Their tone was an almost accusatory one as it regards DA national spokesman Mmusi Maimane's response to the two young women at the centre of the Twitter furore.

In his attempt to apply some damage control, Maimane facilitated a meeting and for whatever it is worth, it should be applauded.

How would the reporters describe the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? There are parallels, save to say that now the process is seen as political mileage.

That being said, the Twitter comments by Jessica Leandra dos Santos and Tshidi Thamane are a manifestation of what is currently an undercurrent among the "new South Africans". Whether we'd like to believe it or not, race is still a major factor among the citizens of our land, both young and old. The race card is always played in the political, social, economic and sporting spheres.

The advent of a democratic order does not mean that prejudice and ill-conceived differences will suddenly disappear. South Africans have negotiated a system of horror and humiliation that violated our basic human dignity with aplomb and while the "Twitter" incident is reflective of the ravages of that era, we should not downplay any attempts to reinforce the genuine humanity that is within all of us.