Report highlights the double standards that apply to racism 

31 March 2017

At a conference to be held on Tuesday, 4 April 2017 the Solidarity Research Institute (SRI) will launch its report entitled: “Racism, hate speech and double standards: by no means a mere matter of black and white.” This report forms part of the Solidarity trade union’s countrywide campaign against selective racism and it comprises an in-depth discussion of the selective way in which racism is being dealt with in South Africa.

According to Connie Mulder, head of the SRI racial tension in South Africa was again fuelled in 2016 by, among others, Penny Sparrow, Velaphi Khumalo, Matthew Theunissen and Julius Malema. Given the heightened racial tension, the SRI investigated some of those high profile cases and how they were dealt with. “Thanks to the soapbox social media offers racists of all colours and beliefs stereotype and abuse people of other races. Some even go so far as to incite hatred and violence against others, especially against minorities,” Mulder said.

Mulder contends that South Africa is experiencing an imbalance in the way racism is being handled. “It is important to look at the way in which racism is being dealt with in South Africa, given the harm it can cause to individuals and to the community as a whole. What we see at the moment is that different standards apply to different groups. Politicians and government officials are currently the main instigators of selective racism, and they are using their positions of power to influence the masses,” Mulder said.

Issue by Wilmarie Brits, Spokesperson, Solidarity, 31 March 2017