One of apartheid regime’s most terrible legacies is racism and sadly, it continues to thrive in democratic SA, as evidenced by frequent reports of racial incidents in our country.
The SA Human Rights Commission revealed in July that it had recorded more than 5,464 racial complaints in its trend analysis report for the 2020/2021 financial year. In the figure, the highest complaints were breaches of the right to equality on the basis of race, which results in unfair discrimination.
Incidents of hate speech are rampant in SA, not even protests and the number of criminal convictions against perpetrators have contained the horror of loathing.
That is why we believe the white man who stood up for a black friend, who was apparently refused entry to a Cape Town pub, should be commended for speaking up.
The video of Christopher Logan confronting one of the owners of Hank’s Olde Irish topped the trends on social media at the weekend. His friend, Thabiso Danca, was allegedly denied access to the pub because he was not accompanied by a white person.
“You told me you have the right to let in who you want. You don’t… You don’t have a right to discriminate in this country based on colour. That is a crime,” Logan said in the video.
The pub owners have denied that they have a policy barring blacks from entering the establishment unless they are with whites.
We have reported on many racist incidents across the country; acts of racism are humiliating, unacceptable and have no place in our society.
What Logan did was long overdue. Only when all South Africans are united against racism do we stand a chance of eradicating it. That is how any of us should treat racists: expose and isolate them.
That way they will feel the pain of being shunned, and then realise there is no tolerance for their behaviour.
Yes, laws are there to punish people for racism/hate speech but that alone will not solve our racial issues as a society.
We usually call on men to lead the fight against gender-based violence, and to talk to other men not harm women and children. In this battle, we call on white South Africans to speak out and shame racists in their circles.
SOWETAN | Speak out and shame racists
Most recorded complaints are breaches of the right to equality
Image: 123rf/Taras Tsurka
One of apartheid regime’s most terrible legacies is racism and sadly, it continues to thrive in democratic SA, as evidenced by frequent reports of racial incidents in our country.
The SA Human Rights Commission revealed in July that it had recorded more than 5,464 racial complaints in its trend analysis report for the 2020/2021 financial year. In the figure, the highest complaints were breaches of the right to equality on the basis of race, which results in unfair discrimination.
Incidents of hate speech are rampant in SA, not even protests and the number of criminal convictions against perpetrators have contained the horror of loathing.
That is why we believe the white man who stood up for a black friend, who was apparently refused entry to a Cape Town pub, should be commended for speaking up.
The video of Christopher Logan confronting one of the owners of Hank’s Olde Irish topped the trends on social media at the weekend. His friend, Thabiso Danca, was allegedly denied access to the pub because he was not accompanied by a white person.
“You told me you have the right to let in who you want. You don’t… You don’t have a right to discriminate in this country based on colour. That is a crime,” Logan said in the video.
The pub owners have denied that they have a policy barring blacks from entering the establishment unless they are with whites.
We have reported on many racist incidents across the country; acts of racism are humiliating, unacceptable and have no place in our society.
What Logan did was long overdue. Only when all South Africans are united against racism do we stand a chance of eradicating it. That is how any of us should treat racists: expose and isolate them.
That way they will feel the pain of being shunned, and then realise there is no tolerance for their behaviour.
Yes, laws are there to punish people for racism/hate speech but that alone will not solve our racial issues as a society.
We usually call on men to lead the fight against gender-based violence, and to talk to other men not harm women and children. In this battle, we call on white South Africans to speak out and shame racists in their circles.
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