Johannesburg – Njabulo Madlanga could land in hot water for her TikTok racism allegations against 20-year-old Reece Lopes, 20-year-old Milan Kruijer, and 21-year-old Jude Fraser-Grant who have roped in the AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit to deal with the matter.
In a police report, Reece narrates events that occurred at Gold Reef City on 6 July 2023 that he says led to Madlanga’s unprovoked TikTok racism allegations, which went viral.
A series of social media posts by Madlanga went viral with one post being viewed more than two million times.
On the day in question, Lopes says he went to Gold Reef City with his mates, Milan and Jude, to try out the rides.
He claims Madlanga was in the queue with them when other people budged in.
Reece said Madlanga followed them to different rides and sat next to them while taking videos.
The trio were later alerted that a post on TikTok accusing them of racism had gone viral.
Reece said they managed to identify Madlanga as the person behind the posts and reported the matter to the police.
In a matter they reported to the police in August, the trio, who deny allegations of racism, instead accused Madlanga of “intimidation and crimen injuria”.
However, the case has since been transferred from one police station to another without any resolution. In fact,
Reece said the matter was first reported to the police at Umhlali in KwaZulu-Natal before it was transferred to Johannesburg then Booysens.
As a result of the inaction, Reece said they have turned to AfriForum’s private prosecution unit to clear their names.
On Thursday AfriForum Spokesperson Barry Bateman said the TikTokker was now facing “a criminal investigation for her alleged false and damaging allegations of racism levelled at three youngsters in a series of TikTok posts”.
Bateman said Reece, Milan, and Jude were now being represented by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit.
“The unit has committed itself to supporting the police to ensure all the relevant evidence is compiled in the docket and is hopeful the NPA will make the right decision to prosecute Madlanga,” Bateman said.
He said on Monday, the Booysens Magistrate”s Court granted an interim protection order against Madlanga, presumably a University of Cape Town law student, prohibiting her from further harassing or enlisting the help of others to harass the complainants.
This interim order is yet to be served on her.
Bateman said on Tuesday, the unit accompanied Lopes and Kruijer to the Booysens Police Station to file additional, comprehensive statements to be added to the case docket, which was opened on 1 August 2023.
He said the SA Police Service had closed the case, recording it as “undetected”.
Bateman said the families of the trio approached the unit for help to ensure the matter was properly investigated and a full case docket presented to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Statements filed with the police give more details of what allegedly happened on 6 July, when the trio were enjoying a day out at the Gold Reef City theme park.
While waiting in a queue to get onto one of the rides, another group of people pushed in.
It was at this point that Madlanga, who was waiting in the same queue, alleged that the trio had made sounds imitating monkeys.
In the video, she says: “So, let me tell you something, we in this line yeah, we in a line, in this place, Gold Reef, people will make sound effects here if you are black, I’m just saying, monkey sound effects, so just know that.”
In another TikTok post and acting on requests from her followers to identify the alleged racists, Madlanga posted a video of the three standing in the queue.
“Reece Lopes, Milan Kruijer, and Jude Fraser-Grant were soon identified by Madlanga’s followers and became the targets of a vicious online campaign. That video has been viewed more than two million times,” said Bateman.
On 9 July, Milan sent a message to Madlanga in which he denied the allegation that he or his friends made any noises, and further denied they were racist.
Milan warned her that if she refused to take down the posts, he would file a criminal complaint.
Instead of taking down the posts, Madlanga posted a screenshot of Milan, alleging she was being intimidated.
The post prompted further attacks against the three friends.
The persistent social media attacks and threats through direct messages have had a profound impact on the well-being of the victims.
Wico Swanepoel, attorney at the Private Prosecution Unit, says the unit was established to ensure there is equality before the law to ensure that justice is upheld in all cases.
“False allegations of racism should be treated as seriously as true allegations of racism. False allegations also have serious implications in the public domain for these victims and that is why we will ensure that justice prevails in this matter,” he said.
