‘Sorry’ Shashi off to Gaza

Model and TV personality Shashi Naidoo broke down in tears when asked yesterday if she had forgiven herself for referring to Gaza as a “sh**hole”.

She was at a news conference in Johannesburg to relay the outcome of a meeting between herself and human rights and Palestinian solidarity organisation Boycott‚ Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) South Africa.

Naidoo had taken flak after she took to social media to debate the unrest between Israel and Palestine. In a series of posts, she called Gaza a “sh**hole” and came across as being pro-Israeli. Her comments went viral‚ causing widespread outrage.

BDS was approached by Naidoo after the backlash‚ which included death threats.

BDS SA director Mohamed Desai said the organisation had been humbled by the honesty of the discussion.

The organisation said it accepted the apology posted by Naidoo on social media and that she would be embarking on a fact-finding trip to Gaza to be educated on what was happening in the region.

Naidoo said her apology would be shown through her actions going forward.

“Sorry can’t just be a word‚ it is an action. My eyes have been opened and this is a new journey for me,” she said.

“I am going to use my voice to learn more and help others who have been ignorant about the situation.”

Asked if she had forgiven herself‚ she started crying.

Desai said: “Shashi Naidoo has taken a decision to accept our proposal of going on a factfinding visit to Palestine.”

He said the itinerary would be guided by the South African Council of Churches as well as South African Jews For a Free Palestine.

Naidoo later deleted her posts on social media and apologised for her remarks.

She said had simply copied and pasted a message from a friend to appear smart.

Meanwhile‚ she has lost several endorsement deals over her comments‚ with Golden Circle distancing itself from the star on Tuesday.

The company said it was understood that her scheduled appearance at the Vodacom Durban July had been cancelled.