Virgin Acitve is Over Crowded, Stop recruiting more members because you dont have enough space nor equipment, its obvious memebers are frustrated and another annoying member shouting 'yebo' is certainly going to get someone ticked off!

@Precious - you're wrong there. Most white people have been forced to learn one of the black languages at school and although we may not be fluent we can understand at least some of what is being said. I understand Zulu and Xhosa, not fluent in either, but I can understand and be understood in both. I can hear what is being said, I just choose to ignore it. Its Umlungu this and Umlungi that, but does anybody run crying to the police and the media? No, because we were raised to follow the "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me" school of thought. It seems black people were brought up with the "everybody hates you, everybody is out to get you and sticks and stones and words and thoughts will hurt me, so run squealing for help if you have the slightest suspicion somebody may be thinking about hurting you or your feelings in anyway" school of thought.

oK....AM gatvol, sick to death of this story. What happened was this lady was shouting (and this is as told by others that were there, witnesses..and on the radio) and really shouting YEBO all the time. It was disturbing other gym users but this did not deter her or quiten her. She showed no respect for the other VA gym users and was focusing only on herself. The man (we cannot call him a gentleman) got up and verbally abused her. He should be stuck off all Virgin gyms. The Management then got them together after her complaints against him (and lets forget how when he got up to ask her to quieten she egged him on and worked him up even further) so he could apologize to her as she said that all she wanted was an apology then it could be put to bed. She got her apology and THEN ran to the press with her story. This lady is known to like being the centre of attention. Why accept the apology and then still run to the press ?? Personally I think that they should both be barred from all VA gyms. They are both wrong. Oh yes... What about the black man and his friend when I was at a VA gym who, when I had only been on the equipment for 7 minutes said called me a fat white bitch and told me to move my fat white ass - I did not lower myself to their level and ignored them - completed my allocated time and moved on. But all the time the comments. I felt as though I was going to burst into tears all the time but would not give them the pleasure. Should I make a big hoo-ha, go to the papers and the HRC etc etc etc or take it from whence it came. Rude, ill-mannered slobs.

Hell, people - what ever happened to "Sticks and stones..." Calling people hurtful and stereotypical names is immature, pathetic even, but at the end of the day, come back with a witty retort! That's all. The reason that the WORLD is in such a mess is that there are no grown-ups left. Of any hue!!

@kAren - The sad truth is the newspapers wouldnt be publish the story. Its not dsensationalist enough. I includ iol in this statement.Never in my life have i seen a tabloid so desperate to sell newspapers.

Man, man, man! White people can be racist and they take no responsibily or feel any shame about it. I think the things said on this blog far surpass what was said by the virgin racist bully which these other pigs are finding acceptable.

I suppose mr. Branson wouldn't raise his ears if any black member of VA would have hurled racial abuse at any white member..? It just shows how double-faced this whole racism issue has become- it's extremely evil if whites practise it towards blacks, but not the other way around. For all those crying out loud about racism, please take a short moment to think: if you cannot comprehend that ALL forms of racism, from white to black and vice versa, is evil and unacceptable then it's better to shut up and sit tight. And I'm afraid that this goes for mr. Branson too.

IOL why are you not showing my comments, is it bcz i tell the truth and it's so hard to stand it ?

@Another Karen. You are missing the point, you too have the right to complain if you feel that your human rights have been violated. Malema was taken to task countless number of times over his remarks by Afriforum and the Indian community that where appaled by his use of a word they deemed racist. There are processes that exist, feel free to use them, but don't condemn others for utilizing them to their benefit, it is their right.

I had a gun againt my head, robbed of my belongings and told I was I white B!tch - and all I did was draw money from my own bank account. A month ago, a taxi was trying to squeeze past, I had no where to go, he hit my car and everyone in the taxi called me a white B!tch and things I did not understand - and all I did stop at a red robot... who do I complain to ? what gets done about that ?

The fact is that the guy was rude and refered to the lady as K**** and that alone makes it looks like Virgin active gyms allow this kind of behaviour , why dont they just expell this guy from the gym because now the owner according to me has taken no action at all..everyone is jusst going on---blah...blah...blah.blahhh...yaaawnnnn

Just a friendly reminder to all. What is happening here is simple. Cast your minds back to when Pres Zuma was elected. What was one of the very first things he said? He said people MUST feel free to discuss sensitive racist issues. How did he get the ball rolling? Yebo - we all know his name - and here we are doing as we were told. Very clever Jacob. Put's us back, I'd say - probably three years - and that's black on white. What he did not take into account with this plan to buy time was black on black racism - a totally different scenario. And please - anyone - feel free to check the factual accuracy on this one; in fact I would insist. Simple, dangerous politicking.And then they suspended him. Rome will burn......

Simple answer - kick the offending customer out and ban him from any other outlet.Then impose standards of behaviour for all members.

My next door neighbour here in the Uk hates foreigners and being one myself I have often heard him talk about the ffing foreigners next door. My answer to this is whenever I see him I always talk to him, I send him christmas cards, I take him fruit and veggies out my garden and go out my way to be nice and friendly to him. I can see how he hates being nice to my face, most people like that wont say it to your face anyway, they say it behind your back. My mom always said smother them with kindness and watch them cringe. Works every time.

These two cases of racist abuse have served to reveal the persisting negative attitude of whites toward their black countrymen. With your false courage you come here and make reckless and insensitive comments against blacks. Our white brothers and sisters should be reminded that they are a small minority in South Africa (let alone the whole Africa continent) and that the majority of blacks have shown tremendous magnanimity and a great sense of charity in not exacting vengeance for what they suffered under apartheid. You still have it good and be thankful for that, because things could have been so much worse. Stop stirring the hornets nest, because when the hornets come they won't come for you alone. History has taught that it's senseless and stupid for a minority to provoke the majority. It's a blessing that many of my black brothers and sisters don't have access to the internet because if they did they would know what their little brothers and sisters think about them. To my white brothers and sister who don't agree with some of these insensitive and racist comments being posted here I urge you to speak up, if not for our sake then for your own sake.

Would love to hear the full story from both sides because such racial remarks surely need to be motivated. Every white person knows the implications of calling a black person a k***** and will not do so lightly. Why don't you find out exactly what happened and report that.

Black people should just move forward and turn the other cheek. White people in SA will NEVER accept responsibility for racism, or for the legacy of apartheid. This generation of SA whites is just as racist as the architects of apartheid, and they are full of resentment that they have to live with other races, rather than somewhere in europe or Australia. Let us just get over this, and treat racist attitudes with the contempt they deserve. These are 2 cases of a million that happen every year where a white person is racist and condesecending towards a blackcolouredindian. The other 999998 people just get on with their lives without running to the papers. Lets just all be more dignified about this and endure until it goes away. Eventually, everyone who hates this country will leave or die.

Would a white person get the same support from Virgin if a black person racially abused them?

Boils down to people who can't stand to see non-white people progressing, who cant stand to see Black people moving into suburbs, using the same gym as you, driving better cars than you, making better lives than you, you keep on bitching and moaning about the government cos things are not going your way, like it did in the past. It's not about hogging the machines in the gym here, its about your little lives, being frustrated, your constant whining...now we see who the racists are, they all around us, busy mumbling under their voices, so get used to it cos its not going to change unless you change.

Most people who go to gyms are rather feeble-minded lemmings. They're usually full to the brim with vain, pumped up, preening egoists. Not remotely surprised to hear they're also breeding grounds for selfishness, rage and racism.