The South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) on Thursday laid criminal charges against three individuals who allegedly posted threatening and antisemitic comments against the Jewish community last week, the board said in a statement.
Ian Levitt Attorneys laid the charges at Sandton police station against Muhammad Hattia, Tameez Seedat and Matome Letsoalo.
According to the statement, Letsoalo's series of tweets included: "@sajbd The #Holocaust Will be like A Picnic When we are done with all you Zionist Bastards. F*ck All Of You (sic)". In another tweet, he allegedly described Jews as vermin, who Hitler should have exterminated completely.
The other offending comments, allegedly by Hattia and Seedat, were posted on a WhatsApp group that buys and sells footwear. Hattia allegedly wrote, "F*ck you jew pricks. Fat nosed f*cks .... I hope you and your family die. Hitler f*cked up he should've killed you all (sic)."
Seedat posted a similar comment afterwards, in which he allegedly said: "You f*cken Jew / Zionist will see your time coming. Make our fellow brothers and sisters suffer, but what you don't understand is that worse will be coming your way (sic)."
SAJBD national chairperson Shaun Zagnoev said: "It is totally unacceptable that anyone in South Africa should be defamed, demeaned and threatened in such horrific terms on account of their religion, race, ethnicity, or other such grounds. We are appalled by the sheer depths of the hatred expressed against our Jewish community by these three individuals and will do whatever is necessary to make them accountable.
"The SAJBD calls on all political and faith-based leadership to stand together against all forms of hate. We cannot stand idly whilst individuals blatantly flout our hard-won constitutional rights," the statement concludes.