As a dark-skinned South African woman, I found this comment offensive, disrespectful, and discriminator

Title: Discriminatory Comment by Security Officer at Builders Warehouse Tonk Meter Crossing

On 03 June 2026 at approximately 16:22, I visited Builders Warehouse Tonk Meter Crossing to purchase a voucher.

As I was leaving the store, I greeted a security officer as I normally do. We have exchanged greetings and small talk on previous occasions.

After greeting me back, he said, "You haven't left yet." I did not understand what he meant, so he continued by saying, "30 June is coming, you should be gone by now."

As a dark-skinned South African woman, I found this comment offensive, disrespectful, and discriminatory. I understood the statement to imply that I am a foreign national who should not be in South Africa. Given the current tensions and discussions surrounding foreign nationals, I believe such remarks are inappropriate and unacceptable from someone working in a customer-facing security role.

The officer is employed by ISMS Integrated Security Management Solutions and was stationed at Builders Warehouse Tonk Meter Crossing at the time of the incident. For identification purposes, I believe his surname may be Khoza, although I am not completely certain. The duty roster for that date and time should assist in identifying the individual concerned.

This incident left me feeling humiliated, judged, and unwelcome. I expect customers and members of the public to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their appearance, race, nationality, or background.

I would like both Builders Warehouse and ISMS Security to investigate this matter and provide feedback on the outcome of their investigation.

Lindiwe Machabe

Contact Number: ***

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