Johannesburg - As the Judicial Service Commission investigates high court Judge Mabel Jansen’s racist post suggesting that rape was an ingrained part of black culture, a prominent actress has claimed that she too was subjected to racism.
Florence Masebe revealed in a tweet on Tuesday about the alleged incident that took place on the set of Ring of Lies, in which she stars.
“Shall I tweet about the horrible racist incident we just experienced on this set? 'I can speak to you anyway I like because I’m white.' This is what a crew member just said to our director, who is a black man.”
Masebe added: “Racism is out here dancing on our set.”
She received many responses from irate people condemning the alleged incident. However, the most notable tweet came from creative director and set designer Sam Lotter Dell, who said: “This is an incorrect quote and is tantamount to character defamation.”
Dell was tweeting from a largely inactive account with a handful of tweets on it. When asked by a tweeter user, @MissNonhle, if the alleged racist had already apologised for “offending anyone”, Masebe said: “She is not sorry.”
She directed further enquiries to Mzansi Magic, the channel that broadcasts the production, which confirmed the incident and said they were investigating it.
“Mzansi Magic has been in contact with the Ring of Lies cast and production company, Penguin Films, regarding the incident that took place on set involving two production crew members,” said Nondumiso Mabece, head of public relations: local entertainment channels.
“Mzansi Magic and Penguin Films strongly condemn any acts of discrimination and encourage a fair working environment based on mutual respect,” Mabece added.
Contacted for comment, Dell said she was contractually bound not to speak to the media and referred queries to Penguin Films.
The Star