FORMER People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) Executive, James Bond has condemned his colleagues in the APNU+AFC for their “overtly” racial attacks on him and his acquaintance, who is a well-known businessman.

The attacks stem from a photograph of Bond holding an umbrella for the businessman that has since been making the rounds on social media.

“I saw a video from Mr. Duncan and some others; they are putting this (photograph) of me holding the umbrella for Azzrudin in a racial light with racial undertones,” Bond said in a response video of his own, which has also been making rounds on social media.

It would appear as though Bond’s colleagues in the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) were equating him holding the aforementioned umbrella to slavery, since his acquaintance is of different ethnic background.

“They are making it seem as if James Bond, a Black man, is not supposed to be holding the umbrella for another person. Here’s the thing, they are equating Azzrudin Mohamed to a White man or a slave owner or slave master,” Bond explained.

He continued: “And they are not doing it covertly; it’s overtly. They are putting it in your face.”

The former Member of Parliamentarian lamented the fact that the racism being spewed by his colleagues continue to do more damage to the fragility of Guyana’s race relations struggles. “Remember, in Guyana, we have terrible race relations, so now what these racists are doing is trying to make it seem that Mr. Mohamed or the race that he comes from or the class that he’s coming from, that they are the slave owners or slave masters; they’re like the masters of Guyana,” Bond posited.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that the APNU+AFC Coalition has been accused of perpetuating racism. As a matter of fact, it was during the last sitting of the National Assembly, Opposition Member of Parliament, Maureen Philadelphia was videoed verbally abusing the Personal Assistant to the Speaker of the National Assembly, who foiled the Opposition’s rowdy attempt to steal the Parliamentary Mace.

As Mr. Ean McPherson clutched the Mace in his protection as he lay on the floor, Philadelphia stood over him, calling him derogatory names and addressed him using racial slurs.
Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond subsequently expressed the view that the Opposition believes that it has a “monopoly” over Afro-Guyanese.

“This young man, lying down on the ground, unable to defend himself is being verbally assaulted and called the vilest of names and so what does this attitude says? This attitude says that as an Afro-Guyanese you have to automatically support the APNU+AFC, that is what you should do and when you don’t you are assaulted, insulted, berated and called all kinds of house slave,” Minister Walrond shared in disgust.

The minister went as far as to share her own personal experience, noting that she too was subject to the same kind of condemnation from the APNU+AFC when she was first appointed a minister of government under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), even before she was even given a chance to prove her competency.

“From day one I was berated about being a house slave and being unworthy because I have exercised my right of self-determination and decided that I want to support who I want to support and what I want to put my support behind,” Minister Walrond shared.

I’m the meantime, Bond, in his video, reminded that all Guyanese are equal. “They are our Guyanese brothers and sisters,” he noted.