In case you missed it, here is the story in a nutshell. Kuli Roberts was a newspaper columnist for Sunday World. Her last column was headlined, ‘Jou Ma se Kinders’, and was some kind of attempt at satire regarding the so-called coloured culture in the Western Cape. Her slapgat editor, copy editor, night editor or whoever was supposed to check it clearly didn’t, and the story got published as is.
People got upset.
Here’s a tweet sent out by one of my coloured friends: “Kuli Roberts is darem ‘n ander stuk gemors en moet summier gefire word. I dare her to stiek uit on the Cape Flats! Jou blerrie teef!”
It is clear when reading the entire piece that Kuli probably did not mean any of the things she wrote maliciously. It was just incredibly bad writing – the kind that should not even be allowed in school newspapers. It contained reasons why “coloured girls were the future”, such as:
- “You will always be assured of a large family as many of these girls breed as if Allan Boesak sent them on a mission to increase the coloured race.
- “Their bruises are more obvious than ours, so if you hit her it will be easier to see.
- “They drink Black Label beer and smoke like chimneys.
- “They have no front teeth and eat fish like they are trying to deplete the ocean.
- “They love to fight in public and most are very violent.
- “They love making love and leave even the randiest negro exhausted.”
The randiest negro? Wow.
Kuli’s response, via Twitter, was “I am truly sorry to all those upset… No harm was intended….”
Again, wow.
If this is anything to go by, then we are in for a real treat this evening when she is expected to make a public apology on her show, Headline at 20h30 tonight on Mzansi Magic (DStv 107). Lebone Maema, Mzansi Magic’s Channel Manager says:
Mzansi Magic does not endorse the views expressed by Kuli Roberts in her newspaper column. However, after discussions with Kuli, the management of Mzansi Magic have decided to give her the benefit of the doubt, accepting her explanation that it was not her intention to be offensive or malicious. Thus, Mzansi Magic will grant Kuli the opportunity to make a public apology on Headline this week.
I’m not missing anything tonight at 20h30 – between Kuli, Jimmy Manyi, Juju, and Steve Hofmeyer, they’re certainly giving Charlie Sheen a run for his money on the “where the hell did that opinion come from?” front.
