LISTEN: "SA's got bigger problems than racism" - Mbeki
Political Analyst Moeletsi Mbeki told the Complimantary Breakfast on Tuesday morning that South Africa does not have a racial problem.
Mbeki said that, despite the recent uproar on social media, South Africa does not have any racial tension or conflict.
"Everything on social media is magnified and this is what we need to be careful about when coming to the platform," he told Rian van Heerden.
This comes after an outcry on Twitter in reaction to a Facebook post by estate agent Penny Sparrow in the beginning of January. Sparrow posted a photo of a packed beach in KwaZulu-Natal on New Years Day where she referred to beachgoers as 'monkeys'.
"We have to be careful on the significance of the opinions being expressed and on what basis they have been founded on. SA has a long history of conflict, it is important to understand that. You can't manage a problem if you don't know where it comes from," he said.
He said there is no racial conflict as no white people or black people have been killed.
Conceding that there are a lot of underlying issues that the country should address, Mbeki said that a lot of the tension is related to the economy, unemployment and suffering.
- Integration -
When it comes to integration, Mbeki told the Complimentary Breakfast that you can't compel somone who is an avid fan of soccer to watch rugby.
He added that: "In my business we have a diverse group of people and those who are friends within the company carry on their friendship outside the company. People exaggerate when they say there is no social integration in SA. We need to careful about saying such."
(File photo: AFP)