POLICE in KwaZulu-Natal have issued a serious warning that people who do not engage in acts of promoting violence in the community using social media.
This comes after the spread of protests against illegal immigrants.
According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, people should refrain from posting recorded voice messages on social media, forwarding to others that have been posted or making statements that will incite violence.
Netshiunda said that although the province has seen protests grow rapidly in different areas, it has always been peaceful.
“The police have seen messages posted on social media that are defiant, and they have also seen statements made by some in public. These messages seem to have the potential to incite violence and disobey the law when there are organized protests,” said Netshiunda.
He said that members of the public are reminded to behave in the manner written in the law that regulates the use of social media, Section 14 of the Cybercrimes Act, Act No. 19 of 2020.
He said this law is to make it clear that any person who uses social media for the purpose of inciting violence as well as destroying people’s property, is guilty.
He reminded the public that the provincial police successfully used the contents of this law when they charged Philani Ronnie Gumede who was a member of Operation Dudula in March 2022.
“After he distributed recorded voice messages, inciting the expulsion of immigrants from Durban, entering their shops, hair salons and workplaces, the court found him guilty of doing this, and ordered him to pay a fine of R10 000 or go to jail for three years,” said Netshiunda.
He said that the right to protest is protected by the Constitution of the country, and he said that even so, it is accompanied by the responsibility that those protesting, do so in a legal way and not trample on the rights of other people.
“The police are continuing to monitor public places and the police who are looking into crimes that happen on social media will be looking into posted messages as well as statements that seem to incite violence,” said Netshiunda.
He said the police have announced that the organizers of the protests on June 30 this year have promised that (the protests) will be peaceful, wthey said however that the police will be deployed in different areas on this day, before it as well as after it has passed to ensure that there is stability, peace and law enforcement.
“Anyone who is found to be breaking the law will be dealt with according to the law through fear, choice or prejudice,” said Netshiunda.