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Two complaints of racism at Virgin Active gyms in Johannesburg have been dealt with, Virgin Active SA said on Tuesday.
“I have taken personal responsibility to review the facts and whether any further course of action is required,” managing director Ross Faragher-Thomas said in a statement.
“I am satisfied that Virgin Active SA dealt with the incident as expeditiously as possible, also recognising the seriousness of the altercation and the priority it deserved,”
On Tuesday, Independent Online reported that Lesley Mofokeng laid a criminal charge after he was insulted at Sunninghill Virgin Active, in northern Johannesburg.
A fellow gym member called Mofokeng a “boy” and accused him of “hogging the equipment”.
Mofokeng said: “The guy came and started shouting and said, ‘You black guys take everything. We know this is your f***ing country, but you do not have to control everything.”
The Star newspaper reported on Monday that a patron of Virgin Active Morningside, in Sandton, was racially insulted by another patron during a spinning class on December 31.
Liz Hleza said the man appeared enraged because she shouted “yebo” in her enthusiasm for the music and the exercise.
“I was so scared and thought he was going to hit me, he was very angry. He said I should keep quiet and kept saying this bloody k****, you k*****,” Hleza said.
She said at the time she was dissatisfied with the gym's handling of the matter.
Faragher-Thomas said Virgin Active assigned four staff members to look into the complaints. The general manager was also involved in efforts to resolve the altercations.
The incident at the Morningside gym was being reinvestigated and he had spoken personally to Mofokeng about his experience.
“We always take appropriate action in the event of any member misconduct.”
He said members had been suspended in the past for inappropriate conduct, and that the company had a zero tolerance approach to discrimination by its members.
Founder and chief executive of the Virgin group Richard Branson commented on the issue on Virgin Active SA's Facebook page, News24 reported.
“We do not condone any form of discrimination at Virgin - especially racism,” he said.
He said Virgin was taking the complaints “extremely seriously”.
“ (We) intend to look at all the facts to reach the right outcome for all parties concerned,” Branson wrote. - Sapa
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Avalon, wrote
I wanted to comment on what Ali said under the 14 Feb story but would not let me so I will comment here instead. @Ali states ""Race relations in SA will take some time to normalise, when all those born before 1994 are gone!""" Really, u think so. I beg to differ; I was born "before 1994" and fought for democracy in this country and HEY HO...I am white......!!! Not all whites were for apartheid so get your facts right before you talk...are you Post 1994; if so, you are still wet behind the ears. I know of more than a few "post" 1994 South African's that are racists and will continue to be so long after all of the "post 1994" people have died out. Dont insult people before you have all the figuresfacts etc straight.
KBF, wrote
I say if you act like with no regard for others then you deserve to be called to order about your behaviour. Call a spade a spade :)
Gay-terblanche , wrote
Anonymous, wrote
WOW! And here I was wondering around loving every bit of our country and you lot are going around hating one another. For what it's worth, people should be allowed to express themselves, provided it actually doesn't hurt anyone physically, mentally or financially. In the article the one guy gets upset because someone got exicted and expressed themselves. If any of you have been to Virgin Active, you will know that the music is lound, fast and is to promote positive high energy levels and some shouting Yebo is exactly what would do. You want people to enjoy the gym. For those who want to gym is peace and quiet, don't go to loud public places and then get upset when it's noisy and there's alot of people. Go to Game buy some equipment and stay home.
Anonymous, wrote
Having read the article and the comments it's hardly surprising that this story gets very little sympathy from white people. Ordinarily and with all things being equal we would most likely all agree that comments like the ones used by the respective racist gym goers would be deemed offensive by reasonable people. However all things are not equal, and things like affirmative action, BBBEE , Malema and his equally racist remarks have made white people bitter, angry and frustrated. Just like how black people in the old apartheid days embarked on the defiance campaign, so too is this some form of defiance by the white people. It would be near sighted to expect white people who are for all intents and purposes being marginalized by the polices and loud mouth remarks of the ANC to stand idly by and not feel something. Black people need to understand this and should understand this very well. After all it wasn't so long ago that they themselves were in that very same situation. However I find black people expressing utter shock and surprise when they encounter it. This kind of defiance is a normal and natural thing under the circumstances. If blacks truly want racism to minimize, these policies will have to change.
Anonymous, wrote
Btw, the whitey referred to SA as the blacks' country, not the black guy. So all the posts below talking about defining borders are stemming from a misinterpretation. How can you claim people roam around like buffalo when you can't even comprehend a simple article
Russell Travers, wrote
Thiza, I am so sorry I offended you. Was it my reference to the vast hordes of simpletons that are used by the anc as a mindless electorate, voting them into ill-gotten power in spite of their failure as a government, without morals, ethics or altruism? Or was it my reference to the ostentatious, gloating newly-entitled beneficiaries of a gigantic fraud, perhaps unparalleled in modern history? If it was not one of those points perhaps it was my attitude of disdain and disrespect for a political discourse and system of government that has allowed and fostered, yes actually encouraged gross criminal acts, outright thievery and abject dishonesty on behalf of its members. Perhaps my impatience with your and other short-tempered, meally-mouthed apologists attempts to gloss over a monumental failure of ethos and practice is apparent? I am sorry if I offended you - I was only expressing my interpretation of some dynamics in our country. It is a free country is it not? Perhaps this free country was delivered into your clammy hands by a hopeful international community, in an international effort of optimism, desperate for at least one success story on the continent of Africa. Play the game and not the player - Don't blow your chances with political cheap shots and inverted, passive-aggressive racism. It's just not cool.
Anonymous, wrote
@aha since is calling someone an englishman racist, obbviously you are trying to justify these criminal and racist acts with outrages excuses
henry, wrote
Its ok for Richard branson to say no to discrimination in his gyms but i hear nothing about him saying BEEAA are racist, spineless business man! He will sell his granny for a profit, get rid of BEEAA and you will stop racism! Because if these policies are not racist then Hitler and Mugabe are kissing in my backyard!
Rico, wrote
Still so many thinking they are better than anyone whos got some color in their skin... Lol...bunch of t*ts if you asked me. Have your heads checked ! Btw... I'm a “whitey” too.
Whitey, wrote
@Pat. Please stop talking as if you spoke for every person with a pale skin colour. If you want to talk rubbish in public do that in your name, not in mine!! I'm also sick and tired of every little personal dispute being blown totally out of proportion and ending up on IOL and elsewhere. Being in SA this obviously also has to be racialised straight away. Don't know why the "Pats" of this country always have to get such a forum.
Anonymous, wrote
stop commenting like idiots or like chickens without heads, we need to comment on the issue not creating another racial comments. someone commented about the black people did'nt where they were when the settlers arrived here, what kind of bull of the whole of that comment? Please if this is how we gonna comment why can't we keep quite? Most south african black n white still have anger of the past apparteit regime ant thats why when they comment u can sense some anger whithin them. Please get life!!!
jay@Anonymous 06:35pm, wrote
How is roaming like a herd of buffalo offensive? It's a comparison and a very valid point. Truth is very liberating.
Stef, wrote
rocky@Anonymous 06:19pm, wrote
Good spot....very true. Have we been scr&wed over on the back of a guilt trip? Perhaps we should take our country back and give them back their 50km radius of land that they occupied when we got here. The truth is they never even ventured as far as the Western Cape while they were roaming.
@Anonymous 06:19pm, wrote
Good point. Never thought of that. Considering that the settler defined the borders of RSA, what country are blacks claiming we've taken from them? Let's erase the borders of RSA as they are now and get all these people crying foul to show us on the map exactly what country they are claiming is theirs - and get them to substantiate their claims. All been a farce from the outset.
Anonymous, wrote
The article doesnt stipulate what the "appropriate" action was. I was actually thinking of joining a gym and considering Virgin.... I assume that there is a members code of conduct which should be adhered to, and it covers altercations between members. However if Virgin didnt cancel this fools membership then there's no way in hell I'm gonna join up with them.
Anonymous, wrote
Some of the comments being posted here (I presume by white folk) are downright racist and will only serve to engender hatred against white folk. Does IOL not have policy on racism? How can you allow a person to write "Besides that they (blacks) were roaming like a herd of buffalo so how can they (blacks) talk of a country. This is very offensive.
Anonymous, wrote
@Russel Travers...You are an intellectual dwarf and you are suffering from apartheid babalas
Anonymous, wrote
To be quite honest I would have slapped that screaming black cow if she was on a bicycle next to me just like I would have slapped any other idiot regardless of race if they were doing the same.
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