ID :
74494
Mon, 08/10/2009 - 12:24
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/74494
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Rights group asked to investigate anti-Indian statements in SA
M Subromoney
Durban, Aug 9 (PTI) A top rights body in South Africa
has been asked to investigate reports that anti-Indian racist
statements were made at a recent municipal meeting here, where
slogans like "Go Back to Bombay" were also raised.
The meeting was called by the Durban Metro to iron out
measures to demolish an historic vegetable market which was
started by descendants of indentured Indian labourers in
Durban 100 years. The municipality wants to build a modern
mall in its place.
The chairperson of the Durban Early Morning Market
Support Committee Roy Chetty, told PTI that they had asked the
Human Rights Commission to investigate the racist statements.
"We cannot use racism in this day and age to achieve
the further marginalisation of Indian-origin and African
traders at the market," he said.
"The racist remarks are out of place in the new South
Africa." At the meeting, it's reported that senior municipal
leaders spoke in a racist manner against the Indian-origin
community and members of the audience shouted, "Go back to
Bombay".
The municipal manager, Mike Sutcliffe, even said that
whites and Indians dominated the business scene in Durban and
that the mall would give opportunities to black Africans.
However, he chose not to disclose that the new mall would be
built by a company headed by a white businessman.
The anti-Indian statements continue to raise
controversy with people inundating newspapers with letters
against the officials who are alleged to have used racist
remarks.
In one letter in the August 9 edition of the Sunday
Tribune, a local resident, Reggie Chellan, said it was
disappointing "to note that we are 15 years into democracy and
people still harbour racial hatred".
Mr Chellan condemned the racist statements made by the
Mayor, Obed Mlaba; and other municipal officials.
He writes: "Indians have also worked hard and contributed a
great deal towards the upliftment of this country.
Indians are big employers in the private sector,
creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of people of mixed
race groups, mostly blacks.
"All our leaders should follow the teachings of our
great Nelson Mandela. Sadly, most of them are nowhere near."
A former Deputy Mayor of Durban, Kamal Panday, also in
a letter to the Sunday Tribune condemned that reported racist
remarks made by the municipal officials and said they were
completely against the constitution of the country.
He writes: "Mlaba's attitude was anti-Indian and
arrogant. His despicable behaviour was completely against the
spirit and policies of the ANC, the country and its supreme
law.
"His distorted view about Indian indentured labourers
who worked, fought and struggled shoulder to shoulder with
their African brothers against Dutch and British colonialists
shows not only contempt for his party's traditions and
culture, but also ignorance, blindness or hatred for the
historic truth.
"In fact, contempt is a mild word to describe my
feelings towards a politician who treats a strong element of
our diversified population in such a way. He showed his true
colours.
"He is not the representative of all people in the
city. If he were, he would have been more respectful."
Despite the barrage of criticism, the Mayor, Mr
Sutcliffe and other officials have declined to be drawn into
the criticism against them. However, the municipality's public
relations department has written a letter to the newspapers,
denying the charges of racism against their officials.
The municipality said, "The municipality would like to
place on record that at no stage did the mayor or council
officials make racial remarks at the meeting. Our assessment
is that this is the work of peddlers desperately trying to
politicise the market issue to suit their own agendas.
"While racial remarks are raised in the media
articles, nowhere in these reports is the mayor or any
official directly quoted using racial connotations."
The municipality added, "We view the publication of
this information as misleading and aimed at sowing division
among residents. We call on media houses to refuse to be used
as platforms for any misinformation campaign." PTI SB
ANU
NNNN
Durban, Aug 9 (PTI) A top rights body in South Africa
has been asked to investigate reports that anti-Indian racist
statements were made at a recent municipal meeting here, where
slogans like "Go Back to Bombay" were also raised.
The meeting was called by the Durban Metro to iron out
measures to demolish an historic vegetable market which was
started by descendants of indentured Indian labourers in
Durban 100 years. The municipality wants to build a modern
mall in its place.
The chairperson of the Durban Early Morning Market
Support Committee Roy Chetty, told PTI that they had asked the
Human Rights Commission to investigate the racist statements.
"We cannot use racism in this day and age to achieve
the further marginalisation of Indian-origin and African
traders at the market," he said.
"The racist remarks are out of place in the new South
Africa." At the meeting, it's reported that senior municipal
leaders spoke in a racist manner against the Indian-origin
community and members of the audience shouted, "Go back to
Bombay".
The municipal manager, Mike Sutcliffe, even said that
whites and Indians dominated the business scene in Durban and
that the mall would give opportunities to black Africans.
However, he chose not to disclose that the new mall would be
built by a company headed by a white businessman.
The anti-Indian statements continue to raise
controversy with people inundating newspapers with letters
against the officials who are alleged to have used racist
remarks.
In one letter in the August 9 edition of the Sunday
Tribune, a local resident, Reggie Chellan, said it was
disappointing "to note that we are 15 years into democracy and
people still harbour racial hatred".
Mr Chellan condemned the racist statements made by the
Mayor, Obed Mlaba; and other municipal officials.
He writes: "Indians have also worked hard and contributed a
great deal towards the upliftment of this country.
Indians are big employers in the private sector,
creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of people of mixed
race groups, mostly blacks.
"All our leaders should follow the teachings of our
great Nelson Mandela. Sadly, most of them are nowhere near."
A former Deputy Mayor of Durban, Kamal Panday, also in
a letter to the Sunday Tribune condemned that reported racist
remarks made by the municipal officials and said they were
completely against the constitution of the country.
He writes: "Mlaba's attitude was anti-Indian and
arrogant. His despicable behaviour was completely against the
spirit and policies of the ANC, the country and its supreme
law.
"His distorted view about Indian indentured labourers
who worked, fought and struggled shoulder to shoulder with
their African brothers against Dutch and British colonialists
shows not only contempt for his party's traditions and
culture, but also ignorance, blindness or hatred for the
historic truth.
"In fact, contempt is a mild word to describe my
feelings towards a politician who treats a strong element of
our diversified population in such a way. He showed his true
colours.
"He is not the representative of all people in the
city. If he were, he would have been more respectful."
Despite the barrage of criticism, the Mayor, Mr
Sutcliffe and other officials have declined to be drawn into
the criticism against them. However, the municipality's public
relations department has written a letter to the newspapers,
denying the charges of racism against their officials.
The municipality said, "The municipality would like to
place on record that at no stage did the mayor or council
officials make racial remarks at the meeting. Our assessment
is that this is the work of peddlers desperately trying to
politicise the market issue to suit their own agendas.
"While racial remarks are raised in the media
articles, nowhere in these reports is the mayor or any
official directly quoted using racial connotations."
The municipality added, "We view the publication of
this information as misleading and aimed at sowing division
among residents. We call on media houses to refuse to be used
as platforms for any misinformation campaign." PTI SB
ANU
NNNN
