Anti-Muslim e-mail rocks Merc SA
2009-03-24 08:46
Mercedes Benz SA has suspended two employees after they allegedly sent out an anti-muslim e-mail, the company said on Monday.
The two - from the company's Centurion head office - had been suspended pending a full investigation, company spokeswoman Annelise van der Laan told Sapa.
"This goes against our company philosophy and we view this very seriously... we heard about the incident this morning (Monday) and we then suspended them."
Mercedes Benz SA also apologised to Media Review Network, the muslim website.
The matter arose after the website received an e-mail written in English and Afrikaans, allegedly from a senior employee of Mercedes Benz SA.
"The e-mail is accompanied by a series of horrendous photographs of the arm of a child being run over by a motor vehicle... the photographs are accompanied by Hebrew text," Media Review Network said in a statement.
It said it found the e-mail "derogatory to say the least". It sent "very erroneous and inflammatory signals about Islam and Muslims".
The website took the matter up with Mercedes-Benz SA and received an apology from the Mercedes-Benz SA president and CEO, Hansgeorg Niefer.
Niefer assured Media Review Network that the employees acted on their own initiative.
"The policy of Mercedes-Benz South Africa, with regard to company resources is zero tolerance."
Media Review Network said it had been advised that disciplinary action was initiated.
Niefer also gave the assurance that Mercedes-Benz South Africa would ensure that "something like this does not happen again", according to the website.
