Cape Town - A group of women activists, helping the homeless in Sea Point, says they are living in fear of a “brigade of white conservative men” who have unleashed a “reign of online terror” on them.
Now the women have taken legal action in a bid to put a stop to the alleged harassment but would not single out any individuals or groups, they suspected of being behind the harassment.
One of the activists who wanted her name withheld said: “The men now trawl the social media platforms seeking out those supporting the homeless and then go out of their way to intimidate these women.”
When approached by the Argus for comment, Kerry Hoffman from the food relief organisation, Souper Troopers, was unable to comment and could only say: “Our lawyers have advised us not to comment as we have instituted various legal actions against some of these men.”
Lucy Graham said in a message to this writer: “Men in our community are terrorising, intimidating, and threatening mainly women, but also some men, for supporting the homeless. We are being terrorised by white men for our support of the homeless.”
Sea Point area Councillor Nicola Jowell said the women had approached her about the incidents of harassment and intimidation.
Jowell said: “I told them to report the incidents to the police. We know there’s a contested space. One of the women’s home’s was tagged with graffiti, and five months ago, there was the incident with the burning of the Mini-Cooper.”
“I would just like to say that people need to understand that disagreeing with or not liking the work people are doing does not give you the right to damage people’s property or take the law into your own hands. If the law does not act, it is because what these women are doing is not illegal,” said Jowell.
In May, a vehicle belonging to Peter Wagenaar was set alight in what was said at the time to be backlash from certain sections of the Sea Point community for Wagenaar’s project feeding the homeless.
After Wagenaar's story broke, it emerged that the "Atlantic Seaboard Action Group" on Facebook had been among those criticising Wagenaar for his initiative.
Cape Argus