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She’s homeless, fears for her life, and thinks black people are wonderful. She also didn’t mean to insult anyone by likening black beach-goers to monkeys.
Penny Sparrow, who last week was ordered to pay R150 000 to charity for racist comments she made on Facebook in January, yesterday spoke to News24's Jeff Wicks at length about the comments and the backlash against her following the post.
Last week, Sparrow was ordered by the Umzinto Equality Court to pay R150 000 to the Oliver and Adelaide Tambo Foundation for her racist comments. Magistrate Irfaan Khalilto interdicted her from any more hate speech.
“I found the case very unfair because I didn’t know it was happening. There have been a lot of things said about me on the radio and I am sick to death of hearing it.
I have been punished so much already so I don’t like to listen to any of that,” she said.
She added that the Equality Court proceedings against her had been unfair, and that even the Economic Freedom Fighters’ Julius Malema “had been allowed postponements”.
“I am not ducking and diving from the law. She [The Sheriff of the court] told me that I didn’t have to sign for any of these documents. I had never even heard of the Equality [Court] but she said it should be ok because I mentioned that the monkeys were cute,” she said.
“I haven’t been able to go to the police stations and make affidavits because I am truly scared for my life.
“My daughter tried to get them [the court] to postpone it but they wouldn’t. Even Julius Malema had hate speech charges against him but he is allowed to have his cases postponed,” she said.
Sparrow said she had no idea how she was going to raise the R150 000.
“Right now I have R55 in my account to last the rest of the month. I don’t know what I am going to do. I am going to try and appeal the case and see if I can get a hearing,” she said.
News24 tracked down Sparrow, who has been in hiding since January, to her safe house in Johannesburg.
“I have nothing, I am what you call a poor white and I really have nothing and I don’t know what to do.”
She said that she was not hopeful about the future and was homeless.
“The future holds nothing for me and I have no home... there is no home... it is hopeless,” she said.
“I really didn’t mean it... I am so sorry it was taken in the wrong context,” she said.
She described what prompted her ire.
“I had been in a holiday flat with family overlooking the beach with my family on New Year’s Eve … it was full of happiness and people celebrating the new year.
There was a typical beach party going on and we were on a balcony overlooking people enjoying themselves…
“Things started to become ugly with sexual behaviour on the road and in the bushes … when we left the streets were so littered and terrible,” she said.
“It upset me that people from all kinds [of races] could cause that terrible litter.”
Sparrow said that her post had been misconstrued and that she never meant any offence.
“I said the things I said were read wrong. I know I mentioned monkeys and I know I said the majority was black on black but there was a mix of people, I didn’t mean [it like that].
“On the coast there are hundreds of monkeys…they are cute…they come into my garden and empty my dustbins. On that day a troop of monkeys came to town and emptied the dustbins.
“It is a white thing. White people use monkey as a term of endearment when they are naughty or impish. I didn’t mean to insult anyone and it was just an expression I used.
“I am not a nasty person and I never meant to insult anyone. I was brought up with black people and I think they are wonderful. The black people that work for my daughter are lovely and kind and I hear you and I am apologetic that the way it came over looked like an insult and that I never meant it that way,” she said.
“We are all people on this earth and some have been educated better than others. Maybe we can blame the education here. I’m sure you know not to go around littering and I admit that it was a terrible thing I wrote,” Sparrow added.
All videos by News24, interview by Jeff Wicks
