In a private ceremony at Johannesburg's West Park Cemetery yesterday, "Facebook racist" Zama Khumalo repented by laying flowers on the graves of the Westdene dam disaster victims.
The 24-year-old former Daily Sun freelancer prompted national outrage when he invited his Facebook friends to a "big black braai" to celebrate the deaths of 42 white children who drowned after their school bus plunged into Westdene dam in Johannesburg, on March 27 1985. The party was to take place on the anniversary of the tragedy, according to Khumalo's Facebook update.
He was summoned to meet the South African Human Rights Commission after numerous complaints, one of which came from Media 24. Khumalo claimed to have been a journalist at one of the company's newspapers, the Daily Sun.
Following mediation by the commission' s Gauteng manager, Chantal Kisoon, Khumalo issued a formal apology and agreed to honour the dead by laying flowers at their graves.
Andrew Boerner of Jurgens Bekker Attorneys yesterday said Khumalo was joined at the cemetery by a survivor from the Westdene tragedy as well as Media 24 staff members.
"He laid flowers together with one of the survivors. We are happy with the outcome and consider the matter finalised."
Boerner admitted that the ceremony was rushed.
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