Madiba hoax costs woman her job
2007-03-27 07:50
Danel Blaauw
Springs - A beauty therapist, who believed a hoax SMS about the death of former president Nelson Mandela and the "white extermination" that was to follow, has now lost her job as well.
Christine Pretorius, 49, packed up her family and took them to Heilbron in the Free State, to escape the dreaded "night of the long knives".
The family camped out in tents for two days, braving wind and sun, because they believed a massive slaughter of whites would follow the world icon's funeral.
By the time Pretorius realised the SMS was a hoax, she'd lost the job she had had for 12 years at a pharmacy.
Boer prophet Siener van Rensburg
Pretorius and her family were already on edge after watching a DVD distributed by the Suidlanders, a far-right extremist group.
The DVD alleged that blacks would destroy the white "volk" on the night after Mandela's burial.
The slaughter was referred to variously as "a night of the long knives, the slaughter of Johannesburg, Red October and Iron Eagle".
The attacks referred to on the DVD by Suidlanders leader Gustav Muller apparently were based on the visions of the Boer prophet Siener van Rensburg.
The DVD exhorted people to take emergency supplies and gather at pre-identified venues, when they got the "tiding".
"Signs of the tiding" were supposedly the SMSes that did the rounds recently with the spurious message about Mandela falling into a coma and dying.
Pretorius said: "We're not actually people who take notice of such things, we're usually cool-headed, and don't just fall for anything.
Chaos in the hot sun
"But, the DVD was so convincing. At that moment, it felt as if our lives were collapsing around us."
Pretorius got the SMS about lunchtime on February 19.
The family lost no time and set off for Heilbron with children, grandchildren, tents and a few items of clothing.
At the Heilbron Spar, where they had been told to meet, a "security guard" directed them to a nearby dam, where they set up camp.
"It was chaotic. We were in Heilbron in the hot sun with our children for two days.
"There were other people as well, but everyone said as little as possible. I'm telling you, we were all wrecks!"
After two days, they realised that nothing appeared to have changed and returned home.
Taking dismissal to CCMA
But, the nightmare continued at home when she turned up at work after a two-day absence and was summarily fired by the pharmacy in Brakpan.
"My whole future is ruined!" said Pretorius.
Zahir Omar, her attorney, is taking the matter further with the commission for conciliation, mediation and arbitration (CCMA).
A date for the hearing will be determined within the next month.
- Beeld