After pontificating about the state of our politics, SA Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande put on the table for discussion a subject that we have long avoided and continue to avoid - racism disguised as free speech.
Speaking at Avalon Cemetery, Soweto, yesterday on the 20th anniversary of the death of SACP leader Joe Slovo, Nzimande chastised newspapers for failing to regulate readers' comments on their online platforms.
He questioned newspapers' stance on racism because, he said, they seldom adequately censored racist comments.
This is a discussion in which we as a nation should engage. Racism continues to be a thorn in our daily lives and we should all stand up and fight it.
Nzimande said: "In the name of Joe Slovo we need to intensify the fight against racism on all fronts. There is too much racism and hate speech on the internet.
"The hatred, the hate speech, the racism, the sexism ... you cannot have newspapers allowing something on their [ websites that] they cannot print .
Encouragingly, the SA National Editors' Forum has already taken steps to deal with this issue.
Forum chairman Mpumelelo Mkhabela said ways of regulating and restricting undesirable content online were being developed.
Racism is a sore subject and the sooner we deal with it the better.
It should not be so easy for racists to get away with hateful comments on social media.
If we allow racists free rein, defending their venting of their hate as "free speech", we will fail in our duty to build a country free of prejudice.
We fully agree with Nzimande that something must be done, but we hope that his call will not give rise to repressive government intervention.
Freedom of expression is a constitutionally protected right, but that right is limited.
Let us condemn racism in all its forms and manifestations.
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