A racist video has once again sparked backlash in South Africa. The controversy reflects the growing power of South Africa’s social-media users to push back against prejudiced views—both by calling for punishment against individuals, and by pushing international brands to react quickly or face the consequences.
This time, the outrage centers on a private video which a man, Adam Catzavelos, took while vacationing abroad. In the video, Catzavelos delivers a satirical weather report praising the absence of black people on the beach. “Let me give you a weather forecast here; blue skies, beautiful day, amazing sea and not one k****r in sight,” he says, using an apartheid-era derogatory term for black people. “Fucking heaven on earth,” he says, while the camera pans to show his surroundings.
The video leaked onto social media on Tuesday (Aug. 22), its source unknown. Catzavelos was quickly publicly identified. Within 24 hours, he had become a trending hashtag on South African social media. Twitter users called on black people to boycott any business he was associated with—including Nike, where Catzavelos’ wife was said to work as a merchandizing director.
Businesses heeded the call, likely hoping to avoid the type of protests H&M recently experienced after it was accused of producing a racist advert, which resulted in several of its South African stores being trashed.
Catzavelos was quickly fired from St. George’s Fine Foods, his family’s food manufacturing business, with his brother distancing the family from his “abhorrent” comments in a statement. The business and its associated restaurant were also closed to avoid any protest action. Popular local steakhouses, The Butcher Shop and the Baron Group, also announced they had terminated their contract with the company.
Meanwhile, because of the reported connection with Catzavelos’ wife, some Nike outlets in Cape Town and Johannesburg closed on Wednesday, fearing that they would experience backlash.
“Nike opposes discrimination and has a long-standing commitment to diversity‚ inclusion and respect,” the company said in a statement to local media, adding that Adam Catzavelos is not a Nike employee, but failing to mention his wife.
Catzavelos was also barred from the campus of St. Johns College, his children’s exclusive private school. In a letter to parents, the school said it made the decision not only because his views contradicted that of the school, but also for the safety of his children and others.
Twitter users also uncovered that Catzavelos was once a participant in an entrepreneurship training program, forcing the radio station and bank that ran the program to publicly reject his behavior, too.
Catzavelos now faces possible criminal charges, as racism is considered a crime in South Africa and carries jail time. Political groups have reported him to the police and the human rights commission.