Cape Town – Facebook users had a meltdown after a man said he was glad Springbok legend Joost van der Westhuizen “was vrek (had died)".
On Monday, Riaan Lucas, posted a meme of actor Tobey Maguire smirking with the words, “Me when I hear a white man has died RIP Joost”.
He captioned the post: “Joost is vrek (Joost is dead)”.
His friend Denver Lopez posted: “Die beste nuus vannie dag 'n witman wat vrek. (The best news today is that a white man died )”
Lucas and Lopez were quickly slammed for their posts and deleted their Facebook accounts.
But screengrabs of the offensive comments went viral on social media with many calling for Lucas to be sacked.
According to his profile, Lucas lives in Joburg, but is from Cape Town.
An angry Renaldo Gouws posted on Facebook: “Riaan Lucas decided to remove his racist post and shut down his Facebook profile. Sorry but the internet never forgets. You not only celebrated the death of a South African icon hours after he died but you also celebrated the death of someone because they are a specific race.”
Janneman Viljoen was more vocal, posting: “Riaan Lucas I hope your employer sees this and you lose your job and that you get what’s coming to you... you sick, racist f***.”
Louisvale Wines Stellenbosch which acknowledged that Lucas had worked for them on a “casual basis” has distanced itself from the comments, as did the Cape Wine Academy who said he “is not and has never been an employee”.
On Twitter #RiaanLucas trended where radio presenter Eusebius McKaiser tweeted that it was a case of “disgusting racism. #RiaanLucas should be shamed like other racists have been”.