Nicole Barlow sent shockwaves reverberating on social media when, in a single tweet, the author divided opinion across racial lines.
Was Nicole Barlow ‘Chris Hani’ tweet hate speech?
In the polarising tweet, posted in response to an article about Mantashe’s decision to attend a Cosatu event in Boksburg instead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s event, Barlow shockingly found it appropriate to claim “we missed an opportunity to do a Chris Hani on him.”
This remark alluded to the assassination of SACP leader Chris Hani, who was killed outside his home in Boksburg back in April 1993.
Of course, Barlow’s words drew ire from a majority of online South Africans. However, the ‘free speech’ warrior doubled down on her controversial tweet, vehemently insisting that her statement was taken out of context and that there was no intention to incite harm or violence towards Mantashe.
Barlow dismissed accusations of racism or threats of violence, considering them “ludicrous” and asserted that her tweet does not qualify as hate speech under the legal threshold.
She referred to a court ruling in which AfriForum’s complaint against the EFF regarding the singing of Kill the Boer was dismissed as hate speech.
Of course, in the matter she referenced, the contentious merit was syntax-based, where the EFF insisted the chant was, instead, ‘kiss the Boer.’
Alas, Barlow argued that her comment lacked the intent to provoke or cause harm to Mantashe personally, highlighting the fact that he receives VIP protection funded by taxpayers.
Barlow believes that exercising freedom of speech, even when criticising politicians, is a fundamental right that should be protected. She adamantly denies any incitement of violence or conspiracy to murder the minister.
As the controversy unfolds, Barlow remains willing to face any potential charges and engage with law enforcement or the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regarding her remarks.
Here’s what we know about Nicole Barlow
Barlow is an environmental justice advocate and author who, on her ‘About Me’ page, claims she has dedicated nearly two decades to fighting for a better future.
While our surface-level research pulled no recent academic records, apart from an alleged PR diploma obtained from some Hartwell College, Barlow does, on her ‘About Me’ page, highlight her passion for justice and the preservation of the environment.
“My life has been like a game of twister, it is a game that challenges you to put your hands and feet at different places on a mat without falling over. Be the last player standing and you are the winner! As I move one way my opponents move another, however, my determination to be the last man standing in the battle against corruption between the officials at the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Petro props/British Petroleum is unwavering,” she writes.
Her ultimate goal? To see justice served and to secure the criminal prosecution of the corrupt officials and corporate entities exposed in her book, Fuelling Environmental Corruption: Exposing the murky world of Government and corporate collusion.
Here’s how social media reacted
Barlow’s polarising comments attracted a barrage of insults, and, more concerning, threats.
Here are some of the reactions we picked out:
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