The government has spoken out against the racist incident at a Cape Town restaurant at the weekend.
Thabiso Danca, 25, was allegedly prevented from gaining entry into the Hank’s Olde Irish pub because of his race. For black people to be allowed into the restaurant, they must be in the company of a white person.
The racist incident was captured on video and has been trending on social media since Sunday. In the video, a white man can be seen arguing with the owner of the restaurant about how his friend, Danca, was prohibited from entering the establishment.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said the appalling incident follows another where Belinda Magor referred to black South Africans as being “worse than pit bulls”.
GCIS director-general Phumla Williams said these atrocious acts against black South Africans are dehumanising, discriminatory and humiliating.
“Racism will end once those committing these acts recognise and understand that only they can stop it. It is the responsibility of all members of society to actively speak out against racism and promote equality,” Williams said.
“Let us all implement the national action plan to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, which commits all sectors of our society to the promotion and protection of human rights, and to raising awareness of anti-racism, equality and anti-discrimination issues.”
The government has also called on law-enforcement agencies and the South African Human Rights Commission to probe the most recent incident speedily and to ensure that justice is served.
“Racism and racial discrimination continue to be felt in our society alongside other forms of prejudice, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, hate crimes and hate speech,” the GCIS said.
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