A court in the south eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province in South African on Friday, fined a white estate agent, Penny Sparrow $10,000 for comparing black beachgoers to monkeys in a Facebook post that sparked outrage.
“Her words convey the message both explicitly and implicitly to the reader that black people are not worthy of being described as human beings,” said magistrate Irfaan Khalil.
Sparrow had complained about black people littering beaches in Durban during New Year’s celebrations, and her comments sparked a huge protest, prompting the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to approach an equality court ( special tribunals set up to hear discrimination, harassment and hate speech cases).
Sparrow was absent at the hearing due to fear and ailment. The court however, ordered that the money would go to a charity that promotes cultural and heritage issues.
