Death threats made on Twitter can lead to criminal investigations, police said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
“They [anyone threatened] must open a case of intimidation,” said national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo.<\/p>\n
However, he cautioned, that it was best if people first sought legal advice, as to whether the “content of the threat” could legitimately form the basis of a police investigation.<\/p>\n
“They must take it and present it to a legal expert.”<\/p>\n
Debate about the matter has arisen after race rows recently erupted on South African social media.<\/p>\n
On Monday, a Pretoria-based Twitter user, going by the handle @LuckyMamakoko, and describing himself as a “Life coach”, “father” and “author” \u2013 amongst other titles \u2013 \u00a0tweeted a comment in which he said he would kill the daughter of Penny Sparrow.<\/p>\n
Sparrow, a KwaZulu-Natal estate agent, was lambasted, after posting a Facebook message last week in which she described black beachgoers as “monkeys”.<\/p>\n
Subsequently, @LuckyMamakoko published various personal details of Sparrow\u2019s, as well as a comment suggesting: “#PennySparrow Think is clever right, I will kill ur daughter” [sic]. The name of the daughter and the area where she lives, is then detailed.<\/p>\n
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said that while social media content could be used as evidence in court, each case would have to be looked at holistically.<\/p>\n
A key issue would be to determine that the content had not been manipulated or tampered with in any way.<\/p>\n
“They [police investigators] know how to secure that information, so that it can be admitted.”<\/p>\n
Naidoo and Mfaku\u2019s comments were not made in relation to any specific case.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a number of South Africans laid a criminal case of crimen injuria against Sparrow at the Hillbrow Police Station.<\/p>\n
@LuckyMamakoko was also condemned on Twitter by users like @OllypopZA who tweeted: “You\u2019re just like Penny.”<\/p>\n
News24<\/a><\/p>\n White South Africans proud of their supremacy: EFF<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Racism is alive and well in South Africa<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore on racism<\/h3>\n