A young Indian woman who referred to a black flight captain with the k-word was thrown off a flight. Alochna Moodley, 26, who works in...
A young Indian woman who referred to a black flight captain
with the k-word was thrown off a flight.
Alochna Moodley, 26, who works in Midrand, Johannesburg,
called two black passengers, Reverend Solumuzi Mabuza and Sibusiso Magubane, as
well as captain Menzi Mvelase by the k-word in an SMS on a flight from OR Tambo
International to King Shaka Airport on Friday night.
She was called out by Mabuza, who was seated next to her
and saw her typing the k-word on her phone expressing anger that someone on the
flight was drunk while another person was "sniffing".
Yesterday Moodley told Sowetan she had used the word out of
frustration. "It was a mistake on my side, I am not going to deny that I
said those things. Yes, it's wrong for me to make those racial remarks but it
was my SMS, so why was he (Mabuza) looking at my phone? He invaded my privacy
and I feel like this thing was blown out of proportion."
Moodley downplayed her racial comments and blamed Kulula
for the flight delay that left her frustrated. "I was frustrated at the
time because it was so late in the evening and the plane wasn't starting,"
she said.
She said she had tried to apologise to Mabuza but he had
declined it. Mabuza disputed that Moodley had apologised. Instead, he accused
her of being arrogant when he reprimanded her.
"I told her that I saw what she sent to her man but
she refused to delete it and I came to the conclusion that this child was
taught this behaviour at home," said Mabuza.
"She really angered me so I said to her, 'How can you
be racist when you're such a young person?' And her response was, 'Where did
you get the permission to read my text?'. "
"I want her to be taught that in this country it is
illegal to be racist and she must present her case to the Human Rights
Commission," Mabuza said.
"If I must lay criminal charges, I am happy to do
so."
Kulula spokesman William Smook said: "Kulula can
confirm that there was an incident involving a passenger aboard one of our
flights on Friday evening.
"The captain and crew asked that the passenger
concerned be removed from the aircraft. We don't tolerate discrimination in any
form."
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