Chronicle Editor
AFTER his scathing letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa over his disapproval about the lockdown regulations, Gareth Cliff received some major backlash for his choice of words.
Many criticised him for speaking from a point of ‘white privilege’.
He then hit back at those critics by saying they are busy making him the centre of attention instead of focusing on the matter he raised. He also made it known that he has nothing to personally gain from the open letter. Th e radio personality said that citizens are losing hope and are going to retaliate.
He also touched on the tobacco ban that has left many outraged.
“I’m not a smoker – I don’t like cigarettes at all – but when Minister Dlamini-Zuma announced that she was (aft er a consultation none of us believe happened) going to keep the ban on tobacco products in place, many of us (even the non-smokers) were ready to give her the middle finger – and start risking breaking the rules,” he threatened.
Gareth also said that people can take care of their own health and take chances with the virus.
“Many of us aren’t afraid of the virus any more. It’s our health and we’ll take our chances, thank you. We are afraid of the havoc your lockdown is wreaking on the economy, on people’s lives and livelihoods,” he said.
Responding to the backlash he said, “People who say, ‘Oh, you’re speaking on behalf of white people or people with money’, I’m like no, you’re projecting me into this story, it’s not about me. I find this whole thing bizarre.”
The ex-Idols judge also pointed out that a few other people have voiced the same sentiments as him, however they have not received the same backlash.
“I read Barney Mthombothi’s column in the Sunday Times yesterday, a man I respect enormously. He was pretty much echoing precisely the sentiments that I have … I don’t know if he got this hatred, maybe it was because he is not white.” he responded.—Zalebs.
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