Twitter (@Ntsikimaswai)
#IBelieveHer was the hashtag on the poster of a group that protested in front of the Sunday World offices in Johannesburg.
The protest, on Thursday, was in retaliation to a recent article published by the newspaper with a headline that an alleged rape victim had apologised to a well- known South African DJ, Euphonik for falsely accusing him of rape following a screenshot he posted on Twitter over the weekend.
The tweet went viral and multiple app users deciphered the screenshot calling it fake saying the DJ had doctored the message.
DJ Euphonik has since removed the screenshot from the app.
However, on Monday Sunday World published an article allegedly basing it on an NPA statement and the DJ’s screenshot.
Twitter users rallied behind the alleged rape victim and called out Sunday World for perpetuating rape culture in a country with the highest of rape cases in the world.
One of the many women who came out guns blazing in support of the alleged victim has been musician, poet and gender-based violence activist, Ntsiki Mazwai.
Speaking to Algoa Fm News, Mazwai, called the article malicious, dangerous and it takes women a hundred steps backwards.
“I think that the use of media and PR to settle scores is not something we should tolerate as a society because we have a bigger picture that we are dealing with. We are dealing with a rape pandemic in this country and we are dealing with GBV in this country,” she said.
Mazwai said this situation had brought to attention the powerlessness of victims compared to the alleged perpetrators and how media and the justice system can be used to abuse rape victims.
“Remember that South Africa is the rape capital of the world so if the justice system and media are complicit in rape culture then we as a society are slowly dying,” she added.
Staying on the topic of the country’s justice system, Mazwai spoke of this specific case and how it was concluded within a short space of time.
Mazwai said Sunday World also had access to the docket and they published it as a statement before the alleged victim had access to it.
“So, how is it possible that the media can have access to these records. We need to look into the justice system,” she said.
Mazwai said the protest was to make it clear to the media that it needs to be held accountable to the general public and for the media to publish accurate news that does not abuse and re-victimize rape victims.
Specifically speaking to the Sunday World debacle, she said that the protest is calling for the News Editor to resign and the journalist who wrote the article.
Several Twitter users took to the app to post screenshots of their complaints to the Press Council of South Africa.
The Press Council of South Africa said the public advocate, Fanie Groenewald was dealing with the complaint.
Sunday World management received the protestor’s memorandum on Thursday however the article in question is still on the newspaper’s website despite the public outcry to take it off on Twitter.
Even the headline of the article got tongues wagging as it was based on a WhatsApp message allegedly faked by rape accused Euphonik.
Euphonik, whose real name is Themba Nkosi also exposed the alleged victim's telephone number to his over 1.8 million Twitter followers in a tweet he has since deleted.
Euphonik and DJ Fresh have been embroiled in a rape scandal after the granddaughter of Winnie Madikizela Mandela opened a case of rape against the duo that took place in 2011.
The victim alleged that the duo first drugged and then raped her when she was still a virgin.
The DJ's have since lost their radio gigs as a result of the allegations even though the National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute, due to a lack of evidence.
After the NPA's decision, DJ Fresh also took to Twitter to accuse his alleged victim of being a compulsive liar, stating that he was contacted by a Madikizela family member who confirmed it.
The Madikizela family soon issued a statement denying it and this tweet was also deleted by DJ Fresh.
Fresh's ex-girlfriend Penny Lebyane also attended the protest on Thursday.
Algoa FM News approached the Ombudsman to ask how many complaints they had received regarding the Sunday World article and how many if any would be investigated.
We are still waiting for a reply.
