I feel a need to have one of my
rants, and am writing an essay there on.
There is something missing in
post-apartheid South Africa, and it is resulting in things getting worse, not
better. The attitude of White South Africa as a collective, rather than as
individuals, seems to have gone backwards in the last 10 years, not forward.
I need to clarify that this is based
more on the comments I see below articles published in the media, rather than
on anything people I know have said or done (that said there is still plenty of
backroom racism in White South Africa). I am talking about White South Africa
as an entity, not individuals.
The media coverage of and discussion
on reflections on Winnie Madikizela Mandela's life and her value as a struggle
leader are quite alarming. As I read articles on her life I realise how little
I know about her, but also, how little of what I know can be trusted, as it was
produced by corrupt apartheid era media, propaganda machines if you will. She
has always been reviled by the "white" media, painted as a violent
human rights violator, without any acknowledgement that she was at war, and
during war there are human rights abuses on all side. I’m not justifying some of her methods, I’m not saying she was a
saint. But what she was, was a huge
anti-apartheid activist who dedicated her life to fighting one of the worst human
rights abuses in the history of human kind – yet this seems to be being brushed
aside. But more alarming to me,
however, is the idea that, in general, White South Africa seems to be
absolutely unwilling to acknowledge that the impression they have had of her
since 1986 might…
a. not be correct;
b. might be the result of the
apartheid government's collusion to frame her and paint her in a negative light
in order to take away her power.
We don't know all the facts, and
probably never will, but 30 years after the end of apartheid, where is the
"new" education of white people to make up for the propaganda we were
fed from 1950 – 1990? White South Africa must forget everything they think they
now about WMM and start again. We cannot trust what you were told in 80s. And we
should know this by now.
Media coverage of the constitutional
decision to allow land reclamation without compensation, and the hysterical commentary
beneath it, also alarms me. Where is a consciousness in White South Africa that
white lives are privileged and the quality of black lives matter? The lack of
recognition of white privilege in South Africa, where you'd think people would
be most aware of it, is actually the worst I've seen anywhere in the world. I'd
go so far as to suggest most of White South Africa would argue that they are
not privileged at all and have worked for everything they have. If you
genuinely believe this, I suggest you go and read about what white privileged
actually is, with an open mind, and think again. Most white farmers inherited
their farm, the ultimate form of privilege. How that land came to be in their
family varies from situation to situation, but it is very unlikely that the
people who were living a subsistence existence there before it began being
farmed by whites, whether it was in 1830 or 1930, was paid fairly for that
land. Yes I know that some people with
farms are in financial dire straits and have actually had to mortgage their
land, and no I am not saying taking the land ala Zimbabwe is the answer, but a
discussion IS required, land does need to be repatriated. Yet
most of White South Africa are absolutely unwilling to discuss this in anyway
at all, desperately hanging on to, yet refusing to acknowledge, their privilege.
In fact, whenever any movement is put in place to remove any of that privilege,
White South Africa gets hysterical, crying reverse racism and human rights
abuse. The removal of privilege feels like oppression to the privilege – but it
is not – it is equality. I saw someone use an analogy the other day of
a football / soccer match which I’d going to add to. In the analogy, for the first half of the
match, one team is cheating by using performance enhancing drugs and a bribed
referee. The half time score is 15 – 0.
At half time they admit to cheating, but the game continues with the same
players and the same ref, just with the score reset. Of course the other team
will still complain. How can we move forward in a “colour-blind” South Africa,
when white privilege is still absolutely rife?
Finally – where is South Africa’s Black
Lives Matter campaign? Whenever there are protests by non-white South Africans
for anything, I only see judgement of the method of protest, never any
acknowledgement of why the people might be protesting. No, I don’t think throwing stones at cars and burning tyres is a good
way to attract attention to your cause,
but it does not NEGATE that cause. And for that matter, if no one pays
attention to your protest until you throw stones, fault lies on more than one
side. White South Africa loves to place all the blame for the hopeless
situation most rural South Africans find themselves in solely at the door of
the ANC, and JZ, with no further reflection on the legacy of apartheid and the
fact that the problem was created by the apartheid government, even if the ANC
has failed to solve it. Black lives
matter is a huge movement in the US, and goodness knows we could do with it
here. This also ties in with the "genocide" of white farmers and how
we must move, as united front, to do something about it. I refused to wear black
last year to highlight the plight of white farmers. The generalised entity that is White South
Africa only cares when white/urban people are murdered, kidnapped or missing. Every murder is a problem, not just white
farmers, every missing child is a crisis, not just white children. Until we all
fight to improve the safety and quality of life of all South Africans, no
wonder there is a negative perception of whites by black South Africans. It is
white privilege and ambivalence to the plight of poor South Africans that is
leading to the rise of extremists like the EFF. If they come to power, and a revolution
occurs, White South Africa only has itself to blame. We are the Bourgeoisie,
and the Bolsheviks will come if we do not allow change.
30 years after the end of apartheid
so little has changed in the life of White South Africans, and there is almost
no recognition that it SHOULD change. There has been also no reckoning, and
there seems to be more and more apartheid apologists in white society. I never
want to hear / see a comment like “under apartheid things worked” again when
driving around a pot hole – it is one of the most ignorant and insensitive
things you could ever say. Worked for whom? You. Certainly not non-white South
African. And if we must all deal with pot holes so that non-whites have access
to the health care and schooling that was denied to them, so be it. Saying
things were better under apartheid is white privilege of the worst kind.
So what do we, as the average White
South African do about it? For a start I don’t even own any land to give back
to people. No-one has a magic wand they can wave. But we can control our
thoughts and words, and they lead to change. Here is what we can do…
1. Challenge racism and privilege – in conversation around the braai, at
work in the coffee room, around the dinner table, and most importantly on the
internet.
2. Think critically about apartheid and post-apartheid politics. Bear in
mind that our opinion might be influence by apartheid era propaganda that was
taught in schools etc. Read articles on the same topic written outside of South
Africa. Read articles written by the conservative and the liberal press. Make
an informed decision.
3. Consider the reason behind protests. Think about why people are
protesting, even consider supporting a protest. The power is with the people,
and we are all the people. Just because you do not have a water, power or
unemployment problem, does not mitigate the reality of the problem. I am
certainly planning on being more politically active in the future.
4. Let’s start thinking that non-white lives matter in South Africa too. Let’s
fight for the rights of all South Africans. Let’s not only get worked up when
something effects affluent urban South Africa. Not just through charity and handouts.
Through action – let’s think and fight for all people. Identify issues in your community that might
not affect you, but does affect other people, and do something about it.
As of today – I am a political activist.
It was always in me, but it is time to come out.
Disclaimer: if you disagree with me,
well done on making it this far. Go
ahead and unfriend me if you like, I’ll get over it, but please don’t write a
comment on this that harks back to the things I’ve written in bold and
underlined. I’ve dealt with them already. I’ll happily engage in debate that
actually indicates you’ve read my post and understand what white privilege is,
but will be ruthless with those that have not.
https://mg.co.za/article/2018-04-03-in-death-mam-winnie-has-rallied-her-mourners
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/03/winnie-mandela-hero-white-protest-apartheid
https://www.news24.com/MyNews24/i-am-a-beneficiary-of-white-privilege-20171012
