Furore over Hashim Amla ad

2006-08-12 08:04

Eduan Roos

Johannesburg - The distribution company who displayed a racist message aimed at South African cricketer Hashim Amla on an electronic advertising board in Johannesburg, apologised on Friday.

The words "Thank goodness Amla didn't face a coolie kreeper", which were displayed on a board belonging to electronic goods manufacturer Toshiba near the Hans Strydom offramp on the N1 highway, upset several motorists, including Cricket SA (CSA).

This advertisement followed a few days after Australian cricket commentator, Dean Jones, was fired after he had called Amla a "terrorist" during a broadcasting of the second cricket Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Graham Lane, financial director of Copy Type Electronics, a distributor for Toshiba, in a statement apologised to Amla, the South African public and Toshiba.

Copy Type Electronics insisted that an employee had illegally put the message on the board despite employees saying on 702 Talk Radio that Neil Kirkwood, their managing director, had given his personal approval.

Steps taken to prevent similar incidents

"We apologise for any offence it could have caused. It is not our policy or intention to harm any ethnic group, faith or individual," said Lane.

"The necessary steps are being taken to prevent a similar incident in future."

Toshiba spokesperson Andre Rossouw told Beeld that the incident would be investigated and steps taken against the distributors.

Steve Elworthy, CSA's commercial manager, said this message was "in bad taste".

"We will watch Kirkwood's action carefully, as we regard this in a very serious light."

Meanwhile, members or the South African cricket team in Colombo strongly denied on Friday that they jokingly referred to Hashim Asla as a terrorist, reported Altus Momberg.

Vincent Barnes, the assistant trainer of the Proteas, said it was rubbish and that he didn't know where such rumours came from.

He said Hashim's faith was regarded in the same light as the religious inclination of any other member of the team and was treated with the greatest respect. Australian newspapers reported that Dean Jones had heard this "nickname" from one of the South African team members and broadcast it by accident on television.

Jones was fired after referring to Amla as a terrorist on Monday.

His freelance contract was suspended on the same evening, and he returned to Australia on soon afterwards.

In the days following the storm that was caused by his remark, more and more newspapers have reported that Amla was jokingly called a terrorist by his teammates.

Former Australian captain and nowadays a selector, Allan Border, said in a Brisbane newspaper, the Courier-Mail on Thursday that he believed Amla's teammates referred to him as a terrorist.

Border also said Jones had suffered enough, mentioning Jones's charity work, and said people should look ahead.

The South Africans on Friday denied the allegations and were angry about the implications of the excuse.

- Beeld