Would you call someone out for being racist?

POLOKWANE – This week, March 14 to 21, is Anti-Racism Week.

Initiated by the Anti-Racism Network South Africa (ARNSA) in partnership with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, along with 80 other organisations, the campaign will coincide with the commemoration of the Sharpeville massacre and Human Rights Day on March 21.

Review asked residents what they thought about racism, and if they would call someone out for being a racist.

Mokete Sihlangu said he was against racism as he had experienced it when he was younger, and the memories have stayed with him.

“I believe that racism is still happening although it has changed a lot. People are still racist, but now it is not about the colour of your skin, but about tradition and beliefs. I do point it out when people are being racist, but there are those who keep quiet because they are scared, but we all need to speak out against racism,” he said.

Rosina Hlahla said: “it’s easy to hide behind the race card and call someone else a racist when you do not agree with them. This is why I believe that it is every South African’s duty to tell someone when they are being racist”.

Jimmy Mafungo said as a businessman, he came across different forms of racism. He said it was time for people to move on from racism as it was not really an issue anymore.

“We all talk about the new South Africa and how things are better, but we all really like to go back into the past and hold on to things that are long gone. It is time that we all move on to the future that we say we are fighting for and stop holding unto the past,” he said.

Lee-Anne Lind Vonderstein said racism still happened every day and that many people had learnt to live with it.

“We all need to accept one another, it doesn’t matter what your skin colour is and it doesn’t matter what you believe in or what you do in the privacy of your home. We should stop judging each other and start acting like the children of God that we claim to be,” she said.

Louisa Pienaar said she believed that there was reverse racism.

“In the past white people were racist, but now there is racism between white and white and black and black, and we are not as easy to show that black people are being racist against white people because there is an unspoken rule that makes only white people racist and the rest of the people innocent victims. People should forget that something like racism exists and then take the responsibility upon themselves to make their own lives and the lives of all people in this country better,” she said.