All can put offenders in the frame
The aftermath of a video clip of a couple being assaulted outside a Pretoria KFC drivethrough saw five men appearing in court on Thursday after they were accused of a racist attack on a black couple.
The couple were allegedly assaulted when they asked the driver of the car in front of them to move forward in the queue at the drive-through last week. Some of the men will spend another week in jail before their next bail application hearing.
Meanwhile, the two men accused of assaulting and pushing farmworker Victor Mlotshwa into a coffin have also been in court this week. Willem Oosthuizen and Theo Jackson were arrested last year after the shocking incident was captured on video and put on social media.
Yesterday, social media specialist Emma Sadleir described the trend of outing offenders on social media as “extremely powerful”. “This emergence of citizen journalism is an extraordinary thing in South Africa. For example, it is doubtful Manana could have been prosecuted if there had been no footage,” she said.
“Everyone has a phone in their pocket and has become celebrities in the digital age.”
She highlighted two major concerns about video clips of alleged wrongdoing being aired on social media.
“It could easily become vigilantism and the video content and evidence has to be in the ‘four corners of footage’. For example, CCTV footage of a suspect in action can be shared, but simply posting someone’s face with accusations of wrongdoing is not allowed,” she said.
The second concern is the secondary harm being done to a victim, especially when it comes to bullying.
“The victim suffers further trauma from this being shared and it does even more harm. A victim must be protected and his/her face should be blurred, especially in the case of children. The dignity of a victim is paramount,” she added.
Sadleir also highlighted that intent behind a video clip must also be considered.
Another social media specialist, managing director of World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck, described the phenomenon of video clips recorded by members of the public as evidence of criminal deeds and abuse as “the flip side of the Big Brother phenomenon”.
“While the surveillance of citizens by authorities continues to intensify and bring us closer to a Big Brother world, the tables are being turned globally by citizens recording the behaviour of authorities, ranging from school teachers and police to political and religious leaders,” he said yesterday.
“The technology to record, as well as distribute such material via social media, is advancing even faster than the technology that allows authorities to monitor the public.
“It is ironic that even as social media undermines our privacy, it is also playing an important role in empowering us to expose and reveal the abuse of those in positions of authority or power.
“The danger is that old videos are often recycled as evidence of current abuses which can lead to violent or even fatal consequences when it results in mob behaviour. It is advisable that video evidence carries a date stamp.”