Human rights activists demand action against former airline employee's "racist" remarks

HUMAN rights activists are calling for “strong action” against a former airline employee following a viral video of her telling a man to “go back to India” and that Indians and the Taj Mahal “smells like sh*t”.

The video of the incident went viral on social media last week.

“I work at the airline… I visited the Taj Mahal, which smells like sh*t. Every time there are Indians on the Durban flights, you guys smell like sh*t. Go back to India...” the woman said in the video.

FlySafair’s chief marketing officer, Kirby Gordon, told the POST on Monday that they were aware of the video and condemned the content and sentiments of the woman.

She said the woman was a former employee.

“We can confirm that the individual featured in the video is not a current employee of FlySafair. She is a former employee, and her comments were made in a private capacity, outside of any association with the airline.

“Racism and hate speech are wholly unacceptable and fundamentally at odds with our values as an organisation. FlySafair is a diverse organisation that proudly serves South Africans from all backgrounds, and we are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive environment for both our customers and our employees,” Gordon said.

- Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane, a human rights lawyer and a member of the Active Citizens Movement, said the video was shocking.

“These are certainly racist remarks that should be condemned. Strong action should be taken against this young lady, regardless of whatever triggered this unfortunate response. Racial prejudice unfortunately still exists in our country even though much happens in private.

“The scary part is that the same remarks could trigger violence in our country if they were made in reverse (Indian against black). The young lady should actually be sentenced to a few months in jail to send a strong and clear message against this type of behaviour. It is very dangerous and goes against the founding values of our country and ubuntu, which are values that many of our people fought for and died for.

“The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the South African Human Rights Commission are to blame but we as civil society have not pushed hard enough to ensure that people who are racist do not face the full might of the law,” Thipanyane said.

- Neeshan Balton, executive director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, said the woman’s remarks were “vile, dehumanising, and completely unacceptable”.

He said her remarks repeat harmful stereotypes that have long been used to justify exclusion and humiliation, and they directly undermined South Africa’s constitutional commitment to dignity, equality, and non-racialism.

“The recent and troubling spike in racial insults and attacks directed at South Africans of Indian descent is dangerous and deeply irresponsible. The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation has consistently warned against this.

“We reaffirm that racism against any community is an assault on the values of our democracy and must be confronted decisively and without equivocation. Communities of Indian descent have been part of the fabric of South Africa for generations, contributing to the struggle against apartheid and to the building of our democracy. Language that seeks to demean, exclude, or deny their belonging has no place in a society that so many fought and sacrificed to create,” he added.

He said racism was not just an opinion, it was also a form of violence.

“It harms individuals, fractures communities, and weakens social cohesion. When such conduct is normalised or left unchallenged, it corrodes our democracy and emboldens further acts of hatred. 

“The fact that this behaviour persists is a reminder that dismantling racism requires more than laws alone. It requires sustained education on our shared history, the harms of racism, and a sustained commitment to non-racialism as a lived and practised value.

"All South Africans have a responsibility to reject racism wherever it appears, be it online, in public spaces, and in everyday life. Speaking out, challenging prejudice, and supporting initiatives that promote dignity, equality, and social cohesion are essential. Our diversity is our strength, and confronting racism remains a collective responsibility."

- Jerald Vedan, a human rights attorney and activist, said it was important to note that the full context of the incident still needed to be established. 

“In an era of misinformation and provocation, due process is essential. If the remarks are authentic, they are clearly racist, offensive, and contrary to the values of our Constitution. Such conduct can attract consequences under equality and labour laws, particularly where it brings an employer into disrepute.

“At the same time, we must guard against generalising from the actions of a single individual. Racism persists largely due to unresolved historical wounds and social inequality, but the response must be accountability where proven, coupled with education, dialogue, and a renewed commitment to mutual respect,” said Vedan.

- Pamela Padayachee, a social welfare activist, said: “The woman’s remarks are deeply offensive, racist, and completely unacceptable in a constitutional democracy like South Africa.

“The fact that this kind of behaviour still exists reflects unresolved social trauma, economic inequality, and the persistence of racial stereotypes that are often inflamed on social media. It is precisely for this reason that we must continue to speak out firmly against racism in all its forms, while also deepening education, dialogue, and accountability.

“We cannot normalise hatred. We must choose dignity, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it,” she said.

- Narendh Ganesh, a social activist, said: “There seems to be a level of intoxication and provocation. Whatever led to the altercation, we will not know at this point, but for the remarks, it is distasteful, disgusting and unconstitutional.

“It generalises against a community in terms of race and sadly in SA this apathy to social cohesion has not taken root in some people. Any opportunity to lay racist remarks on an individual is easily taken.

“She should be reprimanded by the South African Human Rights Commission for violating the human rights of a whole community by castigating them as ‘smelly’. This kind of behaviour, while it exists, and every now and then emerges on social media, we must be circumspect and as to how we approach it. Only so we can teach those who are lesser in thought and have a bad mentality towards social cohesion."

THE POST