Racist nurse in trouble for asking woman why she dates ‘k*****s’

A former nurse at Life Anncron hospital in Klerskdorp is the latest to gain notoriety for her use of the k-word, after she sent a post to a woman chastising her for “looking like a Kardashian” and “going out with k*****s”.

The messages were sent by Elaine Jacobs, who lists her occupation as a nurse at Anncron Hospital, to Larochelle Smit, who says on LinkedIn that she is in sales, distribution, logistics, and exports, but also has a large following on Instagram and Facebook, posting glamour shots that Jacobs likened to pictures of the Kardashian sisters, as well as a few of her with her black boyfriend.

According to Jacobs, this is not the way a “boere SA meisie”, or good Afrikaner woman, should behave.

The messages, written in Afrikaans, can be read below:

Hey @LifeHealthcare_ look at what your employee sent me 😡 All beacuse my boo is a black man. Shêm… #Racism #RootOutRacism@EFFSouthAfrica @MYANC pic.twitter.com/ofAje08a0e

— Larochelle Smit (@Larochelle_smit) October 21, 2018

Life Healthcare’s official Twitter account initially responded with what appeared to be a generic message.

They have since released a statement stating that Jacobs is not in fact currently employed by Life Healthcare. Jacobs has apparently not worked at the hospital in Klerksdorp since October 2017 and hasn’t updated her Facebook page.

The hospital chain says they take “racial hate speech very seriously” and will make sure that Jacobs does not work at any Life Healthcare hospitals in future.

The outrage of those on Twitter, meanwhile, continues.

Please see below statement. Kindly DM us should you have any further questions or queries. pic.twitter.com/J90X8NGrdM

— Life Healthcare (@LifeHealthcare_) October 23, 2018

Hi Larochelle,

We are sorry to hear about your experience. Please send us a private message with your contact information and further details about your experience in order for us to investigate the matter and give you feedback.

— Life Healthcare (@LifeHealthcare_) October 22, 2018

Let's please remind her of this convicted racist pic.twitter.com/C9rLxVv8HI

— Fitz Mashilwane (@Fitz_mash) October 23, 2018

Elaine Jacobs must be found https://t.co/g3xPVyvw71

— AfricaMyHome (@MlungisiMbhele9) October 23, 2018

Another one that wants to be famous. 🙄

These people should really go and live somewhere else.

— Doug Falconer 🇿🇦 (@DougieFalconer) October 23, 2018

Recent events have proven that the word widely considered the most offensive racial slur in South Africa is still used. Many cases of the word causing outrage have been reported in 2018.

These include:

• The casual use of the word in a video by holiday-goer Adam Catzavelos
• A Rosslyn BMW employee who was suspended for using the word
• Allegations from singer-songwriter Tumelo Ruele that he and his friends were called the word at Craighall bar Colony Arms in Johannesburg
• The resignation of an English teacher at Westville Girls High School in Durban for allegedly using the word in class
• Durban businessman Kessie Nair who faces crimen injuria charges after posting a video of himself on Facebook attacking President Cyril Ramaphosa and referring to him using the word
• The firing of Durban woman Alochna Moodley for using the word on a Kulula flight
• Nditsheni Singeni, a 56-year-old mother of two employed at Port Alfred’s Halyards Hotel, opened a case against a guest who she alleges called her the k-word

Last year, Vicki Momberg became the first person to be jailed for using the term after saying it 48 times when dealing with a black policeman who was trying to help her after a smash-and-grab incident.

Momberg was sentenced to an effective two years for crimen injuria due to the incident, but she has since been granted leave to appeal her sentence and is out on bail.

READ NEXT: K-word leaves Eastern Cape hotel employee ‘shaken and traumatised’

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