South Africa has enough indigenous racists of its own and did not need
any more imported from England, such as controversial columnist David
Bullard, says Arts and Culture Minister Dr Pallo Jordan, writes Sibusiso Ngalwa in The Star.
Jordan was speaking ahead of this weekend's Freedom Day celebrations – of which the main event will be held in Cape Town on Sunday.
Bullard was fired by Sunday Times editor Mondli Makhanya for an offensive Out to Lunch column over two weeks ago, which was widely criticised as racist.
Jordan also criticised Makhanya for "tolerating" Bullard's negative views about Africans in previous columns.
"I think Mondli must have learnt a lesson as a result of the Bullard incident. I was quite alarmed for a very long time that Bullard could write like that in a newspaper edited by an African.
"I doubt if a Jewish editor would have allowed things like that to be written about Jews (but) this African editor allowed it. Then Bullard took it one step too far," said Jordan.
South Africans tended to avoid and deny racism, hence the recent shocking racial incidents that have shaken the country, he noted.
"Bullard is the sort of person South Africa really does not need within its borders; we have our own headaches, with our own indigenous racists. I don't think we should import them from England. Seriously, we can't afford to import racists from other parts of the world."
Bullard had taken his racist views a bit too far, said Jordan.
"He has the right to say his silly little opinions and his negative views about Africans, but for God's sake spare us that in our own continent. Go say it in England or wherever you come from – but don't come to Africa and insult us – that's like coming to someone's living room and defecating on their carpet."
Bullard left England for SA in the early 1980s.
Click here to read the full report, posted on iol.co.za.ÂÂÂ
