The Democratic Alliance, the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party on Tuesday promised to open cases against people for their racist rants on social media over fireworks set off during the Diwali celebrations.
DA provincial chairman Haniff Hoosen said he would be opening a case against a Bluff resident by the name of Dawie Kriel.
“The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal strongly condemns the racist comments by Mr Dawie Kriel on Facebook, where he attacked the Hindu Community during Diwali celebrations,” said Hoosen in a statement released on Tuesday.
Kriel, in his post on Facebook, wrote: “To those idol worshippers and devil disciples who buy them in the name of religion, piss- off to your dark hole in the backwoods of India you dickhead.”
Hoosen said the post was hateful and undermined the dignity of many South Africans and that it had no place in the country.
He said the DA would lay a charge of Crimen Injuria against Kriel.
East Coast Radio reported that Kriel said he had withdrawn the post very soon afterwards and apologised, but by that stage it was too late. He said he had been working with pets that had been affected by the bangs the whole night.
“I was so emotional when I made that post. I deleted it really soon after that. It was too late, as usual. So ja, you know I totally agree. I know, I can understand the pain and anger just as long as they can understand my pain and anger when I worked with all these animals,” he told the station in an interview.
ANC spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said in a statement that party’s provincial secretary Super Zuma would open cases “against several individuals” with the police as well as the Equality Court. He did not specify which individuals.
On Monday, Zuma said: “Vulgar and offensive language hark back to the crude apartheid past and undermines the hard work in building social cohesion in our country.”
In a statement released on Monday evening the IFP’s chief whip Narend Singh also condemned Kriels remarks.
“The level of hatred, religious intolerance and threats of violence towards Indians, and the Indian community at large in South Africa by Mr Dawie Kriel, must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The IFP is currently laying a complaint against Mr Kriel with the Human Rights Commission and will do everything in its power to ensure that Mr Kriel is brought before the equality court to answer to these abhorrent remarks,” he said.
Every year the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) reports an increase of pets that flee as a result of the fireworks. The organisation urges pet owners to keep their pets indoors and to even consider sedate the more highly strung animals.
The Daily News reported on Tuesday that 43 animals had been brought into the SPCA in the Kloof and Highway area while two dogs had been killed.
Every year Diwali fireworks celebrations in Durban become a major bone of contention between animal lovers and those who celebrate Diwali with fireworks.
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights which for believers spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.
In 2016 KwaZulu-Natal has been beset by a number of incidents of racism.
At the start of the year retired estate agent Penny Sparrow found herself in hot water over comments she made comparing blacks to monkeys. She had made the comments on Facebook while complaining abouit the numbers of black people at Scottburgh’s beaches.
She was found guilty of racism in the Equality Court and ordered to R150,000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation . Later he was also convicted of Crimen Injuria in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court.
In June guest house owner Andre Slade found himself in trouble when he told a prospective client that his guest house does not accommodate government employees and blacks.
Later when an entourage of several hundred protesting ANC members arrived at his doorstep, Slade, who did not appear to comprehend the offense he was causing, made wild claims that blacks were made by God to be servants.
“I am your King. I am the King on Earth. You should call me Inkosi,” he said at the time.
“When Jan van Riebeeck arrived here as a white man he knew and he could see the difference between himself and others was huge,” said Slade, who added his actions were based on instructions from God.
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