by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – SOUTH African Minister of Tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu, has decried the negative impact of racism on the sector.
She said the latest incident of racism, reported in the Free State province, had put a dent on the country’s image.
Sisulu highlighted that the incident was “an embarrassment” to government and to tourism in South Africa.
“This has tarnished tourism in the country,” she said.
Two weeks ago, a video clip shared on social media captured part of the Christmas Day incident at a resort, where two boys were allegedly racially abused.
It depicted white men ordering a black teenager out of the water, then hitting or shoving him back in, grabbing a child by the throat and pulling his hair as the fracas escalated. One man was also seen holding a youngster under the water.
This past weekend, Sisulu met Brain Nakedi, his wife and son, to apologise on behalf of the South African government for the incident.
“I am sorry that during our leadership your family experienced such discrimination. We apologise that we as government couldn’t protect you from such people,” she said.
Nakedi also highlighted that it was the second time that his family experienced racism at the resort.
“In 2017 we experienced similar incident, but my children were too young to fight back then. We kept it to ourselves. When it happened again, my sons were much older and stood up for themselves,” he said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier denounced the racist attack.
“Our Constitution means exactly what it says when it declares that South Africa – and that means all of South Africa – belongs to all who live in it,” he reminded.
Racism is a legacy of apartheid.
It remains rife despite the demise of the system that paved way for elections in 1994.
– CAJ News