The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called for the immediate identification, arrest and prosecution of the person allegedly behind a social media message calling for the gang rape of Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma.
The commission described the alleged threat as a serious attack on human dignity and a disturbing example of the gender-based violence and intimidation routinely directed at women who participate in public and political life.
SAHRC draws the line at rape threats
The commission said South Africa’s constitutional democracy protects freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and the right of people to hold different political beliefs.
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But it warned that those rights do not extend to threats of sexual violence.
“Robust, uncomfortable, and even offensive speech is constitutionally protected,” the SAHRC said.
“Threatening or calling for the rape of someone is a criminal offence and may constitute hate speech.”
The commission said the message targeting Ngobese-Zuma illustrated the increasingly dangerous environment faced by women and other vulnerable groups who express political views or participate in public debate.
Women face escalating online abuse
The SAHRC said women, non-binary activists, and journalists are routinely subjected to harassment and threats of physical and sexual violence in South Africa and around the world.
It said this pattern had to end and that women and other vulnerable groups must be able to exercise their political rights without fear of intimidation or violence.
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The commission linked the alleged threat to South Africa’s broader crisis of gender-based violence.
South Africa records about 43,000 reported rape cases each year, while its femicide rate is several times higher than the global average, according to the SAHRC.
“The public messages allegedly made against Mrs Ngobese-Zuma demonstrate the brazenness of gendered violence,” the commission said.
Social media platforms put on notice
The commission also turned its attention to social media platforms, saying they had a responsibility to prevent their services from becoming breeding grounds for hate speech and gendered violence.
According to the SAHRC, platforms must do more to filter content that threatens individuals and to prevent harmful messages from being amplified.
The commission said this was among the central issues addressed in its recently published policy brief, Human Rights and Information Integrity: Disinformation, Platform Accountability and Democratic Resilience in South Africa.
Police urged to act immediately
The SAHRC has called on law enforcement agencies to urgently identify and apprehend the alleged perpetrator.
It said the person responsible should face the full force of the law if found to have committed the offence.
The commission also called on the executive to ensure that the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act of 2023 comes into force without further delay.
The SAHRC said the legislation would provide a powerful deterrent against incidents involving hate speech and threats targeting vulnerable people.
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The commission’s intervention comes amid growing concern over the use of social media to intimidate, threaten and silence women involved in South Africa’s political and public discourse.
The SAHRC said political disagreement could never justify threats of sexual violence.
It stressed that South Africa’s constitutional protections must be exercised within the boundaries of the law and with respect for the fundamental rights and dignity of others.
- The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called for the immediate identification, arrest, and prosecution of the individual behind a social media message calling for the gang rape of Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma.
- The SAHRC stated that threats or calls for rape constitute a criminal offence and may also amount to hate speech, underscoring that such threats are not protected under constitutional rights to free expression.
- The commission highlighted the increasing dangers faced by women and vulnerable groups expressing political views, linking the threats against Ngobese-Zuma to South Africa’s broader crisis of gender-based violence with about 43,000 reported rape cases annually.
- The SAHRC urged social media platforms to take greater responsibility in filtering and preventing the spread of hate speech and gendered violence on their services.
- The commission called on the police to act swiftly and for the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act of 2023 to be enacted promptly to deter hate speech and threats targeting vulnerable individuals.
