Woman in cage on bakkie – social media doesn't buy 'her story'

The social media jury is out on the version of events that led to a black woman being transported in a cage on the back of a bakkie.

Linda Steenkamp was photographed in the cage in the back of the bakkie near Cradock in the Eastern Cape and the image caused a stir on social media as people speculated whether the bakkie driver was racist or she had been locked up for committing a crime.

Johan Erasmus‚ the driver of the Isuzu bakkie‚ told Tiso Black Star Group Digital that there was no space in the passenger seat for her and that the woman “climbed into the thing herself“.

Steenkamp said she needed the lift and chose to sit there because it was hot. A video later posted by eBlockwatch seemed to confirm this story‚ but social media users were not buying it. Some have gone as far as saying she was coached and made to rehearse her version.

Kgomotso Motong wrote on Facebook:“Haibo!! I’d lie too being interviewed like that‚ and the white woman holding my shoulder. I didn’t even finish watching the video you can just tell it was rehearsed. Poor woman.”

DjVovo Wale Sandawana also wasn’t convinced. “Still not convinced‚ maybe another video proving she was not under any duress or coached may help. can’t accept that explaining from someone who still refers to a white male as Baas??“

Twitter users meanwhile have rubbished the idea the woman sat in the cage willingly.

@S–iphoSihle pointed out the back of the bakkie would probably have been hotter with all that steel‚ while Thembi–Ngcai said‚ “She asked to sit in a cage. In a cage. Because the bakkie has no aircon or windows you can roll down. And resembling an animal makes sense?“

Moh–Baps wasn’t buying it: “Let me get this straight.. The bakkie was too hot so she went to sit in a cage‚ In the scorching sun.. A metal cage in this heat?“

And neither did Le–Montro “Imagine sitting at the back of a bakkie‚ inside a cage because it’s hot. Joheeezy erasmus thinks we are kids.”

While the debate is ongoing others seem to regard it as a storm in a teacup.

Peliwe–M tweeted “The ‘woman in the cage’ probably found it easier to jump off that bakkie than OutrageTwitter seems able to jump off the outrage train.’

Za–Maniac meanwhile thought the outrage was all for nothing. “Sis! You checked how the Bakkie story has unfolded? All that outrage for nothing. I’m unable to can! “