SOUTH AFRICA’s Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has threated to prosecute Zimbabwe’s opposition if it was found to be among those creating fake but alarming social media messages threatening xenophobic attacks in that country.
Gigaba said this in the wake of violence threats sent via social media by some unknown persons to instil fear on foreigners living in South Africa.
In the hunt for the culprits, Gigaba said South Africa’s security organs do not rule out the possibility of foreigners themselves desperately trying to scare their compatriots out of South African soil in attempts to lure them to vote back home.
“…We urge all opposition parties in sending countries to desist from desperate attempts to lure migrants resident in RSA by hook-and-crook means,”
Gigaba said in a media statement attributed to him on Tuesday.
“Political campaigns to gain votes and win elections cannot be attained via threats, but by careful, cautious and vibrant diaspora campaigns.
“We have reason to prosecute such opposition parties following due processes as happens in other regions and globally.”
Although Gigaba did not mention any parties or their countries, his comments could easily be construed to have been directed at the Zimbabwean opposition which is desperate to boost numbers during the country’s harmonised elections next year.
While other neighbouring countries have systems that allow their nationals to cast their votes on South African soil, President Robert Mugabe’s government has adamantly refused to franchise the millions of Zimbabweans living abroad.
South Africa plays host to the largest population of both political and economic Zimbabwean exiles, who are in the majority of migrants eking out a living in that country.
Gigaba’s warning followed messages circulated via social media allegedly involving intolerant South Africans threatening to revisit xenophobic attacks on foreigners who did not return to their countries.
The messages have brought panic among foreign migrants in South Africa, among them Zimbabweans who have found life more bearable in their rich neighbour’s territory.
Gigaba said the Jacob Zuma-led government will not hesitate to prosecute even its nationals who were fanning violence.
“The Department Of Home Affairs and the Ministry Of State Security would like to send a strong message to the instigators of xenophobia, violence, looting or any kinds of thuggery,” said Gigaba.
“It has come to the attention of the South African government that locals and foreigners alike are creating fake and deceitful messages to be circulated via social media, especially WhatsApp and Facebook.”
Gigaba said the messages were by “greedy opportunists” who seek to cause disturbances and gain entries into business centres and start looting.
“This morning the Department Of Home Affairs has tasked the Minister of Police to assist the Ministry Of State Security in arresting the offenders, in this case, the originators of the fake messages,” he said.
Gigaba said among the suspects were angry locals excited at creating messages meant to scare away “our foreign brothers and sisters”.
He further said the culprits were among “too excited foreign brothers and sisters, just wanting to threaten their own countrymen”; abusers of social media and opposition parties of sending countries.
The South African government minister said the Cyber security Bill, once enacted by his country, will ensure such offenders are prosecuted for abusing our communication platforms.
“We are in the process of finalising a deal with WhatsApp and Facebook to share information with the Ministry Of State Security and the police, to uncover the originator of the message.
“Once the offender has been identified, if a local they will be jailed for two years without trial, and if a foreign migrant will be deported immediately.”