READER LETTER | Steenhuisen’s comments on black youth offensive

So, late Black Consciousness movement leader Steve Bantu Biko was spot on when he said: “Black man, you are on your own.”

Otherwise, how do you explain the racist, hurtful and derogatory utterances from a leader of a big political opposition party like the DA? According to John Steenhuisen’s observations, the disadvantaged unemployed black youth is characterised as a child from the shebeen or ghetto who is a drunkard.

These offensive comments come from the mouth of a leader of a party that purports to embrace non-racial principles. One wonders whether there are black DA members whose children are among the hordes of the unemployed black youth.

One further wonders whether there are young black people who are members of this party. If there are, do they also come from the usual environment of the black youth – the shebeen?

Is it factual that the ill-fitting cheap uniforms worn by Panyaza Lesufi’s cadres were purchased from Pep stores? If not, the founder of Pep Stores, Renier van Rooyen, or board members must take the DA to the Human Rights Commission for defamation of character. Even if Steenhuisen or his party were to offer an apology for these hurtful comments, I would not be swayed to accept it as genuine as the Holy Bible says people speak from the abundance of their hearts.

Alexius Phiri, email