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SAHRC to engage Mangaung Mayor on alleged racial remarks

9 March 2018

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says they are looking into a racism complaint against Mangaung Metro Municipality’s Mayor, Olly Mlamleli.

This, after trade union Solidarity laid a complaint alleging that Mlamleli breached the Standing Rules and Orders of the Mangaung Metro which bars members from using racial comments.

The complaint against Mlamleli, which was never sent to the Equality Court, but referred to the Office of the Speaker to put in place disciplinary measures against her, is now referred back by the municipality to the SAHRC. The commission’s provincial manager, Thabang Kheswa, in a statement says they have received the matter back from the council speaker, stating they do not have rules for this kind of matter in the council, and the commission will now investigate why the council did not have such rules and request the mayor’s response on the complaint.

It is alleged that during a Council sitting that took place on the 31st of May 2017, Mlamleli said “white people are white because they are cheats and they are cheats because they are white”.
Kheswa previously told OFM News that the matter was referred to the Speaker to be dealt with internally, because the alleged racial remarks were made during a council sitting.

Source: OFM News

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