TikTok user accused of making false allegations of racism makes first court appearance
The TikTok user Njabulo Madlanga made her first appearance in the Booysens Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg today on charges of crimen injuria and the contravention of the Cyber Crimes Act, for allegedly making false and defamatory allegations of racism. AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit represents the complainants, Reece Lopes, Milan Kruijer and Jude Fraser-Grant, who were targeted on social media after Madlanga accused them of racism in several widely shared TikTok posts. In those posts, Madlanga claimed that while she and her siblings were waiting in a queue at Gold Reaf City, the trio made monkey sounds directed at them. The three deny ever doing so.
In October 2023, the Private Prosecution Unit successfully applied for a protection order against Madlanga, prohibiting her from further harassing or enlisting the help of others to harass the complainants. The unit has previously stated publicly that false claims of racism should be dealt with as seriously as bona fide allegations of such discrimination.
Madlanga has not denied publishing the posts or accusing the trio of racism. During the protection order hearing, she defended the posts and allegations as “her truth”. Despite recording videos of the three people in the queue, she failed to present any evidence to back up her accusations of racism during the protection order hearing.
Madlanga’s court appearance comes after the unit announced that it is assisting Jaco Pieterse, the Bergview College principal, as he pursues criminal charges against several prominent figures for falsely accusing him of being a suspect in a child rape case.
Barry Bateman, spokesperson for the unit, says being falsely accused of a crime can be devastating for the victim. “Too often, people use social media to make false and unconfirmed allegations, fully aware that their claims will unquestionably be accepted as true. It elevates those individuals to the positions of judge, jury and executioner in their own cases. Justice will not be found in an environment where people prioritise clicks and likes over the truth. This case, as well as the Bergview College matter, must demonstrate that making false allegations against people has serious consequences. The courts must send a clear message that falsely accusing someone on social media of a crime they did not commit will not be tolerated, and the accusers will be held accountable,” concludes Bateman.
The matter was postponed to 7 July for the docket to be disclosed to the defense and for a trial date to be set.
Background
The ordeal started on 6 July 2023, 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. She took to TikTok where she told her followers the following in a video: “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. Lopes, Kruijer and Fraser-Grant were soon identified by Madlanga’s followers and became the targets for a vicious online campaign. That video has been viewed more than two-million times.
On 9 July, Kruijer 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. He warned her that if she refuses to take down the posts, he will file a criminal complaint. Instead of taking down the posts, Madlanga posted a screenshot of Kruijer’s message, alleging she was being intimidated. The post prompted further attacks against the three friends.
