The 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”.
There was outrage after Ben Sasonof posted on Facebook: “Eh eh Wena… must have smelt like the inside of Zuma’s a**hole‚” an apparent reference to President Jacob Zuma.
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.”
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‚ Tiso Black Star Group Digital reported that Sparrow has paid neither of the court-ordered fines for her racist rant.
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 R5000 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. – Tiso Black Star Group Digital
Lay criminal charges over racist Facebook comments: Sanco
There was outrage after Ben Sasonof posted on Facebook: “Eh eh Wena… must have smelt like the inside of Zuma’s a**hole‚” an apparent reference to President Jacob Zuma.
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.”
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‚ Tiso Black Star Group Digital reported that Sparrow has paid neither of the court-ordered fines for her racist rant.
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 R5000 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. – Tiso Black Star Group Digital
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