Civil rights organisation AfriForum has rubbished numerous social media posts linking the lobby group with several heinous crimes on farms in different parts of South Africa.
The swirl of attacks against AfriForum heightened in recent weeks amid crimes perpetrated by farmers, particularly the brutal murder of two women who had gone to Onvervaght farm in Limpopo to collect dumped expired food.
IOL reported that Limpopo pig farmer, Zachariah Johannes Olivier, farm supervisor Andrian Rudolph de Wet, and farm employee William Musora appeared before the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, seeking release on bail, after they were arrested for the brutal murder of two women - 47-year-old Mariah Makgato, and 34-year-old Kudzai Ndlovu. Mabutho Ncube, Ndlovu’s husband, was shot but managed to flee from the scene.
Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for community safety, said the onslaught of accusations targeted at his organisation include allegations that an illicit drug farm in Limpopo is operated by AfriForum's “Limpopo chairman”; that suspects accused of murdering Makgato and Ndlovu, and feeding them to pigs are AfriForum members; and that a suspect who allegedly killed two Mpumalanga men and burned their bodies is an AfriForum member.
Broodryk said other allegations levelled against his organisation are that AfriForum members in Hartbeespoort are targeting black business owners and burning down their businesses.
“It has recently come to AfriForum’s attention that a serious and malicious fake news campaign is being driven on social media in an attempt to defame the civil rights organisation.
“AfriForum has meanwhile taken action against certain social media users by sending letters of demand requesting that they halt the distribution of the false, misleading and defamatory content, remove the posts and post corrections. If those involved continue to defame the civil rights organisation, legal action will be taken against them,” said Broodryk.
Broodryk said “unfounded” allegations, purporting that AfriForum members are involved with all kinds of crimes have been posted on social media in the past few weeks.
“These falsehoods have made AfriForum a target, but the civil rights organisation wants to make it clear that these allegations are not only untrue, but divisive at a time when South Africa is taking a new political direction,” said Broodryk.
He insisted that it is “extremely dangerous” to spread these untruths, as it unnecessarily polarises race relations and incites hatred.
“There isn’t any truth in these allegations and no AfriForum members were involved in these gruesome crimes. This is just another desperate attempt to overshadow AfriForum’s work with falsehoods,” said Broodryk.
He said there are also allegations that AfriForum is a terrorist organisation.
“This is absurd, untrue and a clear attempt to put the civil rights organisation and its members in a bad light. AfriForum believes in mutual respect and cooperation between communities, therefore, these attempts to sow polarisation are strongly condemned,” he added.
IOL