Racist outbursts over Diwali fireworks

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Published Nov 15, 2018

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Durban - RELIGIOUS intolerance flared again this Diwali with racial slurs being posted on Facebook and neighbours threatening each other.

In one instance, a Greytown man was referred to as “cooly vaalie” and in another Indians were told to go back to India.

A religious leader believes the outbursts on social media were a manifestation of deep-seated racism against Indians.

Melanie Freeman came under fire after responding to a post, believed to have been posted on the Facebook group Pinetown Pet Rescue.

She posted: “Joy, I couldn’t agree with you more. Izinga, which is mostly Indian, is like a war zone. Wish they would go back to India”.

Izinga resident, businessman Vivian Reddy said: “In the past we have taken such racist people to the Human Rights Commission and even charged them for posting hate speech. In this case, I will most certainly get legal advice and report Melanie to the HRC.”

Former radio disc jockey Ravi R, who also lives on the estate, said fireworks had been set off last Wednesday during the allocated times from 7 to 10pm.

The estate’s management association chairman, Mondli Msani, said they recognised the harmful nature of fireworks on animals and under normal circumstances did not permit the use of fireworks.

“However, being mindful of specific celebrations, Izinga Estate accommodated the use of fireworks during Diwali. This was governed by a certain time frame and as stipulated within the municipal by-laws.”

Freeman could not be reached for comment.

Greytown businessman Regesh Govender, 48, had been lighting fireworks with his wife and two sons on Wednesday, when he received a text message from his neighbour, Johan Olivier, saying, “I hope you enjoyed it, I hope you got deaf.”

Govender ignored the text but did not expect him to turn to social media.

A relative alerted him about the Facebook post, which read: “F*** this bull s*** cooly vaalie s*** if nspca don’t sort this s*** out I will with some serious shit.”

Govender has subsequently opened a case of crimen injuria.

“We did not do anything wrong. We were lighting fireworks during the prescribed time and we did not light big bangs.”

The remarks, he said, were insulting and uncalled for.

Olivier said yesterday, the post on Facebook was a typing error.

“I could not see properly as I was typing out the post. When I realised the following day what I had written I removed the post. I am sorry if I offended the Indian community. I am not a racist.”

Olivier said he was upset because the fireworks Govender was letting off was affecting his animals.

In Midrand, Johannesburg, a family had their home and cars pelted with rocks.

“A group of us got together to celebrate. While lighting our fireworks, during the specified times, we had no idea our cars and the relative’s home was stoned,” said one of the guests, who declined to be named.

They later saw that a rock had been thrown into a child’s bedroom window and that their vehicle windscreen had been shattered.

“This was premeditated,” she said.

“Last week we received a hoax message on WhatsApp from the Department of Public Safety stating that we could not light fireworks in the community. We knew something was amiss and the department confirmed this was a hoax. What if someone was hurt? How much hate does one have against another religion to do something like this,” she questioned.

They opened a crimen injuria case at Midrand SAPS,

The president of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha, Ashwin Trikamjee, said there was no fuss about animals being terrorised on New Year’s Eve.

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