EDITORIAL: Racism should not be tolerated

A very shocking email exchange between two senior managers in a relatively new bank has been doing the rounds on social media. Whoever leaked the email may have infringed on the privacy of others, and possibly committed a felony, but he or she gave Rwandans a wakeup call. Our society is no stranger to racist and dehumanizing working conditions that our brethren work under, especially in foreign-run firms, not to say domestic and other low paying jobs. The victims prefer to keep up with the insults so as to be able to keep food on their tables, and their bosses get away with it. But once the scourge invades the professional ranks, where a condescending member of the “superior” race openly describes his Rwandan counterpart as a “monkey”, right in our own backyard, then there is no turning back. What is most surprising in this whole saga was that the bank appeared more interested in finding out the source of the leak instead of getting to the bottom of the racial slur and how far it runs in the company. Undermining the dignity of a Rwandan (‘agasuzuguro’) is the worst affront a foreigner, whatever their origin, can commit. Therefore, the latest racial slander at AB-Bank should not go unchecked but should serve as an example to any other person who might want to take that route. Just as we have laws that guard against genocide ideology, the same should apply to racism. It is only when we send that strong message that we will not condone racism within our borders that will help uproot the vice from our midst.

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EDITORIAL: Racism should not be tolerated