Gift of the Givers founder Imtiaz Sooliman is worried that a race war is brewing in the country and yesterday made a heartfelt plea to South Africans “to stop the racial war”.
The respected humanitarian is concerned that the current situation in KwaZulu-Natal has led to “heated emotions and explosive statements that don’t augur well for our country”.
In a statement, Sooliman said: “We need to take a step back, all of us, and reflect on the situation. Is a race war going to benefit any of us?
“There is anger understandably, on all sides, but expressing that anger violently is counter-productive to our harmonious development and in essence, is futile...
“In the interest of peace, prosperity and rebuilding a better society for all of us, may I humbly request that we stop the racial war both on social media and on the ground.”
Sooliman urged people to forgive others and focus on nation-building instead.
“We need to be circumspect in our approach, forgive the mistakes made, open meaningful dialogue, calm the tension and understand each other’s challenges and anxieties.
“Conflict and aggression is not what we strived for in the 27 years of our young democracy.
“The journey to the ideal society is full of thorns and many challenges.
“How we navigate it, build friendships and a common humanity is in our hands.
“At times we will go off the path, make mistakes, get angry with each other, behave irrationally and damage our interpersonal relationships irreparably.
“Responsible leadership demands that.
“Mr Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Cyril Ramaphosa and Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi would certainly strive for that.”