Agrizzi in racism row after calling Bosasa director ‘Romeo’, allegedly after his pet monkey

Former COO of hugely controversial facilities management company Bosasa, Angelo Agrizzi, has been accused of racism again, after former Bosasa director Trevor Mathenjwa discovered that “Romeo”, a name Agrizzi called him in the audio clip where he is heard saying the “k-word” several times, was a reference not to the hero of Shakespeare’s play but potentially to Agrizzi’s pet monkey.

After pictures on Instagram showed Agrizzi to have two monkeys called Romeo and Juliet, Mathanjwa believed he had been insulted, Sunday World reports.

He previously thought “Romeo” was a compliment, due to the association with Shakespeare’s tragic romantic hero.

An angry Agrizzi told The Citizen that “the whole thing is totally inaccurate and caucused” and that he plans to take both Sunday World and The Citizen to the ombudsman, in the latter case because an earlier version of this article did not attempt to contact him, only noting that City Press reported that it had been unsuccessful in contacting him by the time of publication.

It was reported earlier that Agrizzi has paid the R200,000 fine imposed by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) after he was taped using the racial slur k****r several times.

In fact, he says he has made the decision to pay “a great deal more” than he is meant to, with the Barney Mokgatle Foundation in Alexandra the beneficiary of the  fine.

In a statement, the SAHRC says Agrizzi has been “forced to eat humble pie”.

“Everyone’s right to dignity must be respected. We hope we can use this case to eradicate racism in the country in the future,” said the commission’s Buang Jones.

“People are wrong about me, I’m not racist. I have always worked with black people. I have been branded a racist and I’m not,” Agrizzi told the Sunday Times.

Those who have branded Agrizzi a racist in the past include himself.

READ MORE: Agrizzi agrees to pay R200K for his k-word tirade

“I am embarrassed and ashamed of myself,” he said. “I am a racist, I agree” he said at the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture, after a clip of him using the racial slur was played.

The former COO continued, saying he understood if people judged him for his racism, but felt the whole three hours of the clip should be played in order to understand ”where it all came from”, adding that he was provoked.

Agrizzi said he knew he was being recorded and that those who did it possibly wanted to protect themselves. Asked why he allowed the meeting to be recorded, he said: “I thought I could control it, evidently I couldn’t.”

Asked for clarity on that, he added: “I didn’t understand the impact that having a carrot cake and a gin would have on me. It’s not an excuse”.

According to City Press, the audio recording resulted in a crimen injuria case, opened by Agrizzi’s former colleagues, Johannes Gumede and Papa Leshabane.

In the audio, a man believed to be Agrizzi can be heard saying: “What you need Papa for? … You don’t need Joe … what you need him for? … What I’m saying to you [is] what I can’t understand is how on earth your father listens to Papa and Joe.

“Those k****rs … I’m telling you they are k****rs alright because they are screwing your father with information that he shouldn’t listen to …”

The other voices barely participate in the conversation, save for a few audible responses.

“I will f*ck each of those k****rs out there… I’m telling you now I will…” Agrizzi is heard saying.

UPDATE: This story has been updated with Agrizzi’s comment. 15:47, Sunday August 18. 

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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