Fireworks erupts on Amanzimtoti social media over big bangs war of words

Amanzimtoti ‘keyboard warriors’ are warned to be careful of what they post on social media after a barrage of comments led to a war of words on local sites after Diwali last week.

It seems there are still lots of ignorant people who don’t know what to say and how to say it, without falling foul of laws related to crimen injuria, defamation and so on.

Last week, people understandably were upset over the use of (big bang) fireworks for the two-day Diwali celebration and many posted their anger on local social media sites aimed at ‘the people in Athlone Park setting off fireworks‘. The comments that followed were derogatory.

One of these sites was Amanzimtoti Trader and administrator Deena Parker Buys was forced to permanently ban five members, including the original poster, because of the comments and online abuse between posters.

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“I’ve tried posting warnings but some people just don’t seem to get it, though,” she said. I don’t have time to referee fights between adults. If you want to behave like a child, make accusations or racist comments, name and shame, slander, insult, or ridicule a person, business or belief system, this is not the group for you. We don’t tolerate keyboard warriors.

Just because you feel slighted, wronged, ripped off, conned, scammed or done in, it doesn’t give you the right to post it all over social media. You cannot say whatever you want online, even if it is true – there’s no such thing as free speech in South Africa.”

South African law is clear about what you can and cannot publish on social media and your comments on Facebook or other social media sites can lead to you being sued for slander or libel.

“What irks me most is that people will complain on groups like mine but they don’t phone Metro Police and complain.”

It is believed that nobody bothered to complain on the Fireworks Action Campaign Team’s (FACT) Facebook page about the fireworks this year and in previous years.
A few years FACT tried to gather statistics by asking complainants to phone Metro Police and get a reference number but nobody bothered to.