Virgin Active's muted response to racism provokes outrage on social network

A muted response by a gym group Virgin Active to a racist incident at its Morningside branch has provoked an outcry on social networks.

The woman, Liz Hleza, 51, alleged that she was labelled a "bloody kaffir, a cockroach and a selfish bitch" by a man in her spinning class on December 31 after she continuously shouted "yebo" to the music and exercise.

"I was so scared and thought he was going to hit me, he was very angry. He said I should keep quiet and kept saying this bloody kaffir, you kaffir. He was pointing fingers at me. He said bloody cunt and that I was a selfish bitch," News 24 quoted Hleza, as saying.

"He also told me that I was born walking on four legs with a tail, and I should go back to the bushes where I belong and make that noise there," he added.

Hleza complained to her manager but when he called the man and his friend to his office, they refused to go.

The woman was dissatisfied with the way the Virgin management handled the situation.

Virgin Active's Karen Gordon said that the franchise did not tolerate discrimination and that "the member that allegedly misbehaved also received formal correspondence... which included a final warning".

Though the man has apologised to Hleza in a meeting convened by the club, she said she wanted her story to be made public "because... there are still people like that out there". (ANI)