Viral Video is Irrelevant To South Africa's Current Civil Unrest
The Claim
In South Africa, a black man whips a white farmer and steals his car, related to the violent protests in the country.
News posted on
Emerging story
A video is circulating on social media amongst South African users, which depicts a black man whipping a white farmer. The accompanying claim is that this is occurring “as the country descends into mass-looting frenzy” and is linked to the current violent protest action. The video has been viewed over a million times.
Misbar’s Analysis
While the incident is accurate, the video circulating is not related to the current civil unrest. The two black men whipped their white employer over unpaid wages. An article dated 26 June was found reporting on it, as seen in the screenshot below.
The video was also shared on 25 June by a Twitter user a while before any protests or riots took place. The lady recording the video also calls the man by his name, indicating that they know each other. The video comes at a sensitive time for South Africa; such misinformation is misleading and can spur the already high racial tensions in the country.
Protests erupted last week as former South African President Jacob Zuma, 79, turned himself into authorities to serve a 15-month jail term for contempt of court. He had refused to appear at an anti-corruption commission to face several allegations, including bribery and fraud, which he has repeatedly denied.
