Yusuf Ambramjee lays criminal charges against man for hate speech on social media

Anti-crime activist and former journalist Yusuf Abramjee has opened criminal charges against a man for inciting violence and hatred on social media.

Abramjee‚ accompanied by Andy Mashaile‚ former Gauteng Community Police Board member‚ and an attorney‚ visited the Brooklyn Police Station to open charges against Obatala Mcambi at 11am on Sunday.

Mcambi posted on his Facebook page: "I use my guns to rob and kill Indians & Whites. Please fellas‚ join me‚ we have to rape their kids with AIDS virus too!" (SIC). He later posted "Kill the pigs."

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Abramjee gave police copies of the man's Facebook profile and screenshots of the posts. Mcambi poses with firearms and in one photo the serial number appears filed off. He also boasts large sums of cash on some of his photos.

"I appeal to the South African Police Services to immediately investigate this matter and bring the person/persons responsible for the hate speech‚ incitement to violence and intimidation to justice.

"I further request that a charge of hate speech‚ incitement and intimidation be opened and thoroughly investigated‚" Abramjee added.

Speaking to the media outside the police station‚ Abramjee said: "We are sick and tired of this nonsense. The law must come down hard on people like Mcambi.

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"He must be tracked down. Police must investigate the matter as one of urgency and we also need to establish whether Mcambi is his real name‚" Abramjee said.

He said the posts have caused widespread anger. "People are also opening charges in other areas."

Mashatile said "there is no place for racism and hatred. We are all one. We want this person hunted down‚ arrested‚ charges and punished. I came here to provide an affidavit to police to support the charges opened by Yusuf‚ a fellow #TurnBackCrime ambassador."

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Legal representative Adila Alli said: "I decided to join in and make a statement also. This person must be arrested. These posts are unacceptable."

Abramjee said the various posts have since been deleted from the man's Facebook page. "Scores of people reported him to Facebook."

"Mcambi updated his profile picture at 10.26pm last night with a photo of him with a revolver in his hand‚" he added.