News Vine - A Johannesburg man has been arrested after allegedly “torturing” his Muslim neighbours by braaing every evening during Ramadan. Jonathan “Braai-Master” Van Wyk, 42, was taken into custody on Friday following a two-week investigation, which revealed that he had been lighting up his grill at peak hunger hours to ensure the smell of sizzling boerewors and marinated lamb chops wafted directly into the homes of his fasting neighbours.
"This wasn’t just a regular braai. This man was running a full-blown smoke-based psychological warfare operation," said local police spokesperson Captain Themba Nkosi. "Neighbours reported hearing the sizzling of steak at precisely 5:30 PM every day, and witnesses even claim he intentionally clanked his tongs to amplify the agony."
At first, residents of the predominantly Muslim suburb assumed the persistent braaing was merely a coincidence. However, suspicions grew when Van Wyk was spotted outside wearing an apron that read "Meat Over Manners," grinning while flipping a perfectly seared lamb chop. "We tried to ignore it, but then he started offering tasters at 5:55 PM. That’s when we knew—this was no accident," said Ahmed Patel, a local resident.
The authorities were alerted after a group of neighbours, exhausted and hungry, filed a formal complaint, citing "cruel and unusual grilling." In a bizarre twist, one neighbour, Fatima Khan, claimed Van Wyk even installed an industrial-strength fan to direct the scent of his cooking into their windows. "I saw him adjusting it one night while whispering 'Let the smoke guide you,'" she said. "That’s when I called the police."
Upon his arrest, Van Wyk insisted that he was simply exercising his constitutional right to barbecue. "If loving a good chop is a crime, then throw me in jail!" he reportedly said. However, police found incriminating evidence at his home, including a secret recipe book titled How to Braai Your Enemies’ Willpower, and CCTV footage showing him laughing as he basted a chicken wing at sundown.
Legal experts are now debating whether “olfactory harassment” should be officially criminalized, marking this case as a potential landmark moment in South African law.
Van Wyk has been charged with “culinary cruelty with intent to torment” and “first-degree flame-grilling.” If convicted, he could face a hefty fine or, in an unusual twist, be required to undergo a month-long vegan diet.
Meanwhile, his neighbours have vowed to forgive him—but on one condition: “Next Eid, he’s catering.”