Why racism app matters

Root Out Racism: Anti-apartheid struggle veteran Sophia Williams de Bruyn addressing learners at Crawford College in Sandton. Picture: Sthembiso Sithole.

Root Out Racism: Anti-apartheid struggle veteran Sophia Williams de Bruyn addressing learners at Crawford College in Sandton. Picture: Sthembiso Sithole.

Published Mar 19, 2018

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An anti-apartheid struggle veteran has encouraged learners at Crawford College in Sandton to download an app that they can use in reporting racist incidents.

Speaking at the school this morning as part of the Anti-Racism Week that was recently launched by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Sophia Williams de Bruyn said the Zimele Racism Reporting app will help reduce incidents of racism. 

“It is very important for learners to download this app because they might meet up with racism. It might be in the mall or maybe out of school. As soon as racism confronts them, they can use the app to report racism,” said De Bruyn. 

De Bruyn, who was part of the women leaders who together with thousand others marched to the Union Buildings in 1956 to protest  over pass laws, said learners needed to accept different races in society. 

De Bruyn encourages learners to document any incidents of racisim through social media. #RootingOutRacism

— The Star Reporter (@ReporterStar) March 19, 2018

“It is important for them to understand and accept a student who is an Indian, Coloured or African or any student who is a foreigner. 

“They must feel that they identify with another race group because that is another human being. And it is unnatural for one human being to discriminate or practice racism to another human being,” said De Bruyn. 

Watch: Anti-apartheid struggle veteran, Sophia Williams De Bruyn at Crawford College addressing learners about racisim. #RootingOutRacism pic.twitter.com/sWVRabH8LZ

— The Star Reporter (@ReporterStar) March 19, 2018

Aiden Swartzberg who’s doing Grade 12 at the college said the app will be useful in stopping racism. 

“I think it is very important to download this app because it is good to spread (news) that racism is very bad in our society. Our country is a very diverse country. We need to accept everyone, every race. It is not right to be  racist,” said Swartzberg. 

The pilot phase of the app intends to aggregate data and provide a trend analysis of hotspot areas where racism may occur. The app can be downloaded on Play Store.

 

@SthembisoMedia

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