True colours: Is SA still racist?

Two white male Stellenbosch University students have ignited a new racism row after dressing up as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.

Sath Cooper, president of the International Union of Psychological Science, said such incidents showed that South Africa had yet to deal with racism.

Last month two female Tukkies students created nationwide controversy when they dressed up as domestic workers with huge buttocks.

"It has only been 20 years since we had a democracy," said Cooper, "and to expect that racism and vestiges of it will automatically have evaporated is too much .

"These are quite young people but they seem to have been socialised into believing that others are inferior and they have acted this out.

"We have not as South Africans dealt [sufficiently] with the scourge of racism," he said.

The Stellenbosch University students - Mark Burman and Ross Barlett - issued a statement in which they said they had attended a 21st birthday party with the theme " twinning", which they exploited as "twins winning".

Burman said they painted themselves black to make themselves more recognisable as the Williams sisters.

"This was not intended to represent a racial stereotype but rather to directly depict and represent the sisters."

He distanced himself and Barlett from the "black-facing", a "disparaging practice used to portray offensive racial stereotypes. We cannot stress enough that this was not our intent".

He said he and Barlett were aware of the hurt they had caused and regretted it.

Stellenbosch University spokes-man Susan van der Merwe said acting rector and vice-chancellor Leopoldt van Huyssteen had asked that the matter be investigated.

She said: "It would be premature to jump to conclusions or to anticipate the actions to be taken.

"[University] management will consider appropriate steps pending the outcome of the investigation."

Said on twitter

Floyd Musekwa: "As a Matie I must say that I am enraged and see this as very unfortunate. Racism is rife everywhere, but why this now?"

Siphumelele Zondi: "With Stellenbosch black-face being yet another racism incident at a uni, clearly conversations of race/racism don't happen in the white home."

Peter de Villiers: "How come Leon Schuster can do a #BlackFace - make a movie and make millions but students can't do it for a birthday party?"

Brett Anderson: "Are we not getting oversensitive, SA?"

Nhlonipho Nkosi: "Being racist like being fat or stupid isn't a crime in South Africa, so basically a few columns will be written and game over. #BlackFace"

Soli Philander: "So excuse me if I have little empathy for your right to be offensive #blackface #NotSoInnocent"