I'm no racist, says Bullard

2008-04-11 11:54

Verashni Pillay

Johannesburg - Columnist David Bullard on Friday morning claimed the Sunday Times's controversial decision to fire him was a political one that had "absolutely nothing" to do with alleged racism in his latest column.

In an interview with News24, Bullard said a combination of his "annoying tendencies" to point out deficiencies in the paper as well as take politicians to task made him an easy target.

"Once you yell the word 'racist' it's like yelling the word 'communist' used to be in the McCarthy years," he said. "If I say: no I'm not a racist, it will sound as though I'm denying it. If I say: yes I am a racist, then obviously that's just as bad."

Sunday Times editor, Mondli Makhanya, said on Thursday that Bullard had been fired from his post and his weekly column was cancelled after an allegedly racist column was published.

Africa without the 'white man'

The column, titled "Uncolonised Africa wouldn't know what it was missing", described what South Africa would have looked like had the "evil white man" not come "to disturb the rustic idyll of the early black settlers", according to a Beeld report.

Bullard heard the news at about 17:20 on Thursday night while MCing at a function in Sandton. "I got a call from Mondli Makhanya who said: 'I think your article last Sunday was racist' - but he'd already told me that, and I said: well why'd you let it in the paper?"

The Sunday Times wasn't available for comment immediately on Friday morning.

Bullard believes that an article he wrote for Empire magazine in February criticising the paper may have more to do with the decision.

In the article, Bullard detailed his woes with the Sunday Times policy towards motor journalism and advertising.

"I think he (Makhanya) got very bitter when I suggested that sections of the newspaper weren't as good as they used to be or could have been," said Bullard.

"You're not allowed to have an opinion at Avusa [the Sunday Times holding company] it seems if you're on the staff."

Bullard maintained that accusations of racism were a red herring. "Mondli Makhanya thinks that I am a racist. Most of the other people I work with think that's an absurd opinion. I don't even think that's relevant to the article at all."

For Bullard the decision to axe his column was a surprising one, given that his brief was to be controversial.

'Show biz' column

"My column has been 'racist' and 'sexist', for years and the Sunday Times has loved it because it has actually brought in a lot of readers," he pointed out, adding that his column was more "show biz" than an academic treatise.

"They've said right go for it, be a wacko, be a shock jock. That's precisely what the brief was - [they were] hoping to sell the newspaper based on my incendiary articles.

"I said on the John Robbie show, if you wanted me to write about fly- fishing you should have told me."

While Makhanya was not available to respond he has called the column "extremely racist" and "not in accordance with the character and values of the Sunday Times".

"It's not about censorship, but about the fact that the column was not in accordance with the values to which our country and its constitution adhere," said Makhanya.

Click here to read Bullard's original column.

- News24