Charges laid against three social media users
JOHANNESBURG – The South African Jewish Board of Deputies has laid charges following a number of horrific antisemitic comments on social media.
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) laid charges of crimen injuria and intimidation against three individuals on 28 June, who posted a range of antisemitic comments.
The charges were laid by the SAJBD, through Ian Levitt Attorneys, at the Sandton Police Station against three social media users who posted a range of antisemitic comments. The three against whom the charges were laid are Muhammad Hattia, Tameez Seedat and Matome Letsoalo.
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Letsoalo’s posts included a tweet to the SAJBD which read, “@sajbd The #Holocaust Will be like A Picnic When we are done with all you Zionist Bastards. F…k All Of You”. In another tweet, he described Jews as vermin, who Hitler should have exterminated completely.
Hattia and Seedat’s comments were posted on a Whatsapp group devoted to buying and selling footwear. During a political argument on the group, Hattia wrote, “F…k you jew pricks. Fat nosed f…ks …. I hope you and your family die. Hitler f…..d up he should’ve killed you all.”
Seedat posted, “You f…..n Jew/Zionist will see your time coming. Make our fellow brothers and sisters suffer, but what you don’t understand is that worse will be coming your way”
National Chairman of the SAJBD, Shaun Zagnoev said that the unusually virulent and overtly threatening nature of the comments posted was the reason why the SAJBD had decided to lodge criminal charges.
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Zagnoev added, “It is totally unacceptable that anyone in South Africa should be defamed, demeaned and threatened in such horrific terms on account of their religion, race, ethnicity, or other such grounds. We are appalled by the sheer depths of the hatred expressed against our Jewish community by these three individuals and will do whatever is necessary to make them accountable.”
Details: South African Jewish Board of Deputies 011 645 2536.
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