Silent Mbalula must fire racist Sports spokesperson

The DA calls on the Minister of Sport and Recreation, Fikile Mbalula, to immediately fire the Media and Communications Manager of the Department of Sport and Recreation, Esethu Hasane, for a racist statement posted on Twitter and Facebook.

On 27 February 2017, Hasane Tweeted that “Only Western Cape still has dry dams. Please God, we have black people there, choose another way of punishing white people.”

The fact that three days have passed and the minister has not fired Hasane or taken any action for that matter, means that he either shares this racist view or condones it. This would seem to contradict the minister’s previous views on racism and sport. Responding to racists comments made last year, he said that racists “have no place in our society and must be isolated as they take us backwards…”.

Hasane’s statement only serves to hurt and divide and he must be held to account. His racist statement is an indictment on the Department of Sport and Recreation and should not be tolerated.

Racists in this department should be permanently benched and therefore Mbalula must publically denounce the statement, distance himself and his department from it and fire Hasane.

The DA vehemently opposes all forms of discrimination. We want to build a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa, that belongs to all - based on the values of freedom, fairness and opportunity.

Statement issued by Darren Bergman MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation, 2 March 2017