Johannesburg - The owners of Boulders Shopping Centre said they wanted to apologise to Ndebele activist Thando Mahlangu “in person” after he was asked to leave the mall for shopping while dressed in traditional garb.
Redefine Properties announced on Thursday that it had suspended the centre manager who was seen trying to kick out a customer wearing traditional Ndebele garb in a viral video that surfaced on Wednesday.
In the video, Ndebele activist and author Thando Mahlangu, was seen in a heated argument with the centre manager - who emphatically declared that “this is my mall” - in the aisles of a Clicks store.
Redefine chief executive Andrew Konig expressed great regret for the incident and apologised to Mahlangu, the bystander who filmed the incident - Nqobile Masuku - the Ndebele community at large and all South Africans.
“We are in the process of attempting to reach Mr Mahlangu to apologise to him in person,” said Konig.
“The events that unfolded at the Boulders Shopping Centre yesterday are most regrettable. It is imperative that we, as Redefine, take this opportunity to reiterate every South African’s right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought and belief as protected in section 15 of the Constitution.
“In addition, given South Africa’s painful, racial and culturally oppressive past, we also align ourselves with the provisions of section 31 of the Constitution where the rights belonging to a cultural and religious group may not be denied,” he said.
Mahlangu was not immediately available for comment, as his phone rang unanswered and later went straight to voice mail.
Kronig described their employee’s actions as “degrading, undignified and devoid of human dignity”.
He said no action the company could take would undo the “pain and embarrassment the action has caused”.
Kronig said they would strengthen diversity training for all their centre managers and would also review their internal policies in a bid to ensure that they were brought in line with the values and principles of the nation at large.
In an earlier statement, Clicks said they were embarrassed by the centre manager’s conduct.
The video had been captured inside a Clicks store, but an on-duty manager from the retailer de-escalated the situation and sent the centre manager and his mall security guards packing.
The company also lodged a formal complaint with Redefine about the centre manager’s conduct.
“Clicks Midrand Boulders did not ask a customer dressed in Ndebele traditional wear to leave the Clicks store. The centre manager of Boulders, accompanied by Boulders Centre security, entered the Clicks store and demanded that the customer leave.
“The Clicks store manager intervened and asked the centre manager to leave. The customer was allowed to continue shopping. We are extremely embarrassed by the centre manager’s behaviour and will be putting a formal complaint,” said Clicks.
The centre manager in the video had described the mall as his and told customers that the right of admission was reserved, and he asked them to leave.
“Do you hear me? Let’s cut the story short, you’ve got a right of admission. I don’t condone this in my mall, ngicela uphume ke (please leave),” said the centre manager.
The clash continued until the centre manager told Clicks staff not to serve Mahlangu.
“I’m not going to argue with you. You on’t sell them whatever they want to buy. They must just leave,” said the manager.
On Thursday, it was the centre manager who was asked to leave his office.
IOL