Just when I thought there was nothing left to write about the Ashwin Willemse saga, a new development has everybody talking.
The irony is, just last week I was in a passionate conversation with someone who asked a very thought-provoking question: “If Ashwin is right about the racism, then why has nobody else of colour complained about it?”
I didn’t really have an answer, except to say that others may not have the same standing as him and fear for their jobs, so they are hesitant to draw attention to it.
Or perhaps they are unsure that they have been victims; or maybe they don’t have the ability to put it into words.
My woorde was skaars koud as four of Ashwin’s fellow black anchors reportedly opened their mouths with an explosive letter, alleging racism at SuperSport.
And this after an internal investigation found no racism on the part of Naas Botha and Nick Mallett in their dealings with Ashwin.
I can understand the findings, considering that Ashwin opted not to participate.
So those investigating the issue obviously only had Naas and Nick’s side of the story.
The latest accusation reportedly comes from anchors Owen Nkumane, Xola Ntshinga, Kaunda Ntunja and Gcobani Bobo, who also accuse the channel of victimisation, intimidation and paying them less than their white counterparts.
These are much more tangible than the casual racism I have been writing about after Ashwin used the words “patronise and undermine,” before walking off the live set.
And this has given a lot of ammunition to Ashwin’s claims.
Is it going to convince the naysayers that Ashwin and others may, in fact, have a point?
I doubt that it will, and I think I know why.
Those who defend Mallett and Botha see themselves in these men and in their actions and, to them, there’s nothing wrong with it.
Admitting that Mallett did, in fact, undermine and patronise Willemse, will mean that they will have to admit to themselves that maybe they are also responsible for creating unpleasant working environments for millions of people, who simply take it day in and day out.
And that is a tough thing to swallow, especially for people who don’t believe themselves to be prejudiced in any way.
And it’s here that the mindful introspection is required.
Like I’ve said before, this is a subtle part of everyday life for a lot of people.
Many of them ignore it, brush it off, don’t want to be seen as confrontational, or worry about being victimised and even losing their jobs.
That’s why they keep quiet; not because it doesn’t happen to them.
An example that I have failed to mention in the past is the video of Mallett correcting Ashwin’s English live on air.
I don’t watch TV, so I can’t say for sure how often this has happened in the past, but friends say it was a frequent occurrence.
None of them can remember Mallett ever correcting Botha’s English on air.
Is that because Naas speaks impeccable English? Or is it because deep down inside Mallett believes he has the right to correct Ashwin, but not Naas?