‘I humbly apologise' – Irvin Khoza

The joint statement was issued yesterday, Wednesday, 5 March 2008, following a brief meeting to resolve the controversial issue that included Jody Kollapen, South African Human Rights Commission chairperson, and Tseliso Thipanyane, HRC CEO , commissioner Zonke Majodina, Khoza and his spokesperson Dominic Ntsele.

During the meeting, Khoza read a statement that he had prepared while he was overseas and explained that he had written the statement after seeing the UFS racist video in the news.

The proclamation reads as follows: “I humbly submit to all South Africans that at no stage did I intend to open wounds and hurt our people who suffered from racism. Whereas it was never my intension to use the k-word to demean or impair anyone's dignity – but to shock a brother to his senses, the revelation of the racist video in Bloemfontein has let me to view my use of the k-word in a different light.

“I do not want to present an apology to those whose intension is to perpetuate racism the convenience of quoting me when they do so.

“I therefore unreservedly and without qualification repeat my apology for using the k-word.”

The commission last month sent a letter to Khoza saying it had taken note of his remarks involving the word. The letter said that the statement was demeaning to black people in general and conflicted with the values of equity and human dignity which are at the heart of the South African Constitution.

The SAHRC says it has accepted Khoza' apology and now regards the matter as closed.