No room for ‘monkeys’ of any colour

When disgraced realtor Penny Sparrow posted her now infamous comment about black beachgoers recently, little did she realize the fury and ire she was unleashing across racial lines.
Of course, economist Chris Hart, Justin Van Vuuren and broadcaster Andrew Barnes were quick to jump into the Sparrow-train with their ill-conceived comments and gimmicks, and then we had Velaphi Khumalo also “letting loose” his own racist venom, thus deservedly earning himself the same kind of trouble as the Sparrow-brigade mentioned above.
What the Sparrow-brigade and Khumalo do not realize is that the South Africa we collectively started building in 1994 will not tolerate their ilk. With the same level of ferocity we recently demonstrated when fighting against xenophobia and Afrophobia, we will crush the tide of racism and racial hatred, no matter who the perpetrator is.
Penny Sparrow’s comments and her justification thereafter, wherein she reportedly claimed that her belief was that monkeys were “cute and naughty”, merely exposed how deprived she actually is in her “privileged” position.
One might even be tempted to say her entire mindset is “narrow and shallow” at best. She must know that while she can afford to entertain her family all year long, those “monkeys” she saw littering “her beaches” cannot afford the same luxurious lifestyle, due to socio-economic circumstances that are beyond their control.
The bottom line is that every South African citizen is entitled to access to public spaces, including Penny Sparrow’s beaches. While one cannot condone littering those public spaces, authorities also have a duty to plan properly for such eventualities. Sparrow, in her limited sphere of reference, should have known this before spewing out her vile comments.
Velaphi is no better than Sparrow. Being a government employee and a citizen of a democratic and united South Africa, he should have applied his mind properly before ranting and raving like he did, even making an absolutely unnecessary reference to the Holocaust.
One thing is common though, between Sparrow and Khumalo: They have both reflected, quite unwittingly,views secretly held by many amongst black and white communities in South Africa. Their views should not shock us: They are merely a microcosm of a widespread rot that is steadily deepening amongst our people.
But before thinking about “exterminating” all white people in South Africa, think about that sweet little white kid who smiles and waves at you when you go shopping at Spar, whether you are black or white. That kid knows nothing about racial segregation . . . or oppression.
And before you start calling people “monkeys” think about that sweet little black kid, whose underprivileged status dictates that his/her parents can only afford to take him/her to the beach on New Year’s Day only, and that at great expense.
With 52 million people inhabiting our beautiful country, it’s only expected that we will all be prepared to share what little resources we have at our disposal, including Sparrow’s beloved beaches.
We have however managed to “unmask” the real monkeys roaming around our social strata: Penny “Zookeeper” Sparrow, Justin Van Vuuren, Velaphi “Hitler” Khumalo, Chris Hart and Andrew Barnes. Here’s to you, monkeys!
MUSA MNYANDU
KwaDukuza