Richards Bay businessman faces charges after comparing 'black' beach-goers to monkeys
A Richards Bay businessman has found himself in trouble with the law after making alleged racial remarks on Facebook around the 2019 uMhlathuze Beach Festival.
The City's speaker, Slondile Mkhize has laid charges against Lorenzo Greyling who made a comment in response to a complaint around litter, a day after the festival in December.
In the post that has since been removed, Greyling referred to festival-goers, as 'barbarians' and uneducated. He also compared those who attended to "monkeys and baboons".
Read the post below:
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Mkhize says the remarks are racist and constitute hate speech.
"When we organise this function, it's only Black [people] who attend, and if someone is commenting like that on social media, it shows that, that particular somebody it still having hatred [towards] Black people. That is why I opened a case so that it should be addressed. If we don't address issues like that, it won't stop it will continue. We need to attend it immediately when we hear about it."
“We are building a society that is slowly uniting and coming into a good understanding of each other’s culture, religion and languages with an objective of living side by side in harmony as a common society with different races. We are trying hard to accept what apartheid did to us as African people, Blacks in particular. "
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Mkhize continued: "Our government has passed laws and policies to support this noble idea, but there are sectors in our society, which continues to insult Black people and being racist without any fear or shame, like Lorenzo Greyling. It is more painful if such people are doing business and probably salvaging on the very same people they call baboons and monkeys.”
“We want the law and Human Rights Commission to deal decisively with Lorenzo Greyling and teach him and others who may think of insulting people a lesson and to think twice before they post anything on social media or any other public platform. People such as Greyling should learn from the landmark ruling that took Penny Sparrow down with her similar racist remarks,” she said.
KZN police have confirmed that a case was opened on Tuesday at the Empangeni police station for investigation.
