NEWSBREAK

                 GENAVIVE LANKA

20 OCTOBER 2015

RE: ANTI-INDIAN SENTIMENT BY PHUMALNI MFEKA

 

Miss Lanka,

The recent social media outburst of Anti-Indian remarks by Phumlani Mfeka refers.

As a political youth leader, advocating the rights of minorities, and as a South African Indian I find it most disconcerting that there is  such deep seated ethic and racial intolerance 21 years into democracy. The utterances of Phumlani Mfeka stenches of hatred for the Indian community and has the potential to incite national violence as seen with recent xenophobic attacks.

Such hate speech is a contravention of the moralities enshrined in the South African constitution, The Bill of Rights and indeed a travesty to the United Nations Universal Human Rights Declaration.

When Mfeka makes reference to the 1949 riots and the 1985 upheaval he opens wounds which caused the massacre of innocent Indian people. The carnage of this reference wrought devastation for families and this must therefore be treated as a threat to the indian presence in KZN particularly.

I am appealing to the News Break team to feature this as part of your programme and create awareness in the indian community where you have majority listenership. Create a platform or a forum for a dialogue for citizens to air their views.

I have written to the Consul General of India in Durban and requested an intervention on this matter. I am now corresponding with the Human Rights Commission to get them to take action against this dangerous and demeaning talk.

Jonathan Annipen

MF Youth Leader

Party Spokesperson