A viral video of a woman being assaulted sparked protest action in Nompumelelo, a township in Beacon Bay, at the weekend.
The video footage is disturbing. It shows the woman being manhandled, kicked and shoved while a child cries nearby.
Residents responded with anger, and rightfully so. Gender-based violence has become rooted in our communities and claims victims daily.
But the anger from the community was not necessarily about the woman being beaten while the person recording the video stood by.
What moved residents to take to the streets on Sunday was an unfounded claim that the perpetrator was a foreign national.
An ultimatum was issued to all foreigners who live and work in the township: leave Nompumelelo within seven days.
Anti-foreigner rhetoric, fuelled by the reported inauguration of a Nigerian “king”, has been widespread in the Buffalo City Metro in recent weeks.
Violence broke out last month, resulting in 12 cars being damaged.
Foreign nationals in Nompumelelo believe they are being unfairly targeted and fear what will happen when the seven-day deadline approaches.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana stated the facts clearly: the suspect shown in the assault video is not a foreign national.
She further said that the incident occurred on April 11, a case was opened shortly after, and the suspect now faces charges of common assault.
The law has not been silent on the matter.
Yet residents of Nompumelelo have used it to justify action in all matters pertaining to foreign nationals.
This is the danger of the mob mentality. People get angry, repeat claims without verifying their authenticity and end up hurting innocent people.
Mbulelo Mtati, a grade 12 pupil, was stoned and beaten to death
The people of Nompumelelo know all too well the dangers of spreading rumours.
In 2013, unfounded claims of child snatching spread like wildfire through the city. They sparked hysteria.
Then one fateful Sunday in November of 2013, a group of women allegedly accused a young man, who had been collecting bottles, of being a child snatcher.
Mbulelo Mtati, a grade 12 pupil, was stoned and beaten to death.
The youngster’s life ended in an instant because of one reckless lie.
Social media has made it possible for people to access information quickly and conveniently.
But it also means that rumours and misinformation are spread just as easily, prompting communities to mete out their own brand of “justice”.
Residents who are concerned about undocumented foreign nationals in their communities must report their concerns to the authorities instead of threatening neighbours and setting ultimatums.
Allow the law to take its course.
Playing judge, juror and executioner is a dangerous game, and it is often innocent people who have to pay the ultimate price.
Daily Dispatch
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