Kind gesture turned into a race row

SOUTH Africa is heading to an untenable point where those who would like to do good for those less privileged than themselves, are forced to think twice. Such is the growing culture of hounding the Samaritans who choose to do good.

Those who spend time on social media or listen to talk radio, would be aware of how some people chose to find a racial slant to efforts by communities and corporates to help those displaced and adversely affected by the Knysna fires. To these cynics, the efforts were about the wealthy helping the wealthy.

The Knysna fires showed complete disregard for thinking that everything can be defined in terms of race, colour or class. The devastating fires were indiscriminate. Naturally, those who had more, lost more.

This week, it was the turn of Miss SA Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters to bear the brunt of the self-appointed revolutionaries and defenders of the poor. Nel-Peters posted pictures of herself wearing latex gloves as she helped feed little ones at a Soweto children’s home.

That Nel-Peters is white and the children black turned an innocuous situation into a race issue. For social media commentators, it did not matter that other volunteers could also be seen wearing gloves.

There are deep-seated unresolved race issues. Racism exists as an unwelcome inheritance of our history. But to look for a racist in every corner serves nobody. Wearing protective gear such as gloves instead of using bare hands when serving food is to be encouraged, especially when you are the type of person whose office demands they shake hands with strangers every day.

The programme director of the community centre defended Nel-Peters and pointed out that all volunteers, including their own staffers, were wearing gloves. Miss SA posed with a deaf girl while busy with food preparation, hence the gloves.

To make a racial issue out of this reflects on those who saw race in what was a noble and kind gesture by Nel-Peters.

We are certain that when the children look back at the day, they will remember spending time with and feeling the love of an influential and beautiful young South African. Those children’s feelings are what matters the most.