KwaZulu-Natal Premier Willies Mchunu has condemned the racial comment making rounds on Facebook, in which the user is inciting violence against the Indian community.
In his comment, the user says Indians should go back to India, or suffer the consequences – making inferences to the recent death of a young girl in a botched hijacking in Chatsworth, south of Durban.
The subsequent outbursts on Facebook have created much racial tensions, to which a local businessman has laid charges.
Mchunu says he will be instructing a team to investigate, so that the user responsible will be charged accordingly.
“Why they are made a soft target I do not know. No Indians who are living in KZN or SA legally can be evicted by a single SMS. We plead with every member of society, ‘let us not bow down to this racial hatred that is displayed by some people. Let us not target the Indian community and make them a soft target for these attacks.’”
Chairperson of the Grey Street Mosque, Ahmed Valley Mohammed, says the Indian community is tired of being the soft target, when it comes to crime. He says he believes prayer is greatly needed in South Africa.
“I cannot justify if this is a trouble or criminal element, but it is on social media, and a message of this nature can turn a wrong signal and message. It will be difficult for our people who are going through a traumatic time of being hijacked, assaulted and robbed… I will pray, because it’s not only a threat, but a racist allegation and something must be done.”
