Johannesburg - The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has expressed deep disgust at the reported racial attack on a black couple by six white men.
A video surfaced on social media this week of the group of men attacking a man identified as Jacob Sono and his wife at a KFC drive-through in Pretoria. This was after the couple allegedly asked the men to move forward in the drive-through, the foundation said on Saturday.
The woman was heard repeatedly screaming in the video as the men attacked them. It was reported that four of the six men had been arrested.
"The racial dynamics in this incident are glaring. It is deeply troubling that people have not learnt the lessons from the Spur incident," Ahmed Kathrada Foundation director Neeshan Balton said.
"In this case, the six white men appear to have taken objection to being asked to move forward in the drive-through lane. There can be no justification for their vile racism and aggression. What is further distressing, is that this group had no qualms about beating up a woman - something reflective of the patriarchal values that are still entrenched in society.
"We are calling on law enforcement agencies to ensure that further arrests are made and that the attackers are brought to justice speedily," Balton said.
"Schools and communities, workplaces and social media, as well as public platforms are increasingly places of racial contestation and tension. This must be seen within the context of an increasingly unstable socio-political and economic situation, which should be a cause for concern.
"It is an indication that we must step up our efforts in campaigning against racism, as well as finalising the implementation of the country's national action plan to combat racial discrimination. This must be accompanied with a set of tools and measures to deal with instances of this nature.
“Each incident of this nature drags us further away from a country envisaged in the Freedom Charter and the Constitution of South Africa. It should also highlight the magnitude of work that needs to be done by all who cherish the ideal of a non-racial country. At its core must be a concerted anti-racism programme that tackles racism at all levels,” Balton said.
Meanwhile the Democratic Alliance has commended the South African Police Service (SAPS) for its swift response in arresting four of the six men reportedly involved in a racial attack on a black couple.
"The Democratic Alliance condemns in the strongest terms the violent incident of racial abuse by four white males perpetrated against a black couple at the KFC drive through in Montana, Tshwane," DA Gauteng MPL Adriana Randall said on Saturday.
"In a democratic and constitutional dispensation there is no room for racism and no person should live in fear of abuse based on the colour of his or her skin," she said.
"The DA commends the SAPS for their swift response to this crime... The DA will monitor the progress of this case and offer support. The law must now be allowed to follow its course for justice to be served to the Sono family," Randall said.