South African reaches settlement over racist rant

By Milton Nkosi |BBC Africa|

Adam Catzavelos, the South African man who filmed himself while on holiday on a beach in Greece saying that it was “heaven on earth” as there were no black people present, has reached a settlement with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

In the video, widely shared on social media last year, he used a derogatory term used by white people to denigrate black South Africans, sparking national outrage.

As part of the agreement, announced in the Equality Court in Johannesburg on Thursday, Mr Catzavelos will pay 150,000 South African rand ($9,803; £8,027) to a charity over a period of 30 months and do 160 hours of community service.

He once again apologised for his comments, saying in court: “I am truly disgusted, horrified and ashamed of my behaviour.”

Newsnote agency tweeted a video of him reading the statement:

Adam Catzavelos apologises on Wednesday at Equality Court in Randburg for his racial slurs he made last year while on holiday in Greece.#AdamCatzavelos pic.twitter.com/VQxVI60RXL

— Newsnote Agency (@NewsnoteNetwork) August 29, 2019

Buang Jones from the SAHRC, an independent body set up after the end of white-minority rule to investigate allegations of human rights abuses and hold public institutions to account, said: “We feel that this agreement fulfils restorative justice and will serve as a deterrent… People must know that it is expensive to be a racist.”

Mr Catzavelos is expected to visit Soweto, the country’s largest township, where he will begin his community service next week.

But he still faces a charge filed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), South Africa’s third largest political party. It opened a case of crimen injuria against him, which refers to injuring someone’s dignity through racial insults.

The system of racial oppression in South Africa, known as apartheid, ended in 1994, but to this day racism remains a major issue.