Stop the angst, just ban the big-bang fireworks

From Wednesday Hindus across South Africa will celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights.

It's a time of celebration, of festivity, of goodwill and of all things sweet. It's a festival that, by its very nature, should bring communities together.

But, as the past few years have shown, Diwali has turned into one of the most divisive religious events on the South African calendar, thanks largely to intolerance on social media to the so-called big-bang fireworks and the damage they cause.

Last year Durbanite Dawie Kriel used Facebook to launch a deeply racist rant against Hindu devotees. While his were not the only comments that crossed the line, his Penny Sparrow-like rant garnered the most attention.

In an error-ridden and profanity-laden post, the 59-year-old described Hindus as "idol worshippers and devil disciples".

"I could strangle you morons with my bare hands and derive great pleasure in watching your face turn blue and your tongue pop out," he wrote in his diatribe.

His comments resulted in a R6000 fine - or 12 months in prison - after being charged with promoting hate speech.

Kriel's comments should serve as a warning against posting vitriol on social networks. There is a responsibility that comes with making public comments and, while there should be debate about how the festival is celebrated, especially in a multicultural nation, the racism that accompanies it cannot be tolerated.

But there are ways to prevent this angst in the first place - and it would help if the authorities did their jobs properly.

The big-bang fireworks that cause all the trouble simply shouldn't be imported and sold.

It is obviously difficult to catch the people who set them off, but that's no excuse when it should be possible to prevent them getting into the country or to the customer in the first place.