Sodwana Bay: ‘We are not André Slade’
Sodwana Bay Lodge has been particularly hard hit as many media houses initially reported that Slade was the owner
RACIAL comments spewing from Sodwana Bay over the past week are indicative of only one man – André Slade.
This is the united message from other business owners, tour operators and residents living and working in Sodwana Bay.
Sodwana Bay Lodge, owned by First Resorts under MD Johann Jordaan, has been particularly hard hit as many media houses initially reported that Slade was the owner, when in fact his now tainted establishment is called the Sodwana Bay Guest Lodge.
Jordaan spoke to a number of radio stations and reporters, distancing himself from Sodwana Bay Guest House.
‘We distance ourselves 100% from this conduct. We in this business just can’t understand how anybody in this industry can have an attitude like that,’ Jordaan told Cape Talk.
‘We are all in the business to make a few Rand, now you are on every media site in the country and you publically state that this is what you are doing.
‘It is absolutely ridiculous.’ Jordaan says as the news broke, he had to start damage control.
‘When I received a phone call I said it was impossible, it cannot be because we in our group will never, ever tolerate something like that,’ he said, referring to Slade’s public comments on race and religion, after his refusal to allow ‘blacks and government employees’ to stay at his guest house.
Furious reaction Slade further caused massive fury when he explained on camera his beliefs on why black people were ‘not human, and made to serve whites’.
‘The community was up in arms and were ready to burn down our place,’ said Jordaan.
‘I started speaking with the community leaders to tell them ‘hold on, it’s not us’.
‘They said they thought it couldn’t be us because they see that we accommodate people of any race, of any colour from anywhere in the world and why all of a sudden the change?
‘And only then we realised there’s a place called Sodwana Bay Guest House.
‘It was a huge confusion. We immediately started doing damage control through every form of media we could get our hands on.
‘We have distanced ourselves completely and we just can’t believe that there is a stupid man or a person that can come out and, in this day and age, make a statement like that and try to run a business.’
‘Sodwana Bay has a very popular and good name, it’s a fantastic place. It’s world renowned for diving and fishing with people coming from all over the world,’ concluded Jordaan.
Cases of hate speech, discrimination as well as possible tax evasion have been opened against Slade following a visit by MEC for Economic Development and Tourism, Sihle Zikalala, last week.
A formal complaint was also received by the Human Rights Commission of South Africa.
