The feedback is that because he used it in private and generalised the statement that the disciplinary hearing panel, chaired by a white female, thought this to be worse than if he had directed it at the individual.
Huh? That doesn't make sense to me....Why is it worse if he used the insult in a "private" conversation?
On realising his faux pas, the captain apologised immediately (if this forum is to be believed) but this being the South Africa of today, it seems the Techy saw the opportunity to nail the dude and jumped at it with all the force he could muster. One down, a few million to go!