Racism+died+in+1994+-+NOT,+Xolani+Xundu,+Sunday+Times

Sunday Times, Johannesburg, 04 March 2007
=If you think racism died in 1994, think again=




 * Xolani Xundu**//: Second Opinion//

Xolani Xundu finds himself at the receiving end of racist behaviour on the part of a British Airways check-in clerk

From an early age I was taught to treat people with respect — from the hobos who roam our streets to the multimillionaires. Three weeks ago I came face to face with racism at a British Airways check-in counter in Cape Town from a white lady named Michelle.

After I complained to BA’s chief executives, the company apologised and I was assured that they were going to deal with the matter.

But BA flatly refused to divulge the “remedial action” it took against its racist employee’s outrageous, repugnant, immoral and repulsive behaviour of that 11th day of February.

“Please note that we are unable to advise what remedial action has been taken against Michelle, but you can be rest assured that this matter has been dealt with accordingly,” said Mageshree Reddy, customer relations manager.

Then came the usual bribe (in the Democratic Republic of Congo they call it a facilitation fee): the offer of a return air ticket to any destination in this beautiful land of Autshumao, Makana, Maqoma, Cetshwayo, Hintsa and Mphephu.

“How frequently do you fly?” BA’s special services manager Fahmeeda Fakier asked over the phone.

The irony of it did not escape this uncivilised native, who was being “facilitated” to drop his complaint for a ride above the clouds in a British jet nogal. For a moment, it dawned on the native that he was not as uncivilised as BA thought, as he had actually clocked more than 300 000 air miles over the past four years.

To reciprocate her gesture of goodwill, I refused the “facilitation fee” because, as a complainant, I feel I am entitled to know what action, if any, BA has taken against Michelle.

The secrecy around it all smacks of a cover-up.

This incident should not be looked at in isolation. The context indicates that the problem is bigger. It’s a cancer eating at the core of this nation. It also raises a number of questions.

For how long will corporate South Africa continue to sweep racism under the carpet? Why is it so easy for corporate South Africa to think that black people are for sale? That black people, at a snap of a finger, can be made to sell their souls for life’s easy trappings?

We now know that, after complaining about a racist incident from a coloured colleague, Nedbank employees Rhoda Yedwa and Michael Vilakazi were offered a raise in salary, which they correctly rejected.

Nedbank CEO Tom Boardman has denied this to the Sunday Times; instead, he accused the two of having been the ones who wanted to be paid money to drop their case against the company. That case is still before the Labour Court as we speak and the two have not given up on justice.

Remember Blackman Ngoro? He was fired from his job as spokesman for former Cape Town mayor Nomaindia Mfeketo for his racist and derogatory slurs against coloured people.

The City of Cape Town did the right thing in firing him because racism has no place in this land of Chief Albert Luthuli and Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe.

For centuries, our forebears paid dearly fighting against white domination and legislated white racism in this country. Their unrelenting spirit culminated in the historic 1994 elections.

Many in our country, especially among some sections of the white community, have this belief that racism died with the dawn of democracy in 1994. They refuse to accept that it is still a factor that confronts many in our society to this day.

This perhaps explains why the likes of BA and Nedbank would go to such great lengths to cover up such incidents. They fail to locate racism in its proper context and do not identify it as a priority in their human resource strategies. This places the burden of raising these issues on victims of racism, as they are the only ones who know the dehumanising impact of such cancerous behaviour.

We must guard against any temptation to project ourselves as lovelorn puppies who seek approval from the master; what we must insist on is respect.

After all, white people — racists included — are also citizens in this country and we are going to build it together whether we like it or not.

We just need to respect each other.


 * From: http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Insight/Article.aspx?id=402012**

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