Anti-NZ insults sicken migrants

By JULIE MIDDLETON


Negative and inflammatory comments about New Zealand on an internet message board for South Africans living here have shocked members of the 35,000-strong community.

South Africa's honorary consul in Auckland, Massey University international business professor Nick van der Walt, says the Human Rights Commission should investigate the anonymous messages.

But the commission's disputes resolution manager, Mervin Singham, says that allegations of inciting racial disharmony under section 61 of the Human Rights Act must be balanced against the right to free speech - and the postings do not breach the threshold.

"While the commission considers some of the messages offensive and insulting, that doesn't make them unlawful."

Dr van der Walt says that "these inhuman, destructive and appalling attitudes have absolutely no place in South Africa, New Zealand or in our world - they are absolutely abhorrent. They certainly do not reflect the attitude of the South African migrants I have encountered."

The message board is overseen by Aucklander Trish Rapson, and is part of an information website for South African immigrants.

Yesterday, she said she was "very shocked and upset" by the content and the message board would be shut down as soon as she could contact the administrator of its Canadian server.

She said the board was not being closely monitored when the postings, part of a dialogue, began to appear between late December and March 5.

The internet conversation also contains rebukes from other South Africans.

"If you don't like it here," writes one, "then move on. I am tired of hearing South African people complaining all the time."