[imagesource: Juan Venter]

Nowadays, South African social media is very quick to out those who make racist posts, and much of that stems from Penny Sparrow’s infamous January 2016 post comparing black people at the beach to monkeys.

The former KZN real estate agent has now passed away, her daughter Charmaine Cowie confirmed earlier today, reportedly from lung cancer.

Sparrow, who was found guilty of crimen injuria in relation to those racist comments, was subsequently handed a R5 000 fine, or 12 months imprisonment, in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court in 2016.

She was then ordered to pay a fine of R150 000 to the Oliver Adelaide Tambo Foundation by Equality Court Magistrate Irfaan Khalil, and told to make a public apology for her remarks.

Here is her public apology from September of the same year:

I think it’s fair to say she was contrite, and some of the threats that followed her court appearances are a sad indictment of the times we live in.

Still, much like Adam Catzavelos, it’s a reminder that South Africans won’t stand for outright racism.

Perhaps, going forward, some of our politicians, who benefit from descriptors like ‘firebrand’, ‘divisive’, and ‘controversial’, can be held to the same standards.

[source:iol]