‘Rights commission has no moral authority to probe Phoenix racism,’ says NGO

Non-governmental organisation Injeje yabeNguni Council has charged that the SA Human Rights Commission (Sahrc) lacks moral authority to probe the Phoenix racism claims, accusing Chairperson Bongani Majola of bias and hypocrisy.

Following the widespread violence, looting and destruction KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, the commission hosted a dialogue and is probing racial tensions between black and Indian communities and related deaths in Phoenix.

But the council said it was taken aback when Majola said the SAHRC sought to start a conversation to determine the root causes of the “racially charged killings” in the province, particularly in Phoenix.

The council said it found it “bizarre” that Majola could make such a statement when he has previously testified that there was no evidence of racism by Indians towards black people. According to the council, Majola was on record dismissing racism by Indians on black people in his testimony as one of the witnesses in a Durban Equality Court matter against Phumlani Mfeka and his radical outfit, Mazibuye African Forum.

The council said the Forum and its spokesperson Zweli Sangweni were taken to court for raising the issue of Indians being racist towards black Africans.

In April 2019 magistrate John Sanders found the duo guilty of hate speech for comments made in articles and interviews in 2013/14, labelling Mahatma Gandhi a racist, and that Indians had enslaved Africans as well as for the use of the “C-word”.

“…Majola told the court that there was no truth to the assertions that majority Indians had an inculcated racist attitude towards Africans which they display in varying degrees, with the Phoenix Massacre becoming a display for the world to see,” the council has said in a statement.

It was Majola, the council has charged, who denounced any assertion against the Indian community and portrayed them as heroes of the struggle and that any statements relating to Indian racism against Africans was based on hate and not facts.

It is based on this that the council rejects “with contempt” the notion that the SAHRC will be able to probe nor hold unbiased discussions.

The council said it was the same SAHRC that rejected Mfeka’s suggestion for dialogues in townships to ascertain the veracity of the racism claims.

At least 22 people have been confirmed dead from the violence in Phoenix, there are fears that the death toll could be higher as a number of families are still reporting their loved ones missing.

Majola could not be reached for comment and did not reply to questions sent in a text, but the commission has said, in wishing to foster social cohesion, it aimed to pay special attention to this matter.

siphom@citizen.co.za