In the scope of the recent Luh Twizzy TikTok challenge, teenagers going by the name “Luh Twizzy” have been creating havoc at Gauteng malls. In South Africa, the phrase “Luh Twizzy”—which refers to youngsters who frequently cover their faces—has come to be associated with mobs. These youngsters’ actions are motivated by a need for peer approval, and mall management is collaborating with the police to stop future disturbances.
Many teens visited the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg over the weekend, making it the most recent retail center to be impacted by the trend.
What is the Luh Twizzy TikTok challenge?
Social media is ablaze with images of youngsters swarming the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg over the weekend.
Teenagers invade the mall, create mayhem, and then leave as part of the Luh Twizzy challenge, which was inspired by TikTok.
Teenagers that identify with Luh Twizzy generally wear all-black clothing with Yeat-inspired skeletal prints. Despite the rapper having no relation to these teenagers, “Luh Twizzy ensembles” have gone viral on websites like Pinterest. The kids, who are mainly in high school, are well-known for loitering and acting in an antisocial manner.
Last year, several adolescents wreaked havoc at the Montecasino in Johannesburg. According to Sarah Hoffman, a digital parenting specialist and co-founder of Klikd, the same thing took place in Protea Glen, a suburb of Soweto.
The teenagers allegedly participated in the Luh Twizzy TikTok challenge. The task is to enter a mall, cause mayhem, and then quickly go. They occasionally fight within the mall. The adolescents are said to gang up while wearing black clothing with skeletal graphics.
Other Luh Twizzy TikTok challenge reports described an incident involving an adolescent mob in a Midrand mall. There were rumors going about that a child had died in the subsequent pandemonium. The administration of the Mall of Africa confirmed a “disturbance by a crowd of individuals,” but denied any lives were lost in the incident.
The shopping center claimed to have a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive behavior on its property saying:
“Our utmost priority is to ensure that our shoppers, tenants, and staff remain well protected whilst frequenting our shopping center.
“We are working closely with SAPS officials and our private security firm to investigate this matter further and to mitigate any future disruptions to our retail community.”
No murder or inquest cases, according to Colonel Mavela Masondo, have been filed.
The Luh Twizzys, according to digital content producer Ayanda Ntuli of 702 Radio, were admirers of the rappers Yeat and Playboi Carti.
“Fans are mostly in high school and roam around and drink and smoke weed.
“They mostly wear black. Yeat has no links to these kids. He raps about cars and money.”
According to him, Luh Twizzys typically wear and use the latest clothes and phones.
The trends and challenges on TikTok sometimes lead teenagers and children on the wrong paths. We explained another situation where a TikTok trend got many teenagers tangled in danger: Labello challenge: TikTok trend explained (2023). With many parents and legislators warning against TikTok, these sorts of events may cause an acceleration in the process of TikTok being banned in the U.S.: New Zealand and UK join US with TikTok bans. If you come across similar situations where minors might be in danger because of a trend or a challenge, do not hesitate to report the issue to the TikTok help center.
