AfriForum Prosecutes Student Over TikTok Racism Allegations in Johannesburg

Civil rights organisation AfriForum has laid criminal charges against Njabulo Madlanga, a Johannesburg student, for posting a TikTok video alleging racism at Gold Reef City in 2023.

Madlanga faces charges of crimen injuria, defamation, and contravening the Cybercrimes Act. AfriForum alleges she falsely accused three young men , Reece Lopes, Milan Kruijer, and Jude Fraser-Grant of making racist “monkey” remarks towards her and her brother.

The Incident

Njabulo’s father, Latin Madlanga, said she was visiting home in July 2023 when the incident unfolded.

According to him, a dispute broke out in a queue after a group of Muslim patrons briefly left and then rejoined their spot. Njabulo allegedly reprimanded three white men who mocked the group, after which one of them made a monkey sound at her.

She recorded a TikTok video about the incident, later posting the men’s faces. The video went viral with over two million views, sparking a wave of online backlash against the trio.

Legal Fallout

AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit acted on behalf of the young men, who denied the allegations. They secured a protection order against Njabulo, barring her from further harassment.

Spokesperson Barry Bateman said Njabulo failed to provide any video evidence proving racist remarks were made during the protection order hearing.

He added that instead of opening a police case, she “took to the internet as judge, jury, and executioner.”

Impact on Studies

Njabulo, then an LLB student at UCT, was forced to withdraw from her studies due to repeated travel between Cape Town and Johannesburg for court appearances. She has since enrolled at Unisa in a different course.

Her father said:

“She had to leave UCT because going to court and going to school was too much for her as she could not focus on her studies.”

Court Proceedings

Njabulo first appeared at the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on May 7, 2025. The case was heard again on August 12 and postponed to August 27.

The National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute for defamation but confirmed a prima facie case for crimen injuria and cybercrimes charges.

{Source: IOL}

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