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S. African minister wants to criminalize racism by amending Constitution

Xinhua, May 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

South African Minister of Ars and Culture Nathi Mthethwa on Tuesday stressed the need to criminalize racism by amending the Constitution.

"Humanity is under obligation to suppress and punish this crime (racism)," Mathewa told MPs during a debate on racism in Parliament.

"Whilst we cannot regulate the people's attitude, however we can regulate their behaviour through criminalizing racism. If need be, we should amend the Constitution," the minister said.

Despite the progress South Africa has made, the structural legacy of colonialism, segregation and apartheid remains deeply entrenched as reflected in the colonial, sexist and super-exploitative structure of the economy; the spatial patterns of development and underdevelopment; and the social, human resources and infrastructure backlogs, Mathewa said.

This structural legacy finds particular expression in mass poverty and extreme inequality, which were inherent to colonialism and apartheid, he said.

South Africa has been gripped by a new wave of racism since the beginning of this year. It all started when real estate agent Penny Sparrow labelled blacks as "monkeys". Her remarks were echoed by some racist remarks on social media. The anti-black comments have also led to anti-white sentiment.

The current incidents related to racism are expressions of the views held by those who benefited from apartheid and who wish to retain the status quo, said Mathewa.

Those who say and think in terms of hatred for others reflect an allegiance not to the South Africa of the present but an obedience to the perpetuation of the horrors of the past, he said.

"Despite racism raising its ugly head from time to time, we should move forward with the determination of steel in our programme of radical economic transformation," the minister noted.

"Racism is killing us. That is not merely a metaphorical truth. It is also a literal one," he stressed.

Racism is not going to be overcome simply because people speak up, Mathewa said.

Racism, like so many other ills of this society, is the product of a society built on colonialism and its apartheid derivative for the benefit of the tiny section of the population, he said.

"We must embark on a campaign to overcome racism," Mathewa concluded. Endit