Update
Following an alleged racial incident at The Colony pub in Craighall, where singer-songwriter Tumelo Ruele and his friends were apparently called the k-word, the establishment’s owner Owen Murphy has commented on the allegations.
Ruele had taken to social media after the alleged racial slur.
Murphy said in the early hours on the morning of 31 August, there had been an incident between two groups of guests at the pub. “The suspected nature of this incident is particularly disturbing,” he said.
“There are differing interpretations of events, but I want to assure everyone that I will personally also continue to investigate so we can take any appropriate action.”
Murphy added that on the day of the incident, he had been in touch with Ruele who was a regular customer whom he described as always being ‘fantastic’. He said during their conversation Ruele had been ‘graceful and engaging’.
https://twitter.com/TUMELOlive/status/1036266658736816128
He said he would do everything to support an investigation by any government authority and hopefully ensure a just outcome.
Friends of Ruele, Precious Seete and Immaculate Maxy were seated with him on the night of the incident. Seete said most of the reports in the media were untrue as she had spent a lot of time at the pub and had always been treated kindly.
“It’s not fair that Owen is now being labelled a racist and The Colony a harbour for racists as he wasn’t there, and when we report issues to him he gets the matter resolved as soon as possible, and he is busy assisting with the matter at hand in every possible way.”
Maxy added that even though she did not hear the patron saying the k-word, she did question one of the men of the group who responded by saying they wouldn’t call Maxy and her friends that because the individual’s ‘father would not tolerate that’.
“If it can be established that any guests of the Colony Arms, regardless of how long they have been a customer, use racist or discriminatory language, they will be removed immediately and from that point on no longer be allowed inside the Colony Arms,” Murphy concluded.
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Initial report, 31 August, 11am
Another incident of an alleged use of the k-word has emerged. According to a report by The Citizen, singer-songwriter Tumelo Ruele and his friends were allegedly called the k-word at Craighall bar Colony Arms on Thursday night. This is the latest in a string of recent incidents of the slur being used.
Comment from management has been requested and will be posted as soon as it is received.
He alleged that he and his friends were called the k-word by a young man who was part of a group of white patrons at a nearby table.
According to Ruele, an older man at the table then offered his group drinks so that they would ‘let it slide.’
Tumelo Ruele (@TUMELOlive) tweeted a photograph and wrote:
“These people here chilling at
#ColonyArms lastnight, harbor a racist young man who called us the K word. The old man offered us drinks in order to let it slide. Informed management & nothing was done. Instead we were chased out.”
Ruele further claimed that when he reported the incident to management, rather than any action being taken against the man who used the racist slur or his table, it was instead Ruele’s group that was ‘chased out.’
Ward councillor for the area Martin Williams said,
“As the local ward councilor, I am appalled that such an incident could take place. Racism should have no place anywhere in our society. This colonial tag should not come with racism,” said Williams.”
The incident was discussed on Bongani Bingwa’s breakfast show on Talk Radio 702 on Friday morning.
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