- The police have registered a case of criminal injury against a 60-year-old suspect who asked for a ban on blacks and not pit bulls.
- The suspect was arrested and released the same day with a warning.
- The racist tirade was sent in a voice note on WhatsApp that later circulated on social media.
Police have opened a criminal libel case against a 60-year-old woman, who allegedly sent a WhatsApp voice note last week calling for a ban on black people instead of pit bulls.
The case was opened in Boksburg North on Saturday and has since been transferred to Putfontein Police Station in Benoni for investigation.
Police spokeswoman Brenda Muridili said the suspect was arrested and released the same day, with a warning to appear in court on March 27, 2023.
In the voice note, the woman defends pit bulls amid calls to ban the breed as a household pet.
In it he said:
“I’m very passionate about this. Ban them, kill them, shoot them, get rid of them because they are the problem, not the pitbulls, not the animals. Animals are beautiful and they deserve a warm bed, food, love, attention, and everything else. God created those animals. Who created the black man? Do you believe God? I don’t.”
He initially denied sending the voice memo, saying he was not racist, as he was “very nice and helpful, especially to black people.”
READ ALSO | SPCA is offering a R5000 reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects who burned 3 pitbulls to death
She later blamed diabetes for her outburst, telling TimesLive that her sugar was “out of control” and she couldn’t think straight.
News24 previously reported that the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) registered a complaint about a racist “pit bull rant” voice recording circulating online.
Commission spokesman Wisani Baloyi said the Gauteng branch would investigate.
“The identification of the person behind the voice memo is part of the internal complaint handling mechanism, which cannot be disclosed at this time,” Baloyi said.
A petition, started by the Sizwe Kupelo Foundation, wants the vicious dog breed banned due to a recent wave of deadly attacks, and has garnered more than 100,000 signatures.
Numerous attempts by News24 to contact the suspect behind the voice memo have been unsuccessful.
