OPINION - I had hoped that the Penny Sparrow debacle (“Penny Sparrow dies”, Daily News, July 25) would serve as a good example to people of the consequences of their social media racism, but she was soon followed by Adam Catzavelos and others.
We have to thank those within their circles opposed to racism for outing them and bringing their utterances to light.
To her credit, Sparrow - despite her initial insistence that “monkey” was a term of endearment - eventually came to accept that she had impaired the dignity of the black population by comparing them to primates, and apologised.
Whatever they convey in your own culture, words like “monkey” and “baboon” are extremely hurtful to the black population and should not be used to reference them.
Whites often defend racists by asking “What about Julius Malema and all the racist things he says about us?”
Those are racist too, and whites should charge him, as Sparrow and Catzavelos were, and let the law take its course.
I hope that Sparrow was able to find some peace before her death.
A SIBIYA Durban