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South African elections

South African Elections

by Dr. Firoz Osman

Election manifestoes and party lists are being minutely scrutinised as the electorate debates the various options to elect a leadership that will determine their future over the next few years.

Fifteen years into our democracy, we have unfortunately joined the electoral shenanigans of other nations such as corruption and intimidation. This has become a common and widespread feature of the democratic process, together with a lack of focus on substance, minimal differing policy issues between the various parties, and an overemphasis superficial values and populism.

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Mrn praises mercedes benz swift action

MRN praises Mercedes-Benz swift action

The Media Review Network who this week raised the alarm about an Islamaphobic email forwarded by two employees of Mercedez-Benz SA have expressed their appreciation for the swift manner in which the company responded to the complaint. The matter has been widely covered in the media this on Tuesday, who also reported that the company had suspended two employees over the incident. Speaking to VOC on Tuesday, Ebrahim Vawda of the MRN explained that they first became aware of the email 10 – 12 days ago.

According to Vawda, the email originated from a manager at the company, identified as Frank Booysen. It included a series of photographs which originated as far back as 2004 showing a vehicle driving over the arm of a youth. It was accompanied by text, which Vawda said indicated that the author was “some kind of an evangelist”. The text, written in Afrikaans, read “We are mistaken if we think that evil was rampant or existed only in the past when man was created. The same God who created Adam, is today witnessing the evil, heedlessness and horror of the world.”

 

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Response from mercedes benz

Response from Mercedes-Benz

Dear Mr Vawda

We have been made aware, that during the course of last week individual staff members from our company sent out emails with content of which members of the Islamic community may take offence.

The respective employees acted in a private initiative and illegally abused our company email for this purpose.   Mercedes-Benz South Africa has a zero tolerance policy in this regard and we instantly initiated disciplinary action.

On behalf of Mercedes-Benz South Africa as well as on behalf of Daimler AG in Germany I would like to reiterate our pride in our long successful history and tradition as global multi-cultural and multi-national organisations.   In fact, our diversity has always been an integral and elementary contributor to our success.

I would like to express my deep and sincere regret for this incident and promise that we will do everything possible to ensure, that something like this does not happen again.

Dr Hansgeorg Niefer
President & CEO
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

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