In the wake of a Carte Blanche insert on animal abuse and the trade in donkey skins in 2017, Facebook was awash with comments that made Chinese South Africans feel unwanted and less than human.
This is according to Erwin Pon, chairperson of The Chinese Association (TCA), when he took the stand during a hate-speech case at the Equality Court.
TCA in brought an application against a dozen people who posted comments on Facebook after the insert was broadcast in January 2017. The comments appeared on the Carte Blanche page, as well as that of the Karoo Donkey Sanctuary.
The commenters are accused of hate speech, harassment and unfair discrimination.
In its application, TCA seeks an unconditional apology, an interdict preventing similar future speech, damages, community service and that the 12 people who posted the comments attend an anger management course.
Although the case was first heard in March this year, the personal accounts of the hurt caused by the comments have played out since Monday, when Pon took to the stand.One commenter described Chinese people as “the most despicable things on this planet”‚ while another suggested they should start killing their children for a hangover cure - an apparent reference to Chinese medicine. Another suggested Chinese should be banned from the country.TCA said the hate-speech comments were violent and genocidal, particularly those which said Chinese people were "vile and barbaric" and should be wiped out.
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