Sparrow’s gaffe should kick-start honest self-examination – NEASA exec
JOBURG – Racism has taken centre stage in South Africa recently, and the chief executive of the National Employers’ Association of South Africa, Gerhard Papenfus, has voiced his opinion.
“Without condoning the remarks by Penny Sparrow, she’s done this nation a huge favour,” said Papenfus.
This after estate agent Sparrow described black beach-goers as ‘monkeys’ on her Facebook page.
He said Sparrow’s remarks have set a process in motion which has shown people where they stand in the area of interracial relations – South Africa’s Achilles heel – and could open up future dialogue and self-awareness.
“There is merit in not leaving the remarks made by [Sparrow] and those who, understandably, responded viciously, unchallenged. However, prosecuting her, and the others, will at most only succeed in concealing South Africa’s most threatening disease – racism. It’s like refraining from breaking the uncomfortable news to a patient suffering from aggressive cancer,” Papenfus said.
He asked how we can expect people not to be racist. During apartheid, race defined us and race still defines us, he said. “It controls every aspect of our society. We’re obsessed with it but, apparently, that’s acceptable as long as we don’t say the wrong things in public,” Papenfus said.
He said since criminal charges have been laid and complaints lodged, social media has gone somewhat quiet on this issue. However, he said the underlying anger, whether justified or not, continues to build up steam. The charges and complaints against those who made all sorts of remarks, only serves to put the lid on the pressure cooker, but it’s doing nothing to reduce the ever increasing pressure, he added.
Papenfus also stated that calls were being made to criminalise racism.
“To do that, we will have to seriously jack up our criminal justice system and build a prison which can contain… [millions of] people. Or will only those who say the wrong things be prosecuted, leaving the underlying attitude, which is plaguing this nation, unchallenged. Is there anyone who can honestly say that, as far as this cancer is concerned, he/she is without sin? Unless healing as a nation is achieved, South Africa will be one big prison,” he stated.
Papenfus also emphasised that the sooner it is realised how sick the nation is, the better; it is the symptoms, including racial remarks, that indicate the nation’s feverish temperature regarding racism. “However, since we don’t like what we hear, we want to silence the messengers,” he said.
Papenfus said on many occasions he had been guilty of racial intolerance but claimed that he had become wiser. “I’ve grown in this area, but I’m not there yet. I can honestly say that I love all South Africans, that I love South Africa for its diversity – the very thing that’s causing tension. However, it doesn’t take much to expose dark areas in my heart, something which doesn’t creep out unless I’m under pressure, when things don’t go the way I like it, when I feel insecure,” he concluded.
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