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Bar ‘bans black people from entering without a white escort’, sparking fury in South Africa
- The government today condemned alleged incident at Hank’s Olde Irish Pub
- Thabisco Danca, 25, was reportedly denied entry without white escort
- Video went viral of Christopher Logan, friend of Danca, confronting man
- Man appears to be pub’s manager – pub described accusations as unfounded
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A Cape Town pub drew a rebuke from the South African government and widespread condemnation on Tuesday after it allegedly barred a black man from entering without a white escort.
The government urged police to probe ‘with speed’ the ‘appalling’ and ‘racist incident’, which it said saw 25-year-old Thabiso Danca denied entry at Hank’s Olde Irish pub in Cape Town.
‘It is horrifying and outrageous that the tendencies of apartheid South Africa keeps rearing its ugly head,’ cabinet spokeswoman Phumla Williams said in a statement.
South Africa remains deeply divided along racial lines almost three decades after Nelson Mandela came to power vowing national reconciliation following the end of white-minority apartheid rule.
A South African bar has allegedly banned people from entering without a white escort, causing outrage. Thabiso Danca, 25, was allegedly denied entry at Hank’s Olde Irish pub in Cape Town. In a video which went viral online, Christopher Logan, a friend of Danca, who is white, is seen confronting what appears to be the pub’s manager, pictured
The incident happened last week and emerged after a video went viral online showing a friend of Danca – Christopher Logan, who is white – confronting what appears to be the pub’s manager.
In it, Logan says Danca tried to enter the pub shortly after his friends during a night out in the touristic city, but was blocked by a bouncer who told him black patrons were admitted only if accompanied by a white person.
‘You don’t have the right to discriminate in this country, it’s a crime,’ Logan is heard saying.
Mr Logan said: ‘You don’t have the right to discriminate in this country, it’s a crime.’
Mr Logan said: ‘You don’t have the right to discriminate in this country, it’s a crime.’ Pictured: The reported manager speaks with Mr Danco’s friend Christopher
Speaking to the Cape Times, Mr Danca said of the incident: ‘I only stayed inside the place for five minutes or less, then left because it didn’t feel right to be there in a place I’m not wanted in.
‘I was still in shock and felt humiliated because I was barred from entering the place in front of a crowd. ‘My concern is that many more people could experience this or have already but are scared to speak up,’ he said.
A man who declined to give his name, answering the Hank’s Olde Irish pub telephone, today said he had ‘no comment’ as he waited to speak to his lawyer.
Today, the bar denied the allegations that Mr Danca had been told to enter with a white escort. Pictured: CCTV the bar released, which alleged the men assaulted them
The bar released CCTV of the alleged incident, claiming the men involved assaulted them
The pub was closed today, with a note on the door describing the accusations as ‘unfounded and unproven’. It added that the owners and staff have received threats and were physically assaulted by the ‘primary individual’ in the viral video.
‘We as the owners have never – nor have we ever instructed our staff – to discriminate on any basis whatsoever,’ the note read.
In a statement about the alleged incident, cabinet spokeswoman Phumla Williams, said: ‘It is horrifying and outrageous that the tendencies of apartheid South Africa keeps rearing its ugly head.’
It comes as South Africa remains deeply divided along racial lines almost three decades after Nelson Mandela came to power, vowing national reconciliation following the end of white-minority apartheid rule.
Police said two assault cases were registered at the weekend and an investigation was ongoing.
Economic Freedom Fighters, a radical leftist party, called for a picket outside the eatery, saying that the incident was not an ‘isolated’ one but ‘structural and endemic.’
Last month, a woman was arrested after a WhatsApp voice message circulated on social media seeming to call for black people to be banned.