Racist remnants must be wiped out in S. Africa: minister

Strong action must be taken to root out all remnants of racism in South Africa, Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said on Wednesday.

Hanekom made the remarks following allegations that the owner of the Klipspringer Guesthouse and Caravan Park in Modimolle, Limpopo Province, ordered a 14-year-old black teenager out of the resort's swimming pool on New Year's Eve.

It is alleged that the teenager was told to leave the pool as other guests did not want to swim in the pool while he was in it.

Hanekom said he has instructed the Department of Tourism's legal team to refer the incident to the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

"One can only imagine the deep humiliation and hurt that any person would feel under the circumstances, let alone a child enjoying the festive spirit," said Hanekom.

"The fight against racism is not negotiable,"he stressed.

The vast majority of South Africans and operators of the tourism establishments uphold the constitutional right of every person to have dignity and freedom, and for that dignity and freedom to be respected and protected at all times, he said.

South Africa has been gripped by anti-black comments that appeared on social media recently. It all started when Penny Sparrow, an estate agent, labelled blacks as "monkeys" that were released onto public beaches in Durban on Christmas and New Year holidays.

Hanekom noted that some forms of racism are still being practised by a small minority of people.

These actions do not belong in a democratic society which is driven by the values of equality and non-racism, he said.

"This is not who we are as a nation, and it certainly does not reflect who we are as a tourism industry. We must all stamp out racism whenever and wherever it occurs. We will not tolerate racist behaviour from anyone," said Hanekom.

"We are serious about transformation in our society and in tourism. This applies not only to the ownership patterns of establishments, but to completely eliminating all acts of discrimination and racism. Every tourism attraction is there for the enjoyment of all of us,"he added.

H said the majority of South Africans who respect each other's rights should never allow the actions of the small minority to undermine the strides that the nation has made towards equality.

"We must all continue to support and strengthen the various nation building initiatives that are underway in many sectors of our society," he said. Enditem