Cape Town — Non-Profit Organisation, AfriForum, has responded to the serious and malicious claims made that the group is involved in various crimes that have circulated on social media, saying it will take legal action.
In a statement, it said the claims were fake and aimed at discrediting the organisation. It has taken action against social media users by issuing warnings and demanding that they stop spreading false, misleading and defamatory content, and to remove the posts and publish corrections. The group said that should the users fail to do and continue to slander them, it will take legal action.
It wanted to make it clear that the accusations are not only false but also “sow division at a time when South Africa is embarking on a new political path.”
The false claims include that AfriForum members were behind the following crimes:
- running an alleged drug farm in the Limpopo
- the two women who were killed and fed to pigs.were AfriForum members
- murdered two men in Mpumalanga
- targeting and burning down black-owned businesses.
AfriForum is taking legal action against certain social media users that are spreading lies regarding @afriforum. They will receive letters of demand requesting that they halt the distribution of the false and defamatory content and remove the posts. https://t.co/h1zb6xb68h
— Kallie Kriel (@kalliekriel) September 11, 2024
According to AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety, Jacques Broodryk, the spreading of this untruth is dangerous as it can exacerbate race relations and incite hatred.
“There is no truth to these allegations, and no AfriForum members were involved in these horrific crimes. This is just another desperate attempt to overshadow AfriForum’s work with falsehoods,” Broodryk said.
He also condemned the lies that it is a terrorist organisation and brandished it as “absurd and false” and a plot to portray the group in a negative light.
“AfriForum believes in mutual respect and cooperation between communities, which is why these attempts to sow division are strongly condemned,” Broodryk added.
The organsation will continue its work within communities and will not allow these falsehoods to distract from its focus.
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Picture: X/@afriforum
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
