South Africans have been up in arms after a video of local businessman Adam Catzavelos using a racial slur surfaced on social media.
In the video, Catzavelos refers to black people as the k-word while on holiday.
“Let me give you a weather focus here, blue skies, beautiful day, amazing sea and not one k****r in sight, f**g heaven on earth. You cannot beat this,” Catzavelos said in the self-recorded video.
Catzavelos’ many businesses and associates have since distanced themselves from the racist comments made by the businessman.
In a media statement issued by the Catzavelos family and St George’s Fine Foods, Nic Catzavelos said the family was appalled by the video and fully dissociated itself from the sentiments expressed in the video.
“We reject racism in any form. Adam Catzavelos has been dismissed with immediate effect from the family business,” Nic Catzavelos said.
South Africans have taken up arms against the sentiments expressed in the video:
As we watch another public racism video made by #AdamCatzavelos, we still hear people trying to convince us that this is not the norm. What do you accept at private dinner table conversations from family & friends? Do you correct them when they’re being racist?
— Siphumelele Zondi (@SZondi) August 22, 2018
White South Africa may not know #AdamCatzavelos personally. May not like or agree with what he said. But because we’ve all encountered a #AdamCatzavelos at some point and said nothing, he thought his video was a good idea.
— Nickolaus Bauer (@NickolausBauer) August 22, 2018
White people who ask "Why must everything be about race? Can't we just move on?" #AdamCatzavelos is your answer. He's young. Racism is still being taught to children. The racists aren't moving on, so why should black people?
— Tom Eaton (@TomEatonSA) August 22, 2018
Racists like #AdamCatzavelos are adamant on delaying the healing process.
— Portia Gumede (@portiagumedesa) August 21, 2018
On the #AdamCatzavelos issue:
We have the power. Boycott the companies that support his business, write to his kids’ school for suspension, his gym for cancellation, his bank where his house is financed. We have to move the action from our thumbs on Twitter to the real world.
— VT (@VusiThembekwayo) August 22, 2018
