Africa-Press – South-Africa. Former AfriForum deputy CEO and now director of the advocacy group Lex Libertas, Ernst Roets, has launched an investigation into South Africans who incite violence and celebrate murder on social media.
He said he would report those found to be engaging in such activity to their employers.
Roets said the decision was influenced by the assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which sparked mixed reactions, with some celebrating his death.
The group said it has seen a rise in the glorification of murder, death threats and incitement of race-based violence in South Africa since Kirk’s shooting.
“It’s shameful to see the extent to which some people are willing to go in South Africa to encourage, celebrate and incite violence and hatred on social media,” Roets said. “We saw this last week after the assassination of Kirk, with people in South Africa also celebrating this and encouraging such attacks.”
He said employers have a right to know if their employees are behind online hatred.
“There should be consequences for the celebration and incitement of violence. Whether disciplinary action is taken is up to employers to decide. Yet appropriate action can only be taken if employers have access to the relevant information.
“We need to take a stance against these people. The employer needs to know this because it reflects negatively on the company.”
He mentioned that there were many public figures who have suffered the consequences of their past actions, including former DA MP Renaldo Gouws, who was fired for derogatory remarks he made a decade ago, suggesting that the same standard should be applied to all South Africans.
“What we see in South Africa is that the very same people who called for these cancellations are trying to convince us that they are advocates of free speech, against cancel culture. There’s a difference between saying things that are offensive and inciting people to go out and commit murder — that is not in the realm of freedom of speech.”
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