Student ‘victim of racism’
The offending Clicks hair advert has had local repercussions.
A student at the South Cape College campus in Heiderand, Mossel Bay, has claimed a lecturer made a negative remark about his hair.
Sonwa Mbandezi, an N6 student studying for a Diploma in Public Management, said: "The lecturer saw me coming her way, to the exam hall.
"She made racist remarks about my hair, saying I was a perfect candidate for Clicks, but she said this in Afrikaans, assuming that I did not understand the language."
Mbandezi said: "This is not right, nor is it fair. I called her out and told her the joke was not funny. She continued to laugh at me. I got irritated and went to the toilet to vent."
He said he returned to the hall and reported the matter to the first lecturer he met. He also reported it to a senior lecturer, whom he said was among the lecturers who were standing with the lecturer who allegedly made the remark.
"I was then later advised to speak to the head of the campus, which I did." The campus head, Carmen Moorcroft, asked Mbandezi to put his complaint in writing, which he did. He handed it to her on 17 September.
Mbandezi said: "This happened during that week of the Clicks incident. I was at a loss for words. So many years after democracy, even during the public outcry about racism, the lecturer still found it funny to racially attack me in front of her colleagues.
'It's tiring and it hurts'
"We're a very forgiving and loving people, but it's tiring and it hurts and I presume this is why racism is so fashionable, because no one is made accountable for their actions.
"You can only imagine how I wrote that paper, with so many emotions and thoughts going through my mind. Right before my final exam. I even felt like crying. We love our brothers and sisters, white, brown, green, black. To still continue to experience such unprovoked comments just hurts."
In a media statement provided to the Mossel Bay Advertiser on Wednesday, 23 September, South Cape College principal Dr Tercia Terblanche said: "South Cape TVET College has conducted a preliminary investigation into the complaint received from a student regarding an insensitive remark, allegedly made by a staff member at the Mossel Bay campus. "The college condemns any form of insensitive remarks made by any staff member or student that may be perceived as discriminatory or hurtful by any individual or individuals.
"The college will follow the staff disciplinary code of conduct procedures to deal with this complaint. The college is proud of its democratic teaching and learning environment, reflecting an inclusive culture at all its campuses.
"Any contrary behaviour that will harm this positive multi-cultural ethos is deemed unacceptable and will be dealt with swiftly and objectively by following due processes."
The investigation is still to be finalised.