Gladys Bell’s petulant response to the Pick n Pay mug debacle (“Those domestic workers are no mugs”, The Star Letters, November 5) shows she has absolutely no understanding of why there was a reaction from the public.
For those who missed it, a Pick n Pay outlet in Cape Town had on its shelves mugs specially designated for “The Maid” and “The Gardener”, the first adorned with a feather duster, the second with a watering can. Ms Bell appears to believe this was intended to “honour” domestic staff.
The manufacturers might just as well have put “kitchen girl” and “garden boy” on the mugs. Under apartheid, white employers of black domestic staff were notorious for having designated mugs, very often enamel, for the “girl” and the “boy” to ensure that they did not drink from the family china.
There are tales of the “madam” or the “master” throwing out a cup or plate the “boy” or “girl” had used by mistake (or on rebellious purpose?), rather than risk someone in the family using it.
The fact that Ms Bell does not understand this puts her in the same league as those employers (some black, I must point out) who continue to call their domestic staff “girls” and “boys” to this day.
The store management who allowed the mugs onto the shelves should be ashamed of themselves, as should Ms Bell for rallying to their cause.
Smithers is a The Star reader from Kensington, Joburg