WATCH: Man caught masturbating at gym, Twitter dismayed

There is a time and a place for everything. 

This sentiment was not echoed at a Virgin Active gym, after a young man was caught on camera masturbating while watching a woman doing squats. 

The company responded on Twitter on Saturday morning after the video went viral.

They confirmed on Twitter that the man’s membership had since been terminated, saying this type of behaviour would not be tolerated, and that they “expect better” from their members.

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Our clubs are a shared place and we expect better from our members. We will not tolerate this behavior and have terminated his membership with Virgin Active.

— Virgin Active (@virginactiveSA) May 18, 2019

https://twitter.com/AdvBarryRoux/status/1129608499938377728

TimesLive has reported that the incident took place at a Virgin Active in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape.

Fellow gym members seem unaware of his behaviour, while he slyly points his phone in the direction of a nearby woman doing squats with his hands down his pants.

The video sparked debates across Mzansi’s Twittersphere, mainly regarding white privilege, the incident pointing to yet another challenge for women, and men being blasted for pointing out that the woman doing squats is quite good looking.

He won't be coming… to virgin active anymore 😏
But we all know them gym girls really look hot especially those who know what they are doing

— It Don't Matter Who (@Not_Mo_Tweeting) May 18, 2019

https://twitter.com/PaulNot2/status/1129624765461934081

Others said that if the perpetrator was black, the consequences would have been far more serious than having his membership terminated.

https://twitter.com/nickdacarlo/status/1129685119349022720

Imagine if it was a black dude. Helen Zille would have the entire race for breakfast

— Ernest Mahlangu (@LegendaryMusman) May 18, 2019

I'm not even going to make this a race thing but I'm so glad that it wasn't a black guy because DAMN that would've been a bad look for us lol #virginactive pic.twitter.com/rr0DePxYta

— Loyal Black Man (@Spartan_Moono) May 18, 2019

Despondent women also expressed how no public spaces are safe anymore.

https://twitter.com/MsMamo/status/1129560216083865601

https://twitter.com/Miss_Phudding/status/1129615164746162176

Do not call him out because he was wanking in public but because he disrespected that lady exercising in front of him. These type of behaviors build up from looking at women with lustful glares. That was a proof of how men view women as sex objects. #VirginActive #WhitePrivilege

— Madute Ledwaba (@TheMadute) May 18, 2019

Some even called for Stellenbosch University management to look into whether it was one of their students.

https://twitter.com/linde_charl/status/1129432037394440192

It is not yet clear whether the man’s actions will have legal repercussions, but he has not been arrested.

Updates to follow as more information is made available.

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