Ex-cop snubs racist 'save whites' page

The pictures are brutal. Bleeding faces, open wounds, pained expressions on victims' faces - each one white.

This is the trend on right-wing Facebook pages. They claim that there is a genocide of white South Africans, who are disproportionately affected by crime. Any assertion that the pages are racist will be countered with a backlash from the pages' founders.

Jack Haskins, retired head of the police's search-and-rescue unit in Pietermaritzburg, does not agree.

He asked to be removed from one such page, "Save the white people of South Africa", after graphic photos were posted.

"I do not want this on my Facebook," he said. "Crime affects everybody. I've seen it myself."

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The South African Human Rights Commission expects the debate over whether the groups fall under freedom of expression to form part of a racism and social media conference tentatively scheduled for next week.

"We cannot predict what submissions we will receive. However, the issue of racism and hate speech online is a global phenomenon, which is exercising the minds of many ... so no doubt it will form part of the discussion," said spokeswoman Gail Smith.

She said these Facebook pages could not automatically be regarded as racist.

"Section 16 of the constitution provides for freedom of expression, but does not extend to hate speech.

"So people can say what they want, provided it is not hateful, hurtful or an incitement. Any Facebook page thus needs to be viewed through this lens.

"Pages such as these might be offensive to some sectors of society, but the question that needs to be asked is: does this extend to hate speech?" said Smith.

Ingrid de Jager, founder of the "Save the white people of South Africa" group, which has about 9,000 members, said she was justified in posting what she did - even the most graphic of images.

"My page is not a racist page. It is there to show the world the reality of what is happening to the minority of South Africa."