No excuse for racism Gareth

(File photo) DJ Gareth Cliff.

(File photo) DJ Gareth Cliff.

Published Jan 5, 2016

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Megalen Govender and Dineho Phathi take issue with Gareth Cliff for defending Penny Sparrow’s racially charged comments as free speech.

Dear Gareth Cliff,

So, Penny Sparrow refers to black people as “monkeys”, she speaks of the shame of “Black on black skin” and states that she will now address the blacks of South Africa as “monkeys who pick, drop and litter,” - and you call this free speech?

No matter how you try and justify this, be it free speech, freedom of expression or any other socio-political theories you might deem relevant to her actions – it is racist – and for that there can be no justification.

You say it’s ‘freedom of speech’ and that you studied history - and you know everything that pertains to history but sometimes, Gareth, sometimes you just need to be mindful of what you say. You don’t need to always have an opinion but, then again, you always seem to have an opinion about everything.

Sometimes one can really feel sorry for some of your friends of colour. Everyone is upset about this Sparrow specimen and you want us to chill?

You want people native to this land to let it slide, maybe give Sparrow a kiss on the cheek? Maybe we should say thank you for the insult? Better yet, shall we look away just like every time you air your questionable views? Perhaps you need to educate yourself on the difference between ‘free speech’, ‘hate speech’ and the fact that ‘free speech’ still has to adhere to the laws governing ‘freedom of expression’.

The letter to government which you wrote five years ago, yes we still remember that. The infamous tweet about Senzo Meyiwa’s funeral, when you asked who would be funding it and lastly, not so long ago, you saying that you would rather leave money to elite art museums or historical clubs than awarding it towards education in SA.

Oh, we cannot forget that you don’t seem to have a problem with the struggles of the African child of colour. You just think that they are lazy and just like to complain. You don’t get it do you? Cecil Rhodes was a murderer and a rapist yet you still praise him.

Gareth, This is the law:

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression which includes:

a) Freedom of the press and other media

b) Freedom to receive and impart information or ideas

c) Freedom of artistic creativity, and

d) Academic freedom and freedom of academic research

 

BUT this freedom is not absolute. It does not extend to:

a) Propaganda for war

b) Incitement to imminent violence, or

c) Advocacy of hatred that is based on race, ethnicity, gender or religion, and that of constitutes incitement to cause harm.

 

Racism,racial discrimination and hate speech are wrong and unlawful regardless of perpetrator's colour be it white or black. Report to SAHRC

— Adv Thuli Madonsela (@ThuliMadonsela3) January 5, 2016

You are making this whole reconciliation thing very difficult. We try on a daily basis to instil the values that Nelson Mandela had left behind for us but then there are people like you and Sparrow who just see it fit to say anything to anyone when they want to and then hide behind 'freedom of expression'.

You offered Penny Sparrow the glamorous escape via freedom of expression but, hey, read above, the bit about racism? How can that constitute freedom of expression?

We’re sorry Gareth but racist comments do not fly under ‘freedom of expression’ as Sparrow's may.

@GarethCliff @LesetjaMasalesa it's ok? where do you think such "free speech" is taking us? Monkeys, cockroaches, 90s Rwanda?

— 2pacalypse (@camRon_Mor) January 4, 2016

The point is that, in this day and age, we do not defend racism nor do we condone it. Too much blood has been shed fighting for the freedom that we now enjoy - and this freedom is built on the lives that were sacrificed during our struggle for democracy. To allow this Sparrow to fly away without any consequences would be a slap in the face of every South African who recognise the flag that this country flies.

* Megalen Govender and Dineho Phathi are MOJO (Mobile Journalism) interns at Independent Media.

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