Race not an issue with Facebook pic - police
2011-08-28 17:35
Johannesburg - A racial connection should not be made with the picture on Facebook in which a white man poses with a rifle over an apparently lifeless body of a black child, the police ministry said on Sunday.
"Even if the child was white, or the man was black... once you narrow it down to a racial aspect it becomes problematic. Murder is murder," Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa's spokesperson Zweli Mnisi said.
The image, published in the Sunday Times, is on the profile of a user called, "Eugene Terrorblanche", a play on the name of the murdered Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) leader.
It has since been revealed that the "story" first surfaced in October 2008.
"Terrorblanche" had 583 "friends" on the social networking site by midday on Sunday - seven less than on Saturday.
On his profile, he listed knives, firearms and weapons as his interests, and self-defence, close combat fighting, weapons training and shooting as his as his activities.
Mnisi said the minister had ordered an immediate investigation and called on the man on the picture - or anyone who knows him - to come forward to assist in the probe.
Photographer
He said it was early in the investigation, but if the picture was authentic the responsible person must be prosecuted. There must also be another person involved, as someone took the photograph.
If the picture turned out to be digitally manipulated it was inciting violence and there were connections to violence, he explained.
Everyone partly responsible in the posting of the picture, or whoever created the profile and those who have seen it but failed to report it could face prosecution.
"There are so many questions that need to be answered."
The ministry first became aware of the picture on Saturday when they were approached for comment by the Sunday Times, Mnisi said.
"From us as police we see this as shocking," Mnisi said.
'Horrified'
Child advocacy groups said the production and dissemination of the picture violated several laws.
Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille said the party was "horrified by the picture".
"Whether or not the picture is genuine, it represents a scene of extreme violence perpetrated against a child by a man. The intention is to evoke racial hatred and polarisation," she said in a statement.
The picture should be denounced by every forward-thinking South African, the Independent Democrats said on Sunday.
"Whenever we see or experience racism of any form, as a society we should all condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
"If we fail to do so, we will simply allow this kind of 'sick' behaviour to permeate and grow in our society," said ID secretary general Haniff Hoosen.
- SAPA
