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While uLerato_pillay raised valid issues re corruption, high crime and unemployment rates (which affect the poor disproportionately), he also blamed foreigners (legal or not) for these ills.
And he did so dishonestly, which is exactly the problem with the account.
And he did so dishonestly, which is exactly the problem with the account.
For example: two separate claims that pregnant SA women need to sleep on benches because foreign nationals occupy maternity beds were taken from a tweet in 2019.
The original tweet made no mention of foreigners: Gwala, however, did. Twice.
The original tweet made no mention of foreigners: Gwala, however, did. Twice.
Here, Gwala replaced the word "dude" with "Zimbo" in a post about an unidentified man killed after stealing cell tower batteries.
Gwala called the alleged Zimbabwean's death "minus one problem".
Gwala called the alleged Zimbabwean's death "minus one problem".
Three copper thieves in Havenside suddenly became Zimbabweans after Gwala reposted an earlier post to an Amanzimtoti & Surrounds community Facebook group.
The original post made no mention of nationality, but Gwala did.
The original post made no mention of nationality, but Gwala did.
A post claiming foreign nationals package and sell fake sanitary pads was recycled in August this year from a video posted in May 2019.
He later used this to substantiate a claim that foreign spaza shops sell stuff detrimental to your health.
He later used this to substantiate a claim that foreign spaza shops sell stuff detrimental to your health.
Gwala copied a tweet by Yusuf Abramjee, but changed "13 people arrested" to "13 foreign nationals arrested".
The EWN piece that reported this made no mention of nationality at the time.
The EWN piece that reported this made no mention of nationality at the time.
A post by Gwala in August this year claims SA patients need to sleep on the floor as all our beds are occupied by foreigners.
He uses an image from a NIGERIAN hospital posted in a Facebook group in April 2019.
He uses an image from a NIGERIAN hospital posted in a Facebook group in April 2019.
Even when he uses legitimate South African news sites as his sources, he finds old articles about foreign nationals and posts it as "fresh" news.
"Church goers" attacking the JMPD suddenly become "Zimbabweans" in a tweet which he deleted after being called out.
"Church goers" attacking the JMPD suddenly become "Zimbabweans" in a tweet which he deleted after being called out.
In a very first-hand example, Gwala tried to claim credit for our investigation into the Tracy Zille account, and added that Mathumba is a Zimbabwean.
Mathumba's nationality was never mentioned.
Gwala deleted the tweet when I called him out. https://twitter.com/jean_leroux/status/1281511699447795712
Mathumba's nationality was never mentioned.
Gwala deleted the tweet when I called him out. https://twitter.com/jean_leroux/status/1281511699447795712
His xenophobia isn't vested in a single tweet: its months of othering using these deceptions. There are hundreds more of these examples.
Blaming foreigners like this does nothing to address the underlying causes: when the foreigners are gone, crime and unemployment will remain.
Blaming foreigners like this does nothing to address the underlying causes: when the foreigners are gone, crime and unemployment will remain.
