RACIST FACEBOOK GROUP SHUT DOWN

An outcry by Black and white South Africans has shut down a racist facebook group. The racist group said it was for everyone who hated Blacks. The group which claimed more than two hundred members was administered by bloke named Pieter Blaauw.

The following is from CriEnglish.

Racist Facebook Group Shut after S. African Protests

A racist Facebook group has been shut down after an outcry from black and white South Africans using the popular internet site, the Citizen newspaper in Johannesburg reported on Saturday. Angry activists managed to get the plug pulled on a group whose name is crude Afrikaans language description of black South Africans. Pieter Blaauw, creator of the offending Facebook group, has since gone to ground and failed to respond to the newspaper's requests for comment on why he created the site. On the Afrikaans page, before it was shut down, Blaauw said the group was for everyone who hated black people, using a derogatory term to describe his fellow countrymen. By the time the Facebook group was canned, it had more than 230 members, black and white. Most expressed anger at its content. Facebook user Leandi Erasmus expressed her disgust, writing on the site: "If black people were as hateful and disgusting as the handful of vile Afrikaners with this mentality, we would have bloodshed. People like the creators of this group should shut up, do us all a favor and move to Australia." South African Human Rights Commission (HRC) spokesman Vincent Moaga told The Citizen such a site or group is not allowed in terms of the constitution and the Promotion of Equality Act. "Such an example clearly shows we have a long road to travel in changing mindsets and challenging racism." Law Professor Pierre de Vos, from Cape Town, said judging from the content on the group, its creator made statements which would intentionally cause emotional harm to a targeted group. "Should the creator be found guilty in terms of the Equality Act he could be ordered to pay compensation or conduct community service," he said. De Vos added it was important to criticize, create vigorous debate and further enhance democracy by commenting about such topics, but not at the risk of intentionally harming or affecting others.