Racist former estate agent Penny Sparrow suffered a heart attack after threats to harm her and will not afford to pay the R150000 the Equality Court ordered her to pay.
This is according to her daughter, Charmaine Cowie.
Sparrow, a retired KwaZulu-Natal estate agent, who posted a racist Facebook rant earlier this year calling black people "monkeys" failed to appear for her hearing before the Equality Court in Scottburgh on Friday.
Also read: ‘Fear for her life’ keeps Penny Sparrow from attending Equality Court hearing
Sparrow's lawyer and Cowie revealed in court that her mother failed to pitch because she feared for her life after receiving numerous threats from unknown people.
Despite Sparrow's absence, the court ordered her to pay R150000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation after being found guilty of hate speech.
Outside court, Cowie said her mother would not be able to afford the fine and that since Sparrow made the racist remarks she suffered a heart attack because of the threats she received from various people.
Cowie added that her mother was a divorced pensioner and was officially homeless as she was staying with her.
"Even her diabetes went up swiftly and led to her spending more than two months in hospital (sic). It was not like she was hiding but she was very ill as [she is] now. Fear for her life and sickness prohibited her from attending the hearing," Cowie said.
Handing down his judgment, magistrate Irfaan Khalil said the words posted by Sparrow on her Facebook page on January 3 constituted hate speech and were a serious affront to the human dignity of black people.
"Sparrow has 60 working days to comply with the judgment. She is also interdicted and restrained from publishing, propagating, advocating or communicating hate speech in the future," Khalil said.
"It came with a great deal of hurt, suffering, shame, embarrassment and anger for South Africans of all races."
The SA Human Rights Commission has publicly reported that this year alone over 230 cases of racism were registered with commission."
Sparrow was also ordered by the court to pay the legal costs of Friday's proceedings.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
'Homeless' Penny Sparrow 'cannot' afford fine for racist rant
Racist former estate agent Penny Sparrow suffered a heart attack after threats to harm her and will not afford to pay the R150000 the Equality Court ordered her to pay.
This is according to her daughter, Charmaine Cowie.
Sparrow, a retired KwaZulu-Natal estate agent, who posted a racist Facebook rant earlier this year calling black people "monkeys" failed to appear for her hearing before the Equality Court in Scottburgh on Friday.
Also read: ‘Fear for her life’ keeps Penny Sparrow from attending Equality Court hearing
Sparrow's lawyer and Cowie revealed in court that her mother failed to pitch because she feared for her life after receiving numerous threats from unknown people.
Despite Sparrow's absence, the court ordered her to pay R150000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation after being found guilty of hate speech.
Outside court, Cowie said her mother would not be able to afford the fine and that since Sparrow made the racist remarks she suffered a heart attack because of the threats she received from various people.
Cowie added that her mother was a divorced pensioner and was officially homeless as she was staying with her.
"Even her diabetes went up swiftly and led to her spending more than two months in hospital (sic). It was not like she was hiding but she was very ill as [she is] now. Fear for her life and sickness prohibited her from attending the hearing," Cowie said.
Handing down his judgment, magistrate Irfaan Khalil said the words posted by Sparrow on her Facebook page on January 3 constituted hate speech and were a serious affront to the human dignity of black people.
"Sparrow has 60 working days to comply with the judgment. She is also interdicted and restrained from publishing, propagating, advocating or communicating hate speech in the future," Khalil said.
"It came with a great deal of hurt, suffering, shame, embarrassment and anger for South Africans of all races."
The SA Human Rights Commission has publicly reported that this year alone over 230 cases of racism were registered with commission."
Sparrow was also ordered by the court to pay the legal costs of Friday's proceedings.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
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