Mall of Africa chaos: What you need to know about the 'Luh Twizzy' trend

28 March 2023 - 13:14
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A screengrab from a video which appears to depict youngsters fighting at Mall of Africa.
A screengrab from a video which appears to depict youngsters fighting at Mall of Africa.
Image: Screengrab via Twitter

Teenagers identifying themselves as “Luh Twizzy” have been causing chaos at Gauteng malls, with scores calling on the police to arrest them.

Johannesburg’s Mall of Africa has been trending this week after it was inundated at the weekend with teenagers inspired by the now-viral TikTok trend. 

Here's what you need to know about it:

What is Luh Twizzy?

Described by one teen as “another level of Skrr Skrr kids”, Luh Twizzy appears to have morphed from fans of American rapper Yeat. 

The star's music and lifestyle influenced other artists and TikTok challenges. 

This, at least locally, morphed into a term to describe teenagers who often hide their faces and associate with others of the same name. In South Africa, it has also become synonymous with mobs.

One social media user said there are two groups within the trend's local movement that cannot associate with each other.

Those who associate with Luh Twizzy have stormed malls, then left.

In one video shared online at the weekend, teenagers could be seen packed onto an elevator. In another, teenagers can be seen walking through the mall and running through the outdoor restaurant area as shoppers go about their business.

TikTok told TimesLIVE its investigation found no evidence the "Luh Twizzy challenge" originated on its platform.

"As we make clear in our Community Guidelines, we do not allow content that encourages, promotes, or glorifies dangerous challenges that might lead to injury or damage to property.

"As a platform, we always aim to strike a good balance between enabling free speech and preventing harmful violative content. We encourage everyone to exercise caution in their behaviour whether online or off". 

Does it have a certain look?

The mall takeover saw teenagers clad in black with skeletal printouts inspired by Yeat.

Aesthetic vision boards, dubbed “Luh Twizzy outfits”, have since gone viral on platforms like Pinterest

It is said the rapper, who raps about cars and money, has no links to these teens. 

The youngsters are mostly in high school and apparently roam around drinking and/or smoking weed.

Have they done this before?

Last year a large group of teenagers entered Montecasino, causing chaos at the venue. 

Sarah Hoffman, a digital parenting expert and co-founder of Klikd, told TimesLIVE the same thing happened in Protea Glen. 

“They almost always hide their faces in the TikTok posts. The drivers of this behaviour are not really clear. A lot of this is mob psychology-based,” she said.  

Mall of Africa confirmed to TimesLIVE that there was a “disturbance by a crowd of people” at the centre, but disputed claims on social media that a youngster had died during the incident.

Do the police know about them?

Mall of Africa said it is working closely with SA Police Service (SAPS) officials and a private security firm to investigate the matter and "to mitigate any future disruptions to our retail community". 

“Mall of Africa has a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive behaviours. Our priority is to ensure that our shoppers, tenants and staff remain well protected while frequenting our shopping centre.

What are people saying about them?

Many have reacted to the storming of Mall of Africa, with some saying the teenagers involved should be arrested. 

Here is a snapshot of reactions. 

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