Pretoria – The Consulate General of Nigeria, based in Joburg said it has noted the numerous media reports purporting the involvement of a Nigeria national in the leaking of an explicitly graphic video depicting Speaker of the Free State Legislature, Ntombizanele “Zanele” Beauty Sifuba indulging in online sex.
The leaked video has been widely circulated on social media platforms, with many users claiming that it was an incident of revenge porn, after a bid to extort money from Sifuba.
The Nigerian diplomatic mission said the circulation of the video is in blatant disregard to the privacy of Sifuba.
“The Mission unequivocally condemns and distances all law-abiding Nigerians from the egregious and reprehensible violation of Hon Sifuba’s privacy by anyone, whether Nigerian or not.
“We note that the alleged act is a flagrant violation of South Africa’s legislation on combating gender-based violence (GBV) and cyber abuse, and join all well-meaning members of the public to empathise with Hon Sifuba and her family over the regrettable incident,” the Consulate said.
The Consulate however said the unsubstantiated allegations, that the perpetrator was Nigerian, will likely put the lives and property of law-abiding Nigerians in South Africa in danger.
“While awaiting the outcome of investigations into the real identity of the perpetrator of this heinous crime, the Mission wishes to call on the media to refrain from hasty and definitive conclusions on the nationality of the suspect as this may put the lives and property of law-abiding Nigerians in South Africa at risk,” the Consulate said.
“The Consulate General therefore reassures host authorities of its full support and co-operation towards the identification, tracking, arrest and prosecution of any Nigerian believed to be responsible or complicit in the mindless circulation of the sex video.”
The Nigerian diplomatic mission has also appealed to community members to desist from further circulation of the offensive video “and negative profiling of foreign nationals based on the alleged acts of criminal-minded individuals”.
On Wednesday, the Land Party was one of the first political parties which came out in defence of the Free State Legislature’s Speaker, as the video went viral.
“The Land Party condemns those circulating videos of Free State Speaker Zanele Sifuba. In a country where gender-based violence is prevalent, the circulation of her naked videos is direct assault on her right to privacy,” Land Party leader Gcobani Ndzongana said.
“South Africa is a country where the rights of women are being undermined and those who are circulating the video are undermining the rights of women in general.”
The Land Party called on members of society to defend Sifuba’s rights to privacy and dignity, and desist from sharing the graphic video.
“The Land Party calls on the Nigerian Embassy to call its citizens to order and stop engaging in activities that can easily spark xenophobic attacks,” Ndzongana said.
“The Land Party asks authorities to assist Ms Sifuba to arrest and prosecute the perpetrator for extortion, human trafficking and violation of the Bill of Rights (with regards to) privacy and human dignity.”
IOL