Paarl is more tolerant than this town
2006-01-12
I HAD always thought that racism belongs in the old regime, until I visited Gordon’s Bay beach.
As a group of 80 young people from Mbekweni we visit the beach every first Sunday of December.
From the minute we set foot on that beach I could feel that we were not welcome as people that were passing by made all sorts of demeaning statements and gestures.
I started to feel like a stranger, like an outcast or an immigrant in my own country of birth.
I feel sorry for a boy that sympathised with us, because he was attacked by drunken males and when the members of police came, things turned worse - people were beaten, pepper spray was used and racist slurs made.
People were detained for the night for public drinking and noise.
Trust me I don’t condone public drinking and noise but this could have been handled differently - not with force and violence.
I will never set foot at Gordon’s Bay beach again.
I appeal to the mayor and the Drakenstein Council - please provide us with entertainment options this festive season so that we need not visit Gordon’s Bay again
Paarl is a better place to be and in our diversity we tolerate each other. I love Paarl.
Kwezi Shumi
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