Racism Part 2: Recent Incidents and Current Racial Tensions

Even decades after apartheid, racism still finds ways to surface in South Africa, sometimes explosively. In daily life, most people of different races interact peacefully and courteously. Yet beneath the surface, biases and resentments can flare up, and when they do, they often make headlines. In the past five years alone, South Africa has seen numerous incidents — from offensive social media posts to protests and court cases — that reveal the raw nerve of race relations. These cases range from interpersonal bigotry (one person insulting or mistreating another because of race) to institutional controversies (policies or practices that seem to favor one race over another). They underscore that the old mentality of “white is better and black is lesser” still appears in both blatant and subtle forms.

Image: Protesters confront police outside Brackenfell High School in Cape Town (2020). A private, allegedly all‑white school event sparked outrage and clashes, highlighting ongoing racial tensions.

To illustrate the current landscape, here are a few notable racial incidents and controversies from recent years:

• School Segregation Uproar (2019): A primary school teacher in North West province was suspended after a photo went viral showing a virtually segregated classroom – about 17 white children seated together and a small group of Black children apart in a corner. The image from Schweizer‑Reneke school sparked national outrage, as it echoed apartheid‑era separations on what was supposed to be the first day of a “new South Africa” for those kids. Investigations were launched amid accusations that racism still tainted the education system.

• “Whites‑Only” Matric Party (2020): At Brackenfell High School in Cape Town, a group of white parents allegedly organized a private year‑end dance for matric (senior) students that ended up excluding Black students. When news of this “whites‑only graduation party” broke, it led to heated protests by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and clashes with police. Tear gas and water cannons were used to disperse crowds, and the incident fueled weeks of debate about self‑segregation and racism in former Model C (mostly white) schools. (Later, an inquiry found no official school policy of exclusion, but the hurt and anger demonstrated how deep suspicions of racial exclusion remain.)

• Racist Hair Product Ad (2020): A major pharmacy retail chain, Clicks, ran a shampoo advertisement on its website that described Black women’s natural hair as “dry, damaged, frizzy and dull” while a white woman’s hair was labeled “normal”. The ad — produced by TRESemmé — provoked public outcry for its blatant racism and ignorance. Protests erupted nationwide, led by the EFF who shut down Clicks stores in fury. The company and TRESemmé’s parent, Unilever, issued formal apologies amid widespread criticism for reinforcing the idea that white traits are “normal” and Black traits inferior. The incident sparked conversations about lingering Eurocentric beauty standards and lack of diversity in corporate decision‑making.

• University Racism Scandal (2022): At Stellenbosch University (a historically white Afrikaans institution now more diverse), a white student was filmed urinating on the belongings of a Black student in a residence hall. When confronted, he reportedly said, “It’s a white boy thing,” suggesting some kind of racial dominance ritual. This demeaning act, rightly seen as a racist attack, led to the perpetrator’s expulsion and ignited campus protests about ongoing racism and alienation of Black students. The episode, dubbed the “urination scandal,” highlighted how old attitudes can persist among youth and the humiliation that Black students still endure in some spaces.

• Social Media Hate Speech and Slurs: South Africa has also witnessed a string of racist rants caught on camera or online. In these cases, usually a white individual unleashes derogatory slurs (often the k‑word, an apartheid‑era slur as hateful as the n‑word) against Black people, triggering public condemnation and legal consequences. A landmark example slightly earlier was Vicki Momberg, a white woman whose 2016 tirade at a Black police officer (whom she called the k‑word dozens of times) led to a historic jail sentence for hate speech. In recent years, others have faced fines or court action for similar outbursts. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) reports that complaints of racist hate speech on social media are among the most common it receives. The sheer number of cases — over 5 400 complaints of equality rights violations (mostly racial) were lodged with the SAHRC in 2020/21 alone — shows that racism “continues to plague the nation” despite laws against it.

These incidents, each in different arenas of life (schools, universities, advertising, everyday interactions), reflect a common thread: the idea, born of apartheid, that one race is superior to another still simmering under the surface. Sometimes it erupts in overt acts of discrimination or violence, other times in careless words or thoughtless policies. The notion that “white is better” and “black is lesser” has been formally repudiated by the state and by most citizens, yet its ghost lingers. We see it when a person in power arrogantly mistreats a Black service worker, assuming impunity. We see it when traditionally white spaces subtly (or not so subtly) alienate people of color through their culture or rules. We even see it internalized: for instance, when a Black public figure suggests something is impressive “even by white standards,” betraying the ingrained belief that white benchmarks are the highest. This was evident in a recent controversy where a Black official implied that a well‑performing school in a Black area was so good that “even white people would envy it” – a remark widely criticized for reinforcing the very hierarchy it meant to transcend.

On the institutional level, South Africa continues to wrestle with policies aimed at redressing past injustices, which themselves become flashpoints for racial tension. Affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) programs were implemented to elevate Black participation in the economy. While they have led to a growing Black middle class and some diversification of leadership, progress is slow and uneven. This slowness fuels frustration among Black South Africans who feel economic freedom has not been fully realized. On the other side, some white South Africans claim these policies are “reverse racism” that unfairly disadvantage them. For example, debates around employment equity or university admissions often become racially charged, with white commentators sometimes arguing that merit is sacrificed for racial quotas, while Black voices stress the necessity of such measures given the massive head‑start whites had. The mere existence of these debates – often heated and emotional – underscores how race remains at the center of South Africa’s public discourse.

Moreover, racism in South Africa isn’t solely a black‑and‑white issue. Tensions exist between different non‑white groups too, partly a legacy of how apartheid pitted communities against each other in a racial hierarchy. A tragic illustration was the July 2021 unrest in Phoenix (Durban), a predominantly Indian township, where vigilante groups formed amid chaotic riots and ended up killing several Black African individuals. This incident, which some dubbed the “Phoenix massacre,” exposed friction between Indian South Africans and Black Africans. Police later confirmed dozens of people (mostly Black) were killed in what officials called “heinous criminal and racist incidents”. While complex factors were involved (crime and chaos from the unrest), the event showed how easily old racial mistrust can ignite violence. It served as a painful reminder that apartheid’s divide‑and‑rule policies left not just a white‑vs‑black legacy, but also mistrust among other groups that still needs healing.

In sum, current racial tensions in South Africa are a mix of old prejudices in new settings. The country’s laws and constitution are strongly anti‑racist, and many people actively reject bigotry. Yet, everyday experiences – whether a snide remark, a discriminatory advertisement, or an inequity that falls along racial lines – reiterate that racism is not “over.” It’s important for observers (and especially for foreigners) to appreciate this reality. South Africans of all races are engaged in an ongoing project of reconciliation and justice, but it is fraught with setbacks and conflicts. Part 2 has highlighted some of the flashpoints that keep the conversation on race very much alive in South Africa.

In Part 3, we turn to practical guidance: How can foreigners visiting or moving to South Africa navigate these complex racial dynamics with respect and understanding?)*