Bar ‘bans blacks from entering without white escort’, sparking fury in South Africa
- The Government today condemned the alleged incident at Hank’s Olde Irish Pub
- Thabisco Danca, 25, was reportedly denied entry without a white escort
- The video of Christopher Logan, a friend of Danca’s, went viral and confronted a man
- The man appears to be a pub manager – the pub says the allegations are unfounded
A Cape Town pub was reprimanded and widely condemned by the South African government on Tuesday after allegedly barring a black man entry without a white escort.
The government has urged police to “swiftly” investigate the “appalling” and “racist incident” in which 25-year-old Thabiso Danca was refused entry to Hank’s Olde Irish Pub in Cape Town.
“It is appalling and outrageous that apartheid tendencies in South Africa continue to rear their ugly head,” said Cabinet spokeswoman Phumla Williams in a statement.
South Africa is deeply divided along racial lines nearly three decades after Nelson Mandela came to power and vowed national reconciliation after the end of white minority apartheid rule.
A South African bar has reportedly banned people from entering without a white escort, sparking outrage. Thabiso Danca, 25, was allegedly denied entry to Hank’s Olde Irish Pub in Cape Town. In a video that went viral online, Christopher Logan, a friend of Danca’s who is white, can be seen confronting the pub’s manager, pictured
The incident took place last week and emerged after a video showing a friend of Danca’s – Christopher Logan, who is white – confronting what appears to be the pub’s manager went viral on the internet.
In it, Logan says Danca tried to enter the pub shortly after his friends during a night out in the tourist town, but was blocked by a bouncer who told him black patrons would only be allowed in accompanied by a white person.
“You have no right to discrimination in this country, it’s a crime,” Logan is heard saying.
Mr Logan said: “You have no right in this country to discriminate, it’s a crime.”
Mr Logan said: “You have no right in this country to discriminate, it is a crime.” Pictured: The reported manager speaks to Mr Danco’s friend Christopher
Speaking to the Cape Times, Mr Danca said of the incident: “I only stayed in the place for five minutes or less and then left because it didn’t feel right to be in a place where I’m not wanted.
“I was still in shock and humiliated because I was forbidden to enter the place in front of a crowd. “My concern is that many more people may be experiencing this or have experienced this but are afraid to speak up,” he said.
A man who declined to give his name said on the phone at Hank’s Olde Irish Pub today that he had “no comment” while waiting to speak to his solicitor.
Today the bar denied claims that Mr Danca had been asked to enter with a white escort. Pictured: CCTV released the bar claiming the men attacked them
The bar released video surveillance of the alleged incident and claimed the men involved assaulted them
The pub was closed today, with a note on the door describing the allegations as “baseless and unproven”. It added that the owners and staff received threats and were physically assaulted by the “main character” in the viral video.
“We as owners have never – nor have we ever instructed our employees – to discriminate on any basis whatsoever,” the note said.
In a statement on the alleged incident, Cabinet Spokesperson Phumla Williams said: “It is appalling and outrageous that apartheid tendencies in South Africa continue to rear their ugly head.”
It comes as South Africa is deeply divided along racial lines nearly three decades after the rise to power of Nelson Mandela, who pledged national reconciliation after the end of white minority apartheid rule.
Police said two cases of assault were recorded over the weekend and an investigation was ongoing.
Economic Freedom Fighters, a radical left-wing party, called a picket line outside the restaurant and said the incident was not an “isolated” but “structural and endemic” incident.
Last month, a woman was arrested after a WhatsApp voice message circulated on social media, apparently calling for black people to be banned.