An online battle over the 'white genocide' narrative on social media has dangerous real-world consequences.
and information disseminated by white nationalists and far-right activists in South Africa, especially when it comes to the sensitive issue of farm murders.
The idea that there is a “white genocide” occurring in South Africa has been widely discredited, including by Africa Check and the BBC. Petzer offered no proof for his assertions, and the video has subsequently been removed by YouTube. The pair had sparred previously, over Owens’ support for land redistribution for poorer communities in Hermanus, but Owens denies any involvement with the Facebook group.
The online threats had real-world consequences too. Owens’s home address in Hermanus was leaked online: her home was subsequently vandalised, and the tyres on her car were slashed. She lost her job after anonymous calls and emails were made about her to her Pretoria-based employers; as a result, she has lost her home too.
“We were just a bunch of people that found each other in the comments sections of social media sites brought together by a need to see change. We got in touch over encrypted apps like Line, and started a group, having learnt from the mistakes of people who had gone before us. We had to stay anonymous and work from all corners of the country,” said one.
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