File picture: Raphaelstrada, Flickr.com File picture: Raphaelstrada, Flickr.com
Durban - An eThekwini municipal official has landed himself in hot water after allegedly making racist remarks on social media, that “monkeys are better than black people”.
A supervisor in the Water and Sanitation Department of eThekwini has been suspended from work and is under investigation.
According to the Daily News’s sister newspaper, Isolezwe, workers refused to work with him after a meeting at their offices on Tuesday, because of allegations concerning his views of black people.
The paper quoted SA Municipal Workers Union leader, Mduduzi Qwabe, who said they were told by the human resources management they had held a meeting with the supervisor on Wednesday last week and were bringing him back to work while investigations continued.
“If they fired (the supervisor), they would have helped us. But if they don’t, we will meet as employees to see what we can do,” Qwabe said.
The supervisor allegedly posted a PicMix photo-sharing picture on Facebook comparing monkeys and protesters on top of cars.
The picture was taken during the rioting in Chris Hani Road earlier this month when protesters had gathered around a burnt car.
eThekwini Municipality head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said: “The allegations will be investigated and if found to be true, a disciplinary process will be followed accordingly.
“eThekwini Municipality does not discuss details pertaining to internal investigations based on allegations against any member of staff with a third party, because these matters are confidential between the employer and concerned employee,” she said.
The Daily News was unable to contact the supervisor for comment.
The incident comes after controversy surrounding comments by KwaZulu-Natal estate agent, Penny Sparrow, who was fined R150 000 in the Umzinto Equality Court for her racist comments on Facebook earlier this year.
Sparrow, who labelled black beach-goers as monkeys, was ordered to pay the money within 60 days.