The director of the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF), Nicole Fritz, and her family received threats on Twitter the day before the foundation’s court action to stop the scrapping of the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP). On 10 April, Twitter user Freeman Bhengu (@zibuseman) wrote, “We are watching her and we know where she stays, her daughter and their closed offices in Parktown, we will deal with her tomorrow @Nicole Fritz.”
The HSF, together with the Zimbabwe Immigration Federation and the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit Holders, is challenging the Department of Home Affairs’ decision to abolish the ZEP, a move that would affect more than 170,000 permit holders. The hearing began in the Pretoria High Court on 11 April. Fritz described the threats as “enormously disturbing” and said that activists working in social justice or human‑rights fields should not be subjected to such harassment. She noted that other litigants are also receiving threats.
Global South Against Xenophobia (GSAX) has called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to intervene. In a statement, GSAX urged SAPS to protect Fritz for the duration of the court proceedings—or until the perpetrators are arrested—and to investigate all threats. “We urge all our people to stand up against xenophobia and perpetrators of other corruptions and to defend the space for activists and civil‑society actors,” the organization said.
This is not the first time Fritz has been threatened. She said the same individual had previously emailed her, claiming to be watching her, and that Twitter had suspended the account in the past. Under the platform’s new ownership, however, the account remained active because Twitter determined the posts did not violate its rules. Fritz acknowledged that people might disagree with the court action, but she finds it “gravely concerning” that seeking legal redress could invite death threats. She expressed gratitude for the support she has received and emphasized that the threats should not distract from the focus on the ZEP issue.
