Calls for councillor to be expelled over racist attack. File image
The DA in eThekwini has called for the expulsion of the councillor who launched a racist attack on its chief whip, councillor Yogis Govender, in a full council meeting on Wednesday.
Govender was told to “go back to Bombay” during a debate about a monument to honour the arrival of indentured Indians in South Africa in 1860.
The DA’s provincial leader Francois Rodgers said the vicious and calculated racist attack was symptomatic of deep-seated racism in the ANC and that they would bring a motion of no confidence against the municipality’s speaker Thabani Nyawose for failing to “protect” Govender.
“What compounds this racial assault is the inaction of the ANC speaker, councillor Thabani Nyawose, who chose to merely play down this incident and not seek out the perpetrator of this criminal act. This is because the councillor who launched this racial assault is allegedly a member of the ANC,” said Rodgers.
“The DA in KZN calls on the leadership of the ANC to condemn this racist attack and to bring forward their councillor who uttered these words and expel them with immediate effect,” he said.
An audio clip of the incident has been doing the rounds on social media eliciting outrage from many quarters but the councillor who screamed the insult cannot be identified.
On Thursday evening the municipality released a statement in which it said that Nyawose had “strongly condemned” the insult against Govender, saying it was unacceptable and that there was no room for racism in the council or in the country.
According to the statement, a thorough investigation would be conducted to identify the individual responsible for this divisive behaviour.
“I will investigate this unfortunate incident to find the culprit, and we will not hesitate to take serious action against any councillor who breaks the rules," Nyawose said.
The Overport Ratepayers Association (ORA) said the remark was not only deeply offensive but also a stark reminder of the persistent racial prejudices that continued to plague society.
ORA chairperson Abdool Valodia demanded that immediate action be taken against the councillor responsible for the “reprehensible” remark.
“Failure to address this issue adequately will only serve to perpetuate division and undermine the progress we have made as a nation. We call upon the council to issue a formal apology to the Indian community and to take concrete steps to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. This includes implementing sensitivity training for all councillors and establishing stricter guidelines for conduct during council meetings.”
National Independent Congress of South Africa (Nicsa) leader Narendh Ganesh called for the immediate removal of the councillor who made those remarks and demanded action of the “severest nature”.
“Does this councillor only serve people who are not of Indian origin but at election time would be soliciting the support of the Indian community for his/her votes? Nicsa is clear ‒ the Indian community will no longer capitulate to racist jibes and attacks and remain silent, from whichever quarters it may emanate,” said Ganesh.
Govender could not be reached for comment.