Cyril Ramaphosa warns against racism following Free State resort incident

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday warned South African against racism, saying there was no place for it.

The president says racists must expect harsh consequences in terms of the law.

Ramaphosa commended the South African Police Service for opening dockets and launching investigations into a reported case of suspected racism on the Maselpoort Resort in the Free State.

PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA SAYS RACISTS MUCH EXPECT HARSH CONSEQUENCES IN TERMS OF THE LAW

The complaint entails an alleged assault – widely accessible for viewing on social media platforms – on black teenage boys by white adults who appear to argue that the boys are not allowed in a swimming pool reserved for white users.

“Our Constitution means exactly what it says when it declares that South Africa – and that means all of South Africa – belongs to all who live in it.

“As black and white South Africans, we should be united in condemning all manifestations of racism and attempts to explain or defend such crimes. Racism is not a problem to be fought by black South Africans only.”

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

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“We must also be united in ridding our society of the violence we see in the video of the incident at the Free State resort, whether such violence comes with racism or not,” says Ramaphosa.

“It is deplorable that adults dealing with teenagers” resort to violence with such disturbing ease, hurting people physically and offending provisions in our Bill f of Rights around the security of the person, including the right to dignity and being free of violence.”

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA

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The president added that investigations must take their course under the rule of law.

He said that we can and must also declare that racism has no place in our society and that racists have no place to hide.

“We must defend our continuing national mission of ridding our society of the divisions and the hurts of our past,” said Ramaphosa.

The incident happened on Christmas day.

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