Update: No action after ‘fat pink pig’ insult
There will be no disciplinary action instituted against the openly biased traffic warden who called an assault victim, Mr Jean-Luc Devoldere, a deserving pig, and later also referred to a Middelburg Observer reader as a fat pink pig on Facebook.
Mr Devoldere was assaulted by a municipal painter, busy painting road lines on the Beyers Naude/Meyer Street intersection.
Mr Devoldere accidentally drove over the wet paint and hit a traffic cone, spurring the painter to first hit his bakkie with his paint rod, after which the painter slapped Mr Devoldere in the face, when he stopped.
The painter continued to assault Mr Devoldere in the presence of a traffic officer. When tensions died down, and Mr Devoldere got into his bakkie to drive away, the painter picked up a fistful of dirt, and flung it at Mr Devoldere’s face through his open window.
The entire incident was caught on video and posted on Middelburg Observer social media platforms. A colleague of the traffic officer on scene, Kgaugelo Tbose Mashego, was the first to comment, condoning the violence by saying Mr Devoldere deserved to be assaulted, and then referred to him as a pig.
A reader reacted with “f*** you” to which warden Mashego replied, “lol thank you, you fat pink pig”.
According to acting Municipal Manager, Mr Mndla Mnguni, the municipality has no social media policy in place for employees, and since the remarks were made in a personal capacity, the warden will get away with his derogatory comments, which Mr Mnguni agrees, has no place in a democratic, multi-racial society.
“I personally believe the insults were wrong and would advise those on the receiving end, to petition the equality court and public protector’s office for further assistance in the matter,” he said.
Mr Mnguni says it is the responsibility of every South African to defend the Constitution, and deeply regrets the sentiments of warden Mashego. The municipality is presently busy drafting a social media policy which will be binding on all employees during working hours, using municipal resources.
Meanwhile, the painter, whom the municipality refuse to identify, has been taken off the road, and will be kept on site, where he has no interaction with the public, until his disciplinary hearing has been concluded.
Read other stories here:
Video: Munisipale werker rand motoris aan
Video: Tears flow after traffic arrests
Video: Pepper spray, threats, as traffic officers go on strike
Video: N4 highway re – opens after tanker catches fire
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