Police have opened a case of crimen injuria against a 60-year-old Benoni woman, who allegedly sent a racist voice note on WhatsApp this past week calling for a ban on black people rather than pit bulls.
The case was opened at Boksburg North on Saturday and has since been transferred to Putfontein Police Station in Benoni for investigation. Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said the suspect was arrested, and released the same day, on a warning to appear in court on 27 March 2023.
In the voice note, the woman defends pit bulls amid calls for a ban on the breed as domestic pets.
The SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has also registered a complaint. The commission’s spokesperson, Wisani Baloyi, told News24 the Gauteng branch would investigate.
A recently launched petition, by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, wants the vicious breed banned due to a recent spate of deadly attacks. Although the petition has received thousands of supporters, other organisations, pit bull owners and breeders have opposed calls for the ban.
TimesLIVE reported the voice note was leaked from a WhatsApp group, called “Pit bull be my voice”. In the voice note, the woman, identified by the publication as Belinda Migor from Benoni, calls for a ban on black people.
The voice note says: I’m very passionate about this. Ban them, kill them, shoot them, get rid of them because they are the problem — not pit bulls, not animals. Animals are beautiful, and they deserve a warm bed, food, love, attention, and everything else. God created those animals. Who created the black man? Do you think God? I don’t think so.
She initially denied sending the voice note and said she was not racist, as she was “very kind and helpful, especially to black people”. She later blamed diabetes for her outburst, telling TimesLive her sugar was “out of whack”, and she could not think clearly.
Baloyi said: “The commission is assessing the matter in line with its complaints handling procedure. The commission responds to prima facie hate speech in one of two ways [by] conducting an investigation or [through] court proceedings.
“The commission’s assessment process will determine the action taken.”
News24
