Racist Khumalo ‘should not be working as a public servant’: Kathrada Foundation

08 January 2016 - 14:37 By TMG Digital

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation “strongly” condemned Velaphi Khumalo's “racist statements” as it had‚ two days earlier‚ those of Penny Sparrow. “We also condemn his call to ‘act as Hitler did to the Jews’ and ‘cleanse’ South Africa of white people‚” said foundation director Neeshan Balton.“It is outrageous that Khumalo can invoke the horrors of the Holocaust‚ adding that it should be repeated - implying that white South Africans must be killed in a similar manner. This is clearly a case of hate speech.”The foundation commended the Gauteng Department of Sports‚ Arts‚ Culture and Recreation “for speedily reacting to Khumalo's online post by distancing itself from the comments and instituting an internal process to address the matter”.Khumalo is an employee at the department.“Public servants are meant to serve everyone‚ irrespective of race. If Khumalo believes that white people should be ‘cleansed’ from South Africa‚ then he clearly should not be working as a public servant. There is no place for racists within the public service‚” it said.On Wednesday‚ the foundation issued a statement saying that inferring that “black people are like barbarians and should not be allowed onto public beaches…is similar to the Taj Hotel asking the Cape Minstrels to remain silent on their parade route because hotel clients would be ‘disturbed’ ”.This followed the storm that erupted after South Coast estate agent Sparrow had‚ apparently angered by the presence of black people on beaches‚ posted on Facebook: “From now I. Shall address the blacks of South Africa as monkeys as I see the cute little wild monkeys do the same pick drop and litter.”“Many African families save for months to get to the seaside on New Year's Day‚” the foundation said.“We must recall the struggle to open our beaches to all during the’80s and cannot pander to the views of people who seek to take us back to separate beaches and other facilities.“There will be no going back to that era. Those who continue advocating these conservative‚ racist views must be challenged and penalised through our Equality Courts.”..

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