Calls to shut down KZN guest house that won’t take ‘black people or government employees’
A guest house in Sodwana Bay‚ Kwazulu-Natal has come under fire for reportedly banning black people.
This follows the emergence of an email allegedly received by a woman who had tried to make a booking at the venue‚ but was told: "Hi we do not accommodate black people or government employees any longer."
A screen grab of the email shows that it is signed by Sodwana Bay Guest House owner Andre Slate and contains a quote from Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority‚ the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule‚ the people mourn.”
Slate told TMG Digital that the lodge came to the decision two months ago‚ before referring to scriptures he posted along with the email sent to the woman.
“Yes‚ I sent the email on Wednesday and‚ as you have seen on the email‚ there is a link and scriptures. Please read those and you will understand. Everything you are asking me is explained on the link‚” Slate said.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HE GAVE BELOW:
Social media was abuzz on Thursday with users calling for it to be either boycotted and shut down.
They could have just said "we are fully booked" out of respect nje.#racistsouthafricapic.twitter.com/DJUCVdrCEd
— Hlomu The Wife (@dududube) June 22, 2016
Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane urged people to boycott of the guest house.
Calling on all South Africans to not book into the #SodwanaBay guest house. We must all unite against racists.
— Mmusi Maimane (@MmusiMaimane) June 23, 2016
However others said simply boycotting the guesthouse was not enough:
Boycotting that #SodwanaBay guesthouse is not going to help. These racists know how to organise themselves. It should be shut down, period!
— Amukelani Chauke (@ComradeAMU) June 23, 2016
Just like the jihads that claim it's the will of Allah...we have racists that claims it's the will of God. #SodwanaBay
— L'Dizzle Didiza (@LindaDidizaLtd) June 23, 2016
#Sodwana Bay Guesthouse. Whether it's privately owned or not, they have no place in South Africa or Africa! pic.twitter.com/qHajIGMVlw
— MissMahlengy (@HDoobs) June 22, 2016
SA Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom even weighed in on the matter, saying they did not represent the people of South Africa:
Maybe. But in this case the game is up. And they do not represent the good people that most South Africans are. https://t.co/wfAnqFEuJK
— Derek Hanekom (@Derek_Hanekom) June 22, 2016
– TMG Digital