LYDENBURG – A racial slur by the prominent secretary of the Skhila Civic Association, has caused a stir on social media when he bluntly stated that “he hates white people”.

Mr Phillips Billy Mankgane’s remarks unleashed a storm of anger on Saturday. This occurred the day after Reconciliation Day, which is intended on fostering national unity among the people of the country.

According to Mankgane, he believes that racism still exists in Lydenburg.

This follows after his mother brought home a loaf of Boere bread. He says its name is a sign of racism. “First boerewors, and now we have Boere bread. I just had to buy Sasko instead, because I would never eat such nonsense.”

This statement was followed by various comments from people on Facebook. This, according to Mankgane, led to him expressing his hate towards white people. “I hate whites, they are heartless.”

“I hate whites, they are heartless.”

During an interview with Steelburger/Lydenburg News, Mankgane stood by his statement, however, he later started to sing a different tune. According to him, he experienced racism when he went with his mother to one of the houses where she worked. His mother’s employer allegedly dished up food for him on a plate that was used to feed the dog.

According to him, he experienced racism when he went with his mother to one of the houses where she worked. His mother’s employer allegedly dished up food for him on a plate that was used to feed the dog.

His anger developed when he was young after realising that his mother had brought home expired food which she got from work. “I blame the employer because my mother cannot read. I feel that it is

I feel that it is time that the issue of the expired food is addressed, because it is enough.”
He also mentioned that there are white people who he works closely with. “I am doing business with many white people and I have no problem with them but I also want to mention that there are some who are still racists. We cannot hide away from that and I hate racism in all its forms.”

“I am doing business with many white people and I have no problem with them but I also want to mention that there are some who are still racists. We cannot hide away from that and I hate racism in all its forms.”
He also ment that not all white people who are racists.

According to Mr Joe Ledwaba, from Mashishing Civil Coalition, they do not support discriminatory statements. “Not all white people are racists and they are not monsters.

Looking back at the struggle, we know of many white people who were against the apartheid regime. I know of so many of them who have adopted black kids as their own.

Let us also look at our local school, Hoërskool Lydenburg, the pupils there interact with one another regardless of the colour of their skin. They travel together during school trips and there is not division among the different racial groups.
“My daughter also has white friends who come to my house and spend time with us. They share food from the same pot with us. If a person makes a racist remark, that person has committed a criminal offence and the law must take its cause.”
The chairman of Skhila Civic Association, Mr Mandla Mohlala, says the association supports statements that strive to fight racism. “We do not hate white people.

When the secretary made that statement he was trying to show that there is racism in Lydenburg, and he was encouraging others to fight against it. The word boere carries a racial discrimination because when we see the word, it takes us back to our past.
“In the past when a person used that term it meant a white racist man and, yes, we are aware that the word also means farmer. In the black society when people hear that word it is associated with racism.
“In our context boere is attached to racism because we can have black farmers but we will refer to them as boere. Everyone in the current era should fight for a anti-racial society.
The DA in Lydenburg said they rejected all racial remarks. According to DA councillor, Mr Nico Janse van Vuuren, the problem in South Africa is that “we stereotype everything”.
“I cannot deny his experience but what we need to do is to stop stereotyping.

He had a bad experience with one person and now he has generalised everyone else and puts them in the same category. When a man throws a can on the ground, we should let him take responsibility for his actions and not implicate or blame everyone else.
“Generalising is everywhere, we also see it in politics and we all need to change. Let everyone take responsibility for their faults,” said Janse van Vuuren.