‘Déjà vu’ - SAJBD evokes Penny Sparrow as it condemns Sandton man’s beachfront comments

19 December 2016 - 12:53 By TMG Digital
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The SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) on Monday said it was “with a sense of déjà vu” that it condemned “yet another South African‚ Ben Sasanof‚ for similar offensive comments he made concerning the Durban beachfront this weekend”.

It noted that it was “just one year after Penny Sparrow reached notoriety for her racist comments about beach-goers on the Durban coast”.

There was outrage after Sasonof posted on Facebook: "Eh eh Wena… must have smelt like the inside of Zuma's a**hole.”.

SAJBD spokesperson Charisse Zeifert said: “All forms of racism are unacceptable in a South Africa where we strive daily to build a culture based on human rights and principles of dignity and freedom‚ for all of who live in it.

  • Lay criminal charges over racist Facebook comments: SancoThe South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) wants the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) “to investigate racist comments allegedly posted by a Sandton man on a picture of a packed Durban beachfront over the weekend”.

“The SAJBD calls on all South Africans to stand up and fight against discrimination wherever it is found. We have just celebrated Reconciliation Day‚ and now more than ever‚ we should be dedicated to building a non-racist country.” Zeifert added that “the SAJBD hopes to see the implementation of the Hate Crimes Bill so that racism can be identified and appropriately sanctioned”. Earlier‚ the South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) called on the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) “to investigate racist comments allegedly posted by a Sandton man on a picture of a packed Durban beachfront over the weekend”.

Sanco’s Jabu Mahlangu said on Monday: “We wish to condemn in the strongest terms possible the alleged provocative insults which seek to rekindle racial hatred and polarise racial relations in our society.”

  • Penny Sparrow hasn’t paid the fines for her racist Facebook rantPenny Sparrow has paid neither of the court-ordered fines for a racist Facebook rant in which she referred to black people as “monkeys”.

He also called for “criminal charges to be laid against Ben Sasonof”. “Vitriolic and barbaric comments of this nature have no place in the united‚ non-racial‚ non-sexist‚ equal‚ prosperous and democratic society we are striving to build‚’’ Mahlangu said.

He said that comments like Sasonof’s “reflect private conversations that are still taking place among those who are missing pigmentocracy‚ apartheid white privilege‚ domination and exclusive beaches for whites”. News 24 reported on Sunday that Sasonof said of his post: “At no point was I racist.”

His comments come less than a year after retired South Coast estate agent Penny Sparrow caused widespread outrage when she compared black people on beaches to “monkeys”.

Last week‚ TMG Digital reported that Sparrow has paid neither of the court-ordered fines for her racist rant.

  • Teary Sparrow takes a fallKwaZulu-Natal estate agent Penny Sparrow has apologised for comparing black people to monkeys.

The 68-year-old had‚ in June‚ been ordered by the Umzinto Equality Court to pay R150,000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation after being found guilty of hate speech.

Magistrate Irfaan Khalil said the amount had to be paid within 60 days and he interdicted Sparrow from further hate speech.

The foundation‚ however‚ said on Thursday that it has not received payment from Sparrow.

In September‚ Sparrow appeared before magistrate Vincent Hlatshwayo in the Scottburgh Magistrates court on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast‚ where she pleaded guilty to a charge of crimen injuria.

She was fined R5,000 or 12 months’ imprisonment‚ in addition to two years’ imprisonment suspended for five years on condition she does not commit a similar offence‚ and had to tender a public and Facebook apology for her offending January post.

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