The South African Human Rights Commission has initiated an investigation into hate speech allegations against Dis-Chem shareholder Mark Saltzman. This move comes after Saltzman allegedly posted racist comments on his social media account, which has since been disabled.
According to reports, the comments included racial slurs, such as the K-word, and derogatory terms like “monkeys” to refer to black people. These posts were uncovered through the internet archive tool Wayback Machine and have been widely shared on social media.
Mark Saltzman, the son of Dis-Chem founders Lynette and Ivan Saltzman, has been at the centre of controversy after verbally attacking journalist Redi Tlhabi over her pro-Palestine views. Saltzman, who now lives in Australia, had labelled Tlhabi a “deranged b**ch” in his posts.
Hate Speech Investigation Underway
The South African Human Rights Commission confirmed that they are launching an investigation into the posts, in line with their constitutional and legislative mandate. The commission reiterated that the K-word is one of the most painful and degrading racial slurs in South Africa’s history, causing severe harm to dignity, equality, and social cohesion.
The commission condemned racism and any conduct or language that undermines the constitutional values of human dignity, equality, and non-racialism. They emphasised that South African courts, including the Constitutional Court, have consistently recognised the harm caused by such language.
Response to the Allegations
Although Saltzman was contacted for comment, he had not responded by the time of publication. The offensive posts have sparked widespread outrage, with many calling for action against hate speech.
