How many Nicos must still follow?
23 March 2017
Solidarity strongly condemns the death threats a Solidarity member by the name of Nico Viljoen who comes from Orkney, is receiving in the wake of a social incident that took place in a Spur restaurant in Johannesburg, an incident he was not party to. He just happens to have the same name as one of the parties in the said incident.
Connie Mulder, head of Solidarity’s Research Institute, strongly spoke out against such threats: “We have fallen into utter racial and mass hysteria. It is absurd that a social incident which took place at a restaurant gives rise to someone who has not been involved in it at all but only happens to have the same name is receiving death threats. The problem with group justice has always been that the wrong people are charged, convicted and punished without defence.
“Surely, we cannot allow it that reaction to a social incident gives rise to death threats and trauma suffered by innocent people who have not been party to an incident at all. Even the Nico Viljoen, who has been involved in the incident, does not deserve this kind of treatment – all the more an innocent party should not have to endure such treatment,” Mulder said.
“Wanting to punish any white person for the actions of another white person does not make sense. Can you imagine what would happen if our legal system were to operate in such a way that any black person could be punished for a crime perpetrated by any other black person? If that were the case, then one could harass innocent black people in Soweto for a farm murder that took place in Heilbron,” Mulder contended.
“Strong action needs to be taken against people who are keen to enforce their idea of justice by divulging the private details of so-called guilty parties on social media. An anonymous person sitting behind a screen cannot decide on who is guilty and who is not – that is what judges do. We cannot allow this incident to create a precedent. The victimisation and intimidation of people because of their opinions cannot and should never be justified; that would be the end of any attempt to debate issues in this country,” Mulder added.
“The ANC government saddled this populist horse through inflammatory statements made by Jacob Zuma earlier this year. Now it would appear that they are completely incapable of controlling this horse. We demand the strictest possible action by the police and the ruling party against the guilty parties. Examples have to be made so we can return to normality again,” Mulder concluded.
Statement issued by Connie Mulder, Head: Solidarity Research Institute, 23 March 2017
