A Johannesburg man has been called out on social media after a video appeared to show him confronting women inside a restaurant bathroom and allegedly threatening to shoot them.
The video, which was shared widely on X on Friday night, shows a man identified online only as “Lawrence” speaking aggressively to women. In the footage, he appears to tell them that he will shoot them and that they are “nobodies”.
The circumstances surrounding the confrontation have not been independently established, and it has not been confirmed whether a firearm was present or whether a police case has been opened.
The allegations have nevertheless sparked concern, particularly against the backdrop of renewed national attention on violence against women.
What happened in the restaurant bathroom
According to a post accompanying the video, the man allegedly followed a woman, her sister and an aunt into the powder room after being rejected.
The original post, from an X account using the name Bavaria, said: “Last night the person seen in this video follows my girlfriend, her sister and the aunt into the powder room. He gets rejected multiple times then he proceeds to threaten the ladies.”
The account identified the man as “Lawrence” and appealed for information about him.
The video itself appears to show the man standing inside the bathroom area while speaking to the women in an intimidating manner. At one point, he appears to threaten to shoot them and tells them they are nobodies.
These claims have not been independently verified, and the identity of the man has not been confirmed by police.
The video was subsequently amplified by actor Tumisho Masha, who called for the man to be identified.
“Here’s a man threatening to shoot women just coz they didn’t want him,” Masha wrote.
He further alleged that the man believed he could avoid consequences because he knew the owner of Ukkō Restaurant and lived in Steyn City.
“Men like these can longer be allowed to live freely amongst us. Please make him trend and let’s find him,” Masha added.
There is currently no independent confirmation of Masha’s claims about the man’s relationship with the restaurant owner, his residence or whether those factors had any bearing on the incident.
The restaurant connection
The incident has been associated online with Ukkō Restaurant in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Ukkō is located at the Nicolway Shopping Centre and is owned by restaurateur Mun Manal. News24 previously reported that Manal opened the restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic after years working in the hospitality industry.
The restaurant’s official contact information places it at Shop U24, Nicolway Shopping Centre, Bryanston, Sandton.
However, there is no verified evidence at this stage establishing that the restaurant owner intervened in, witnessed or was otherwise involved in the alleged confrontation.
The allegations should therefore be treated as allegations until the people involved or law enforcement provide further information.
The timing has intensified public concern
The incident comes as South Africa is confronting another wave of anger and fear over violence against women.
Police confirmed on 17 September that the body of a ninth woman had been discovered in Dawn Park, Ekurhuleni, bringing to nine the number of women’s bodies found in the area over a two-month period.
The killings have prompted a major police investigation into whether some or all of the cases could be connected.
Police have stressed that they have not confirmed that a serial killer is responsible. Investigators are examining similarities between the cases while considering different possibilities, including separate perpetrators.
The deaths have also resulted in increased police visibility and a multidisciplinary investigative team being deployed in the affected areas.
The ninth victim had not yet been identified when police issued their statement.
South Africa’s wider femicide crisis
The Ekurhuleni killings have once again placed South Africa’s broader gender-based violence and femicide crisis under the spotlight.
In November 2025, the National Disaster Management Centre classified gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster under the Disaster Management Act. The classification placed responsibility on the National Executive to coordinate the national response.
The current crisis extends well beyond the nine Ekurhuleni cases.
Police crime data cited by AP shows that 5,427 homicides were recorded nationally between April and July 2026 – an average of roughly 45 killings a day. South Africa has also consistently recorded exceptionally high levels of violence against women, with available research placing its femicide rate among the highest internationally.
The South African Medical Research Council has previously documented the scale of violence against women, while UN data has also highlighted South Africa’s unusually high levels of lethal violence against women.
Rejection, entitlement and threats
The allegations surrounding the restaurant incident have also reignited conversations about the way rejection, entitlement and threats can intersect with gender-based violence.
Importantly, the claim that the man was rejected and subsequently became threatening comes from the social-media account that posted the video. It has not been independently established.
If the account is accurate, however, the allegation raises concerns about the escalation from unwanted attention to intimidation and threats.
South African police have repeatedly urged members of the public not to circulate unverified accusations or incorrectly identify people as suspects. This is particularly relevant while the video continues to spread online.
In its response to the Ekurhuleni killings, SAPS specifically warned the public against circulating unverified information and said credible information should instead be provided to investigators.
At this stage, the man seen in the video should therefore not be described as a criminal or accused of a confirmed offence without confirmation from investigators or a court.
The video, however, has already become part of a much larger national conversation – one in which women are questioning how threats, intimidation and violence can be confronted before they escalate into something more serious.
