Racial prejudice shown to Rastas

The publication spoke to the three Rastas who said they were having coffee when a security guard approached them asking them who they were. Emma Young, one of the three, told the security guard that she had been living in the area for six months and had been to the coffee shop before.

The security guard then replied to Young, “This is a Jewish neighbourhood, we don’t know you.”

Emma then told the security guard that he had offended her. The guard went on to say that he had received a call from someone saying there were Indians in the coffee shop wearing traditional clothes. A few minutes later he returned and said he had received another call asking why Muslims were eating at the restaurant.

The security guard asked the three what their names were so he could tell the caller.

Young told IOL that she felt unsafe and will be moving out of their home in Sandringham.

Young said when she arrived at the coffee shop on 7 April, all the patrons stared at her. “This is how I dress, I wear a headscarf to cover my hair, and a long skirt. What’s wrong with that?” she asked.

“That guard even asked us if we were Jewish and we said we were Hebrew-Israelites. This is racial and religious persecution,” said Emma.

KosherWorld Supermarket director and manager told the North Eastern Tribune that management was aware of the issue and would like to apologise.

“We regret this distress and would like to invite them for a coffee as our guests. Unfortunately, in common with Jewish communities everywhere in the world, South African Jewry needs to deal with mounting threats to its safety and security. For this reason, the community has implemented strict security procedures at all its installations,” he said.

Furthermore, KosherWorld wished to stress that all patrons are welcome, and hoped that incidents of this nature could be avoided in future while still maintaining the necessary levels of security to ensure the safety of all concerned.