A criminal complaint was lodged on Monday against Cape Town resident Vanessa Hartley for making racist comments on Facebook.
Hout Bay Civic Association secretary Roscoe Jacobs spoke to TMG Digital from the police station where a complaint of crimen injuria was opened.
Hartley posted on Facebook over the weekend that African people should be tied to a rope and that that they were “like stupid animals“.
Jacobs said the post had negatively affected “genuine attempts by residents in Hout Bay to work together to address the challenges they face as residents within the community“.
“We are trying to address the apartheid style town planning that is still very much evident in our community and we want to address these things and we can only do that by working together. This doesn’t assist us in that regard‚” said Jacobs.
Jacobs said Hartley’s comment was made after someone took to Facebook alleging that people from other African countries illegally tied up seals and fed them at the local harbour.
“There was a seal spotted in the water that was dead. A person posted on Facebook about this seal and how these people that are feeding the seal to generate income actually (caused it)‚” he said.
“Her comment was basically that if these African people are tying up seals‚ we should be tying them up‚” said Jacobs.
He argued that there was no truth to the allegations that seals were being tied up.
Jacobs said that there were “closet racists” in the Hout Bay community but he believes they are in the minority.
“Most people in Hout Bay want to work together for the betterment of Hout Bay and want to actually see Hout Bay going forward‚” said Jacobs.
He said he hoped that Hartley would appear in court this week or early next week.
Jacobs said that there needed to be more punitive measures to deal with racist remarks and called for the fast tracking of the controversial Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill which is currently open for public comment until 31 January 2017.
ANC Western Cape spokesman Yonela Diko said the party would also open a criminal complaint on Monday.
“We have already spoken with the SA Human Rights Commission on preliminary requirements to ensure the matter is expedited. The outcomes of the SAHRC discussion will guide us and we will likely move for criminal charges‚” said Diko adding that they would also pursue crimen injuria charges.
Vanessa Hartley’s Facebook account was deleted at lunch time on Monday after TMG Digital contacted her for comment
Criminal complaint lodged against Facebook 'racist'
A criminal complaint was lodged on Monday against Cape Town resident Vanessa Hartley for making racist comments on Facebook.
Hout Bay Civic Association secretary Roscoe Jacobs spoke to TMG Digital from the police station where a complaint of crimen injuria was opened.
Hartley posted on Facebook over the weekend that African people should be tied to a rope and that that they were “like stupid animals“.
Jacobs said the post had negatively affected “genuine attempts by residents in Hout Bay to work together to address the challenges they face as residents within the community“.
“We are trying to address the apartheid style town planning that is still very much evident in our community and we want to address these things and we can only do that by working together. This doesn’t assist us in that regard‚” said Jacobs.
Jacobs said Hartley’s comment was made after someone took to Facebook alleging that people from other African countries illegally tied up seals and fed them at the local harbour.
“There was a seal spotted in the water that was dead. A person posted on Facebook about this seal and how these people that are feeding the seal to generate income actually (caused it)‚” he said.
“Her comment was basically that if these African people are tying up seals‚ we should be tying them up‚” said Jacobs.
He argued that there was no truth to the allegations that seals were being tied up.
Jacobs said that there were “closet racists” in the Hout Bay community but he believes they are in the minority.
“Most people in Hout Bay want to work together for the betterment of Hout Bay and want to actually see Hout Bay going forward‚” said Jacobs.
He said he hoped that Hartley would appear in court this week or early next week.
Jacobs said that there needed to be more punitive measures to deal with racist remarks and called for the fast tracking of the controversial Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill which is currently open for public comment until 31 January 2017.
ANC Western Cape spokesman Yonela Diko said the party would also open a criminal complaint on Monday.
“We have already spoken with the SA Human Rights Commission on preliminary requirements to ensure the matter is expedited. The outcomes of the SAHRC discussion will guide us and we will likely move for criminal charges‚” said Diko adding that they would also pursue crimen injuria charges.
Vanessa Hartley’s Facebook account was deleted at lunch time on Monday after TMG Digital contacted her for comment
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