News24 editor-in-chief lays charges against EFF supporter after death threat

News24 editor-in-chief Adriaan Basson on Friday opened a criminal case against an EFF supporter who in a tweet, threatened to kill him.

The comment, by one @tsk_tsheko, was made after Basson shared a link to a story about the DA reporting Black First Land First (BLF) leader Andile Mngxitama to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Equality Court for comments relating to the killing of white people.

During his speech in Potchefstroom on December 8, Mngxitama reportedly urged an audience to kill five white people for every one black person that dies because of taxi violence, which he said would have been incited by Johann Rupert's comments at the Chairman's Conversation.

In response to Basson's tweet, @tsk_tsheko tweeted: "But for the first time I agree with him, we must slaughter these white animals if they kill black Africans, actually we must come up with action to kill white people like you @AdriaanBasson".

News24's social media editor reported the comment, which has since been removed.

@tsk_tsheko's profile indicates he is from Tzaneen. His avatar and header image are photos of people in EFF regalia.

When asked whether the EFF would condemn such threats by its members, spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the man does not speak for the EFF.

"The party's official positions are communicated by its leadership."

READ: Political analyst Karima Brown lays charges against EFF member over threatening message

On Friday, political analyst and broadcaster Karima Brown also laid charges of incitement of violence and intimidation against a member of the EFF.

This was after she said she received a WhatsApp message from the man, in which he described her as "enemy number one for the EFF".

Brown told News24 that the Sophiatown police station had initially refused to take her complaint, and only did so after "intervention from above".

She says she wants the police to investigate why she is a target.

"After refusing to take my case, and saying I must get a protection order and I wont be helped, I was finally assisted after intervention from above... now I have a case number," Brown said.