Shaka’s Head resident Katrina Hansraj writes:

At the start of the new year my sister and her three-year-old son stepped outside of thier home in Jo’burg after her son excitedly asked to see the municipal refuse truck. He politely greeted the workers while they waited for their bin to be emptied.

What should have been an innocent and educational moment for a young child unfortunately turned into a deeply distressing experience. One of the municipal employees behaved in an extremely rude, disrespectful and threatening manner toward my sister and her son, solely based on their race. The incident appeared to stem from the ongoing and incorrect assumption that all South Africans of Indian descent are foreigners or from India.

While we are Indian by ethnicity, we were born in South Africa. We are South Africans. Experiences such as this raise serious concerns about the reality of the values of unity, equality and respect that our country stands for.

Most troubling is the impact this incident has had on her young child. At only three years old, he was exposed to hostility and discrimination during what should have been a positive interaction with a public service worker. Such encounters risk damaging a child’s sense of safety, trust and respect for those who serve the community.

This behaviour is unacceptable and does not reflect the principles of professionalism, accountability, or the spirit of a country that claims to be united in diversity.

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