Cape Town - A woman has laid a charge of intimidation against Freedom Front Plus (VF+) City councillor Paul Jacobson’s brother Martin after he threatened to rape and murder her and her family.
Martin was responding to a comment Cassia Souza had made on a post by Paul on Facebook regarding South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
Souza commented that she was nauseated by Paul and said: “This man (the councillor) is nauseating, just like all of them spewing lies around, trying their best to justify indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, pregnant mothers run over with bulldozers, graveyards turned upside down, actual babies left to rot on hospital beds, sick. It can’t get worse than what we’re seeing.”
To which Martin responded: “Maybe I should send people to rape and murder your family and community. As was shown by Hamas videos. Let me come rape you and your daughters. Even your mother. Maybe we should. You guys are really so stupid to believe the propaganda. But I’m not going to change your mind.
“You’re basically anti-Semitic. That won’t change. But Israel will survive and that’s just how it is.”
Paul liked the comment his brother made and following complaints from other users the post was deleted.
“Martin, came at me with murder and rape of me and my children, who are minors and my mother and our community,” Souza said.
“On Sunday evening I went to lay charges against Martin for his threats, this is just very stressful.
“Paul Jacobson is a representative of a political party, a councillor and he liked his brother’s comment and that is an endorsement to the threats.”
Souza said she was left shaken by the incident.
“It’s just making me very anxious and fearful, I couldn’t even eat yesterday.
“I went to bed at 2am yesterday morning, I didn’t feel safe at all.
“The councillor called it an analogy. How can that not be a direct threat?
“It was a healthy discussion and out of the blue this man threatened me.”
Souza said in addition to laying the charge she would be laying a complaint with the City of Cape Town as well.
Martin told Independent Media that he misspoke when he wrote that.
“I was attempting to get across the message of how atrocious the violence of 7 October was to one particular person.
“In that moment I admittedly quite stupidly made the comments as I did, which is now on record, in order to try to get this person to understand how this atrocious violence would feel if it affected her and her family and community, as it was for countless people on October 7 and thereafter.
“What I should done was to ask her how she would feel if rape was brought to her and her family and community.
“On realising my mistake, and in response, I immediately brought context to the statement explaining what my intentions were, and that I should have tried to get my message across differently.”
He wrote: “I apologise for my statement. My intention was to try to get the message across that rape and violence against women is horrific – my intention was to bring it closer to home.
“Instead of saying should I come over and perform those atrocities, I should have said how would you feel if those atrocities happened to you or your community.
“I apologise to all that I offended. We all agree that violence against all women, be they Muslim or Jewish, whether it is Jew against Muslim or Muslim against Jew, should be unequivocally condemned.”
Martin added that It is unfortunate that many will not accept the context that he explained thereafter, nor will they accept his apology.
“Instead they purposefully choose to weaponise the statement against me as it suits their somewhat hateful agenda. I apologise again for the way I delivered the message.”
The councillor said he is not his brother’s keeper.
“I’m also not the keeper of Jews or the Christian community or whatever people say; they must be liable for their comments.
“I can say that this was taken out of context, it was in regard to the denial of the beheading, rape and the murder of young babies. I believe it was followed through in that context.
“I am not liable for what people say, they must be held responsible. I understand that Mr Jacobson has posted an apology for those who did not understand 10 minutes later to say that for those who didn’t understand, he then offered an apology.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said police registered a case of intimidation and appealed to anyone with information that can assist with the investigation to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za