena Maria Schaefer sued the municipality for damages. However, the Western Cape High Court decided against her on Monday.
The incident happened on October 27, 2017.
Schaefer said in court that the city was in charge of maintaining and ensuring the safety of the uneven pavement on Victoria Road. She argued it posed a risk to pedestrians.
Although the city first disputed the incident, Acting judge Adrian Montzinger concluded that the evidence supported Schaefer’s account of events.
“The oral, documentary and photographic evidence presented during the trial left no room for dispute about how the events that caused the plaintiff’s injury occurred,” the judgment reads.
However, Montzinger pointed out that the protruding bricks were minor. They did not pose a significant hazard, such as an open manhole or a large pothole.
“There was no evidence that the city was informed or otherwise on notice of the defect.”
The court, therefore, dismissed Schaefer’s claim for delictual damages.
Additional reporting by Molefe Seeletsa
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