Bloemfontein Courant reported that Speelman referred to the residents of Bronville, a traditional coloured community outside Welkom, using a derogatory term.

The alleged incident was caught on camera when the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed to Bronville as part of the Covid-19 lockdown campaign.

Upon the arrival of the SANDF, Speelman welcomed the members to Welkom and encouraged them to go to Bronville and show that they are soldiers. He jokingly added that the soldiers must “skop and donner” if necessary and that he would support them. The video has since been shared on social media numerous times.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the SANDF recently and appealed to them to avoid the use of force as SA enters 21 days of lockdown. “This is not a moment for skop en donner. This is not a moment for skiet en donner,” the President said.

Bronville community members are outraged and saddened by Speelman’s utterances, which they view as hate speech, because they also see him as their leader.

Victor Morris, Councillor of Ward 11 in Welkom, has approached the mayor and expressed his frustration regarding the situation. “It is really not sitting well with the majority of the community and even myself. I have asked the mayor to rectify this by apologising to the community through social media and the newspapers, otherwise it is going to cause a lot of racial conflict.”

Another community member, Stella Hallam, expressed her frustration to Bloemfontein Courant: “We are angry and shocked. This is one of the main reasons why there is no service delivery in Bronville. That is why we don’t get jobs because even our mayor refers to us using a derogatory term.

Bloemfontein Courant has since contacted Speelman who confirmed that it is indeed him in the video. “I have apologised to the community. Yes, I have used the wrong language, and I have overreacted and I will accept any criticism towards me,” said Speelman.

Bloemfontein Courant has also contacted the South African Human Rights Commission, who confirmed that they have received a complaint about Speelman’s utterances and are currently investigating the matter.

Bloemfontein Courant/Heidre Malgas