Mashaba to challenge Guptas in court
JOBURG – Mashaba is calling on past employees to come forward with their experiences.
Herman Mashaba, City of Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor, announced that he will approach the Equality Court to seek legal recourse against the brothers Atul and Ajay Gupta for their alleged racial slurs against black South Africans.
This was revealed in a statement he issued over the weekend ‘in his personal capacity’.
Mashaba said he had written to Advocate Shaun Abrahams on 11 June to take action, but after the 60-days cut-off had come and gone without any response, he decided to take this action.
“Recently, I had the opportunity to engage with past and present employees of Gupta TV who relayed to me numerous accounts in which the station’s bosses allegedly uttered racial slurs against black employees, and black South Africans in general.
“While these employees have requested, for now, that their identities remain protected from the media, they have indicated to me their willingness to come forward and relay their horrific accounts at the hands of the Guptas and their associates, for the purpose of court action.”
Mashaba said that as a black South African he cannot merely sit and watch.
“South Africa’s tragic history of racism and discrimination, especially against black people, demands that we all stand up and take action in defence of our collective humanity.”
Mashaba is now calling on all past employees including those employed at the Gupta’s Sun City wedding to share their accounts with him.
