The SA Human Rights Commission on Wednesday said it would investigate another toilet segregation allegation at an animal clinic in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo.
“We are not aware of this allegation, but we will look into it,” SAHRC spokesman Isaac Mangena told Sapa.
“We will visit and see. Yes we will send investigators to that place.”
Mangena was commenting after the Sowetan newspaper reported that the Blouberg Animal Clinic had separate toilets for whites and blacks.
The clinic is located in the same area as the Vleissentraal office block, which came under fire last week after reported claims of toilet racism emerged.
Veterinarian Freddie Harris, who co-owns the clinic, declined a request from the newspaper to comment.
Last week, the same newspaper reported that the Vleissentraal office block in Louis Trichardt allocated toilets according to race groups.
The SAHRC subsequently told Sapa it had sent investigators to the building.
It launched an investigation, and warned that it would resort to approaching the Equality Court if it did not get co-operation from the building’s owner Bennie van der Merwe.
Last week Wednesday, Van der Merwe opened a case of defamation against the Sowetan newspaper over the article.
Van der Merwe denied the racism allegations to Sapa and said the newspaper was defaming its name.
“The allegations are not true. The newspaper didn’t even consult us. They didn’t phone us for comment,” he said.
He also took issue with its “whites only” headline.
Van der Merwe said another case of intimidation was also opened with the police, after the building’s manager received threatening text messages.
“We received threatening SMSes from an EFF member who threatened to burn our building, but the EFF claims it’s not from them,” he said at the time.
Mangena, meanwhile, said the commission would be meeting with Van der Merwe later on Wednesday.
“He will be coming to our offices in Polokwane today. This meeting will form part of our investigation.”
