Man Responds to Ernst Roets’ Job Threat Over Charlie Kirk's Death: “Joke’s on You”
- Attorney and AfriForum bigshot Ernst Roets shared that he would be contacting people's employers if they incited violence regarding the controversial American figure Charlie Kirk's death
- In response to what Ernst had said, a South African man shared why his plan wouldn't work for many South Africans
- Local internet users agreed with the content creator and wondered why South Africans cared so much about Charlie
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After the former Deputy CEO of AfriForum, Ernst Roets, threatened the jobs of those who spoke negatively about American right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk's assassination, a South African shared his thoughts. He noted that what Ernst said made no sense, given the country's unemployment rate.
Charlie was shot and killed with a single bullet to the neck at Utah Valley University on 10 September, 2025. A suspect named Tyler Robinson recently appeared in court for the murder.
South African TikTok content creator Jaychronik took to his account on 17 September, 2025, a day after Ernst, an attorney, filmmaker and Afrikaner activist, said the following to internet users in an X post:
"It's absolutely painful to see the extent to which some people are willing to go, also in South Africa, to encourage, celebrate, and incite violence and hatred on social media.
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"At Lex Libertas (a 'viable political dispensation' for South Africans), we have started an investigation into the extent to which people are inciting hatred and violence. We will gather information about these people, where they work, and we intend to write to their employers because we believe that an employer has the right to know."
In response, Jaychronik said:
"Joke's on you, Mr Roets, because most of South Africa is unemployed. You can't lose something you never had."
He added that it came as no surprise that Ernst had "love and appreciation" for Charlie, as the American had pushed the narrative that South Africa's Afrikaner population was experiencing a white genocide, which is yet to be proven.
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South Africans roll their eyes
The post had thousands of local members of the online community heading to the comment section, taking what Ernst said with a pinch of salt. Others confessed that they had no idea who the man was.
@bassiem__ told people on the internet:
"Unfortunately for him, we have labour laws."
@zynobia25 asked under the post:
"Does Oom Roets know that most of our employers don't like Charlie Kirk either?"
@nkosi85lemenz wrote in the comments:
"Do they think we are in America? Getting fired for free speech? See you in court."
@bhekingwane1 shared their opinion on the matter:
"Yoh, so now American political ideology is imposed on South Africans? Kirk was making statements with racist intellect. He was biased in his stance against people of colour. That is not what we stand for as South Africans, both White and Black. We believe that we are all equal and can live together as we solve the sins of the past."
@future_378 added in the comment section:
"Haibo, can't we have freedom of speech like Kirk had?"
A curious @nolz54 wondered:
"Why should an American influencer have this much influence in South Africa?"
Take a look at the TikTok video below:
The life and legacy of Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was an American conservative activist and media personality, best known for founding Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012. Under his leadership, TPUSA grew into a prominent organisation mobilising young conservatives across US college campuses. According to Fox News, Kirk's efforts greatly boosted support for Donald Trump among young voters, particularly men, in the 2024 election.
He also expanded TPUSA's influence through initiatives like Turning Point Action and Turning Point Faith, aligning with Christian nationalist movements.
Kirk's assassination left a lasting impact on American conservatism, with his widow, Erika Kirk, stepping in as CEO to continue his mission
3 Other stories about Charlie Kirk
- In another article, Briefly News reported that a resurfaced video of Charlie showed him sharing his negative views about South Africa. The old clip caused division among social media users.
- In another throwback video, Charlie's widow, Erika Kirk, showed a sweet moment between Charlie and their daughter, calling it her favourite love story.
- Former Olympic swimming champion Roland Schoeman divided the nation when he commented on Charlie's death, as many criticised him for speaking about the controversial figure.
Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News.
Source: Briefly News
