I'm sorry, says Bullard
2008-04-18 14:11
Cape Town - Controversial columnist David Bullard who was fired by the Sunday Times for writing an "extremely racist" column has apologised.
Bullard on Friday wrote in Business Day that the column entitled Uncolonised Africa wouldn't know what it was missing , wasn't meant to offend.
" The piece....was intended to make the point that some black South Africans blame white colonialism for all the country's problems.
"I offer sincere and heartfelt apologies to those who were offended, including Mondli Makhanya, my friend and former editor, whom I respect enormously," says Bullard.
The Sunday Times apologised last Thursday for the publication of the column: "The Sunday Times subscribes to nonracialism and is committed to building a South Africa based on the values enshrined in the Constitution.
"We will not be a platform for views which undermine the values of our publication.
"... We apologise to readers who were offended by the column."
The day after he was fired Bullard was unrepentant, telling News24 he was asked to write a column to be controversial and to attract readers to the paper.
In his Business Day column Bullard seems to have had second thoughts and says he pushed the boundaries too far with the column.
He says particularly offensive to so many was the suggestion that a family who had lost a child would mourn for a week or so and then have another child.
"Despite my claim that this is a fantasy SA, I realise that this was an insensitive remark to make and I humbly apologise."
