Alleged racist must respond

2003-05-09 10:56

Cape Town - The attorney representing a Cape Town woman accused of racism said on Friday that his client will have to respond to the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) by next week on the allegations.

"The response, which we are busy preparing, will be delivered by May 15," said Hans-Peter Scheibert.

His client, Cathriena Sunjic, has already vehemently denied charges that she is racist following an incident in April during which she allegedly denied a coloured student beautician the chance to work at her (Sunjic's) beauty parlour because of the colour of the student's skin.

Western Cape premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk took up the cudgels on the student's behalf, and lodged a formal complaint with the SAHRC. Van Schalkwyk was also on hand when the student, Lericia Langenhoven, got an internship at the Panorama Plastic Surgery Clinic a short while after the alleged racism was reported at Sunjic's salon, The Pearl of Beauty in Welgemoed.

Scheibert said on Friday that a press statement released on behalf of Sunjic in April in which she denies the allegations "is and remains our version of events, but I don't say our response will be confined to that".

"The implication of recent reports is that either I or my clientele, or both, are racist. This is not true. I am not a racist and I do not run my business in a racist manner," said Sunjic at an April media conference.

Scheibert said his client only received the letter from the SAHRC calling for a response on April 24, after the commission had established that there was a prima facie case of racism.

"Because we got the letter so late, we requested an extension until May 15, and were granted the two weeks in which to respond," he said.

- SAPA