A column by Kuli Roberts in the tabloid Sunday World has sparked outrage across the country. Twitter and Facebook were abuzz on Sunday night as the ripples from the column spread out across the social networks.
The column, titled Jou Ma se Kinders – Eish I Miss Daai Lippies Vannie Kaap, has prompted a flurry of complaints to Avusa, which publishes the newspaper. In fact, when TheMediaOnline called Avusa’s public editor, Thabo Leshilo for comment on Monday morning, the person answering the phone heaved a huge sigh. Apparently, the phone has not stopped ringing…
City Press editor, Ferial Haffajee (@FerialHaffajee) tweeted on Sunday nights that “if David Bullard was fired for racism then so must Avusa fire Kuli Roberts. Sunday World column on coloureds. Racist, vile, disgusting.”
Jacques Roussouw (@JacquesR) responded that “Both are vile. But neither should be fired.”
Sipho Hlongwane (@ComradeSipho) wrote “What was going through Kuli Roberts’ mind when she wrote this bile?” And added: “More specifically how did her editor think it was ok to publish such blatantly racist crap?”
Of course, every action has a reaction and it wasn’t long before there was a #indefenceofkuliroberts feed flying around the networks mostly on the theme that ‘Roberts makes fun of black people too’.
5FM’s Grant Nash has just posted: “Come on now its Kuli for goodness sake…have u read any of her other articles ? She is rough like that…she gets paid to cause controversy. And his partner on air, Anele, wrote: “Kuli has coloured kids mos, so how bad could this article have been ?”
To which Julius S Malema (not the real dude) responded: RT: @Anele: Kuli has coloured kids mos, so how bad could this article have been? {So bad that even @trevornoah would find it distasteful}.
Then came the tweets about how Sunday World pulled the link – has no one realised that when it’s out, it’s out? Just ask Sarah Palin – and how it is now back up again – due to public demand. Don’t think Sunday World has even seen such traffic on its website.
Pithy commentator Herman Lategan (@HermLategan) was more offended by the quality of writing. “The reality is that Kuli Roberts can’t write, she could never write, she should not have been given that space.”
@juanitaw agreed: “Terribly amused that people are defending #Kuli ‘s writing ‘style’. What style?!”
In the meantime, everyone awaits Avusa’s response. Watch this space.
To read the column: https://www.sundayworld.co.za/Home/Article.aspx?id=1191023
@SundayWorldZA
@KuliRoberts
@NkulOo (in defence of Kuli Roberts)
