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/ 17 April 2008

Confusion over complaints against Bullard

The South African Human Rights Commission is conducting an internal investigation into an incorrect media statement that said it would not pursue a complaint of racism against columnist David Bullard. ”The official position of the commission has never been that we are not taking up the matter,” said CEO Tseliso Thipanyane.

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/ 6 March 2008

Hostel apologises over race-row video

Reitz hostel, at the centre of a racist video controversy, on Wednesday apologised unconditionally to all students and other hostels. Reitz house father and head of hostel Christo Dippenaar said the whole hostel and its house committee had discussed the video and had decided to offer an unconditional apology for the video.

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/ 5 March 2008

UFS video prompts Khoza apology

South Africa 2010 Soccer World Cup chief Irvin Khoza apologised unreservedly in a statement on Wednesday for using the word ”kaffir” towards a black journalist. In a formal statement issued through the South African Human Rights Commission, Khoza said he had decided on this action after seeing the University of the Free State (UFS) racist video on the news.

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/ 21 October 2007

… and another one for nose studs

Several weeks ago the Constitutional Court ruled in a landmark case on religious and cultural expression in public schools. In 2004, Sunali Pillay, then a learner at Durban Girls’ High School, pierced her nose and inserted a small gold stud. The school objected to the stud on the basis that it contravened the school’s code of conduct.

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/ 5 September 2007

San, Bushmen or Basarwa: What’s in a name?

A reader wrote to object to the Mail & Guardian‘s usage of the term ”Bushmen” for Southern Africa’s first people. Kobus Faasen quoted at length from a Dutch dictionary published in 1902, which said the word meant ”one who lives in the bushes” but had also been applied to apes, particularly the orangutan.