‘Think before you post’ plea
‘PLEASE pause and think” about the reaction you’ll get before posting your thoughts and feelings online, advises a social media expert.
The warning comes after a flurry of complaints were directed to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) by people offended and harmed by reckless and insensitive online posts.
Timothy Padayachee, a social media expert at Jozi Social
Media, said many social media users did not understand the legal ramifications of using online platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp.
Last week the South African Muslim Network reported a
Lotus FM presenter, Pauline Sangham, to the SAHRC after screen-grabs of her alleged “Islamophobic” Facebook posts were circulated via Whatsapp.
The South African Muslim Network (Samnet) chairperson, Dr Faisal Suliman, said: “What her (Sangham) posts and the posts of those she had been interacting with show is the increase of Islamophobia, and this is more reason for us to portray our religion in a way befitting the example set by the Prophet Muhammad.”
Sangham would not immediately provide comment to the Tribune Herald, however, in a public Facebook post she said her account had been hacked.
She said: “I would not hurt anyone. Please note I have not written such a post. My Facebook account was hacked. I do understand the hurt caused by it and apologise to everyone.”
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the SAHRC case was against Sangham and not the SABC, but the broadcaster had taken Sangham off her Gospel Hour show slot until human resources processes had been completed.
In a separate incident, the Minority Front approached the SAHRC with complaints about a Facebook post allegedly made by a Gauteng teacher last week.
The post, which has since been removed, read: “Whites must leave and Indians are next.”
MF spokesperson, Jonathan Annipen, said: “This is another social media post which promotes racial bigotry and smacks of ethnic intolerance.
Annipen believed the post was similar to those made by the member of the Mazibuye African Forum, Phumlani Mfeka, who has taken to Facebook several times in the past with alleged anti-indian statements.
Mfeka is locked in a court battle in the Durban Equality Court with the SAHRC for statements in 2013 that allegedly incited violence against Indian people.
Padayachee said celebrities, or people with many online followers, tended to place themselves above others.
“Some people feel they can get away with murder and this is not the case. People need to understand the legal ramifications of their online actions,” he said.
Social media justice could prove more dangerous than helpful, and Padayachee said people needed to know the correct routes to follow to report racism and hate speech.
“Much of the time, when a racial slur is made, for example, people start swearing at the offender and engage in heated arguments instead of reporting the person to the relevant authorities such as the SAHRC,” he said.