Boulders Ndebele incident: Corporate and cultural confusion?

In a seemingly clear-cut case of corporate and cultural confusion, owners of Boulders Shopping Centre in Midrand have been unable to explain why their centre manager was suspended for kicking out a man for his cultural attire.

The management of Redefine Properties, Boulders’ owners, was in the hot seat at the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: Rights Commission hears Boulders’ arguments after Ndebele garb incident

This after Ndebele cultural activist Thando Mahlangu, who was in the company of his partner Nqobile Masuku, was told to leave the shopping centre in Midrand because Mahlangu’s Ndebele traditional attire was “inappropriate” and “indecent”.

In a video that went viral and sparked national outrage, the centre manager Jose Maponyane can be seen in a heated argument with Mahlangu, telling him to leave his mall and instructed Clicks store staff not to serve them.

The centre manager was promptly suspended after the incident but CRL Rights commissioners and chairperson David Mosoma took turns asking for the basis of the suspension, when the company did not have clear policy on traditional attire.

Mosoma explained that it was important the commission understood the context of the suspension, as the centre manager could also be a victim in this whole saga.

ALSO READ: Activist told traditional Ndebele attire not ‘decent’

“Don’t you think Mr Maponyane is also a victim, a victim victimiser? As a result of cultural imperialism that made its way throughout value chain? They are fighting amongst themselves because they have lost who they are. The action of Maponyane is a representative of a bigger picture. It is a national crisis, people walking like zombies because they have lost their identity,” Mosoma explained.

He said this was not only about Mahlangu or the AmaNdebele but that it touched the nerve centre of the National House of Traditional Leaders, a body consisting of 800 odd traditional leaders across the country.

Redefine Properties chief executive Andrew Konig, accompanied by portfolio manager Howard Kekana and senior legal counsel as well as two external legal counsel, said the incident called for a review of policies.

“This incident has held a mirror for us to reflect on all our actions…in a retail environment such as the Boulders, there are a number of different touch points for the shopper, which involves all of the issues that could arise in a shopping centre. Some of them out of our direct control,” he said.

He said they did not condone what had happened and that they would use this incident as a learning experience.

CRL commissioner, advocate Richard Botha, was interested in the psychological side of the incident, as to why Maponya acted in this way, particularly in a country underpinned by cultural diversity.

Konig responded that although he could not speak for Maponyane, the centre manager was very remorseful for his actions and acknowledged it was inappropriate.

After hearing Redefine Properties’ side of the story, the commission decided not to make any recommendations until it has heard from Maponyane on Monday.

On 29 April, it will hear both Mahlangu and Maponya and then make its recommendations public.

siphom@citizen.co.za