Unionists have come out swinging in the racist tweet debacle‚ pointing to the lack of economic transformation as the root cause of racist practices today. The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the National Union of Mineworkers have responded to the Sparrow/Hart racism debacle that dominated the media on Monday.Both the union and the federation released statements on Tuesday condemning expressions of racism. They were responding to the racist tweets made by estate agent Penny Sparrow and economist Chris Hart‚ which drew condemnation from political parties and civil groupings on Monday.Cosatu placed the issue in a wider context‚ saying there was a “big picture” which revealed that racism was being perpetuated in the structure of the economy.“Workers in general and domestic and farm workers in particular are experiencing racial insults every day in their workplaces. The fact is that racism is not dead in South Africa and the sooner we realise that the better prepared we will be prepared ‚as a country to deal with it in a more comprehensive‚ coherent and decisive manner‚” Cosatu’s statement reads.Cosatu argued that the economic power of whites afforded them the power to give expression to their racist views.“While they are still having their gardens cared for by exploited black people‚ dine in restaurants‚ where they are served by poorly paid black waiters and leave their kids with their poorly paid nannies‚ white people will continue with their racist tendencies. When this furore around the insults by Ms Sparrow has died down‚ racists of all sorts will continue with their abusing workers behind closed doors and the worse affected will be the vulnerable workers‚ who will be forced to choose between their dignity and their livelihoods.”The federation also emphasised the fact that Sparrow was a member of the Democratic Party‚ saying it was “not surprised”‚ “because that party is a nest for rabid racists‚ who are nostalgic for the segregationist past‚ where whites were superior citizens by law. Racism is in their DNA and no amount of spin and public gestures will camouflage or change that reality.”Cosatu said that it was the “untransformed economy” that allowed racism to flourish‚ and the phenomenon would fade only if economic relations were rectified. “The best strategy to fight racism is to dry up the swamp‚ where these racists feed and breed‚ by breaking the stranglehold that they still have over the economy.”The NUM in its statement also emphasised the racial structure of the economy‚ and argued that “we need to expose those in board rooms and in management structures that hamper successful implementation and achievement of economic transformation”.“These are subtle racists‚ whose sole objective is to ensure that the economic wealth of this country remains in the hands and control of the white male dominant minority‚” the NUM’s statement reads.“We have noticed a trend in major mining and construction companies of portraying South Africa as lacking in black qualified executives to run these companies successfully. Thus‚ the non-compliance with the Mining Charter targets on Ownership and Employment Equity targets will forever be unacceptable and failure to sanction the culprits can only be construed as aiding and abetting these racist boards and shareholders of these entities.“The NUM‚ therefore‚ vows to fight tooth and nail to ensure that these racist elements are removed from these companies forever and compel the implementation of transformative legislation.”..