This is us. No miracle nation. No rainbow nation. Just us: violent; intolerant of difference — hitting where it hurts. Let’s not try to sweet-talk ourselves. This is who we are. Let’s look ourselves in the eye.
We are lurching from crisis to crisis at every level of our society, the latest being the extremes of inhumanity described by the catch-all term “xenophobia”.
This is not new. We started off badly in the 1990s when the ANC leadership ditched the original Reconstruction and Development Programme for the current dog-eats-dog economic policy. Roundabout that time was also when we thought it was OK to lock up children. How many criminals have we bred in our overcrowded prisons since? And then there was Thabo Mbeki’s denial of the prevalence of rape (we weren’t so concerned about that), followed by his Aids denialism (some of us were concerned about that).
In between it all, the arms deal happened and the ANC leadership just had to pull the teeth of Parliament — no inquisitive public representatives, please! All the while the crime rate was picking up with, in the background, ever-increasing inequality.
We were off to a bad start. We just didn’t realise how bad. So all of what’s happening now is not new. What’s new is the rapid rate at which we have been revealing our social pathologies over the past two years.
The attacks against foreigners are us hitting at an obvious place of difference: nationality. But look at the other characteristics of these attacks: the gender-based violence; the brutality of the attacks; ethnicity/race; the socio-economic dimension.
The latter has given our politicians the opportunity to suggest that the attacks are “merely” criminal behaviour — as though criminal behaviour is somehow outside of society.
This kind of thinking is what got us into this mess in the first place, because it means conveniently projecting our ills on to “the other” and thereby avoiding having to confront what is going on.
“The criminals” are the convenient scapegoats on whom we pin our social disfunction. When in doubt, finger “the criminals”. And when you incite people to “shoot the bastards”, as the most honourable Deputy Minister Susan Shabangu recently did with reference to criminals, you will receive a chorus of ululation from all of us peace-loving South Africans.
But who are “the criminals”? Why, our homes are frequently the unsafest places in our society. Look at the levels of domestic violence: between 20% and 30% of women have suffered violence at the hands of an intimate partner, according to one study. And half of female murder victims are killed by intimate partners — the highest rate in the world.
Gender-based violence is the most primary of violent reactions against “otherness”. That is where some men construct themselves as “dominant” by forcefully imposing a hierarchical relationship on a gendered someone over whom they have the physical upper hand. Most of them get away with it because our society, by and large, finds it acceptable.
Half of the reported rape victims in our society are children — the most vulnerable group. We will probably never know the true levels of rape or of sexual assault of children. Again, these are condoned, usually through silence.
We strike at difference — “the other” in our homes; “the other” in our neighbourhoods. Private meets public. We prefer to lash out at the vulnerable, the marginal. (Why not? They don’t fight back most of the time.) Not just the foreigners, or female partners.
Remember when we used to be shocked by baby rapes? Now some of us (only a few, don’t worry) are shocked by the rapes and murders of lesbian women. Another lesbian recently died, bringing the tally to at least four in the past two years. This means four people have died because of their sexual orientation.
And every now and again we find out about abuse perpetrated against one of the most invisible groups in our society, the elderly. There are also the attacks with only one motive: racism. These are the ones that usually get the most attention as it is an issue high up on the agenda of our country’s elite.
Sometimes an attack doesn’t end in rape or death. But it always involves humiliation — ironically, because the right to dignity has been emphasised in Constitutional Court rulings as the foremost of all the rights in our Constitution.
Most of the time, categories of vulnerability and difference converge in the attacks, as in black, elderly, female cleaner (viz the Free State case).
This is us. To try to blame our favourite “other”, the criminals, doesn’t wash.
Indeed, criminal justice researcher Antony Altbeker calculated in his book A Country at War with Itself that between one in every 25 and one in every 40 men in South Africa committed at least one rape, murder or armed robbery in 2006/07.
“They” are among us. “They” are us.
So, when looking at the current wave of attacks against foreigners, we see our fundamental problem with misogyny is in there. Our fundamental problem with brutal violence, so horribly demonstrated in extreme events of crime, is also in there.
As is racism. Not too many years ago, Mbongeni Ngema, one of our foremost playwrights and a friend of the powers that be in government, released a little ditty called AmaNdiya in which he called on his “brothers” to confront the Indians who “just keep coming from India” and own lots of businesses while black people live in shacks. (Would love to see Ngema’s “shack”!)
Ngema said at the time he was merely expressing the feelings of many Africans. Well, those “feelings” have been put into action. The attacks against foreigners have also extended to Indians and some of the attackers have used the opportunity to get at Shangaans, long a maligned group, and Vendas and Pedis.
And lastly, of course, our other fundamental problem in there is socio-economic inequality and poverty. Attackers have seemingly systematically emptied out the shops and dwellings of their victims. Which reminds one of the tales of Serbs carrying fridges and televisions out of the houses of their Muslim victims during the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. Ethnic cleansing goes well with asset grabbing — which idea came first? But, needless to say, avarice finds less fertile ground in less unequal societies. Which we decidedly are not, being at the top of the global inequality index.
At the beginning I said our society is in crisis at every level. We know of the malaise among the rulers; the abuse of state institutions, the hounding of people with principles, the protection of the corrupt. We also know our state bureaucracy has been floundering. And we know we are really angry and we like to take it out on each other.
But let’s illustrate it from a Zimbabwean refugee’s perspective. Let’s start at the so-called top. The government of South Africa is shielding and aiding the Zanu-PF tyranny through statements by its leader; its approval to move Chinese armaments through South Africa; its actions at the Security Council of the United Nations; and its relative inaction in its bilateral relationship with Zimbabwe and its multilateral relations within the Southern African Development Community.
As the tyranny’s bloody grip on Zimbabwean society tightens, you make it across the border wires and past the South African customs officials into South Africa (the latter may involve bribery). Eventually you make it to Pretoria and to the Department of Home Affairs. When you finally get to the counter — after sleeping on the street in the queue for several days or more — you are face to face with the South African bureaucrat. If you’re a man, you will probably get away with paying a bribe to have your paperwork as a refugee processed. If you’re a woman, rape may also be required. After all, this is South Africa.
Then you’re on the streets of this sunny country. And we know what happens there.
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93 Responses to “This is us. Welcome to South Africa”
I would even go back and say, in 1994 we were told we have forgiven each other when it was clear we did not. Us the children of a divine miracle, the special ones, us the ones closest to the celectial one. Its no wonder we look down on our brothers and sisters.
We carry with us, the vileness of apartheid. We also carry with us the dept to our struggle heroes whose struggle credentials seem to give the a perpetual ‘get out of jail free’ card.
Can seem depressing at times, but a lot of good is out there. Good is just not news-worthy.
I’m so bored of South Africa. And all its problems. All I ever read in the papers is about racism, violence, xenophobia, rape, crime, murder, gangsters, tic addictions, corruption, exhortation, BEE, reverse racism, brain drain, food prices, petrol prices, inflation, tribalism, hegemony (I don’t even know what that word means but I hear it is a problem), transport, electricity, poverty, immigrants, emigrants and pollutants.
But I have never heard about the daily interactions I have that are great. I have never heard about all the times that I went to the shops, traveled to work or went to the beach, and nothing happened. I have never heard about the day that I didn’t get ripped off, raped or murdered. I have never heard about the day that the electricity did work or the day that someone got a job or the day that South Africa seemed to be a cool place to live.
Very sombre, very astute (as much as it pains me to face that).
What really grates though (and this is mainly I suppose because I am currently grappling with the fact that I may be a racist) is that these societal ills that you describe seem to my (possibly racist) mind to manifest mainly in the black community.
Is this simply a numbers game - you know the oft quoted formula: ‘more black people equals more black criminals - simple mathematics; no indication of character or inclination’?
Or does it point to a general baseness of character?
If not the former, who is it then that is really resistant to transformation in our new Rainbow Nation?
Unfortunately, black South Africans are not giving the rest of us much to believe in.
Why the big Hooha? After all we’ve only killed 20-odd foreigners. We murder 60 of our own on a daily basis (without the Hooha). Why worry about a little xenophobia, when we have a full-on racist cenocidal war against our farmers. The score there is 3000+ (no Hooha there). Oh, and add a little torture -just for good measure.All this while the ANC just watches.
So, what’s the big deal about a bunch of foreigners?
Why Christi’s essay devolved into a carefully camouflaged feminist diatribe is beyond me. Crime is crime is crime whether against women, children, men or the elderly. By focusing on one category of victims will not solve the problem. And will not solve the bigger issue of crime either. Our society has become morally bankrupt. “This is us” Ms vd Westhuizen, includes EVERYBODY - we are all victims.
If SA wants to go fast forward we should go alone, but if we want to go far we should go together with Foreigners (Sounds familiar nhe!).
Its better we go far-fast together…Leave the ones who are making friends with Dictators…what dictators?
Another blog bashing the Xenophobic attacks. Just about every TL blogger has cashed in and had their rant about it. Like jackals feeding on a carcass.
Yet is anyone addressing the cause? The fact that illegal immigrants are pouring in and competing for too little resources and that ethnic conflict is just normal in heterogenous societies? That government is not addressing the cause (immigration and economic stagnation) nor the solution? The Yugoslavian solution was segregation into enclaves.
The Xenophobic attackers are easy to bash as no one will defend them, not even the most ardent Black racists. They are getting it worse than white males at present, whom everyone loves to bash.
Come on Black racists, try and make a defence of this so at least we can have a debate instead of endless rants against the xenophobic attacks.
Oh, what a tragic state of affairs! As we have become accustomed to, Christi vd Westhuizen once again hits the nail right on the head - this time sadly so. As South Africans, we should all examine ourselves seriously: our motives, our utterances, our prejudices, our hatreds… some of us might not be actively involved in the recent violence, but too many of us still harbour resentment against others on the grounds of race, sexual orientation and gender. Please let us start seeing each other’s humanity and treat each other with decency, then we will also be honouring ourselves and the sacred space where we all originated as human beings. Time to stop and think about what we are doing!
What, Christi, no blame on the Afrikaners or apartheid? Surely we must somehow figure in the equation…
PS: There is huge inequality, of course. Especially between local South African blacks and there continental brethren. The former are comparatively stinking rich, even the so-called “poor” in Alex. Why else would millions of illegals flood across our borders.
I would love to see Ms van der Westhuizen twist herself into knots trying to explain the fundamental contradiction above: on the one hand, she loves demonizing apartheid and Afrikaners, but on the other hand the mere existence of millions of illegals testify loudly to the fact that apartheid was a benefit to SA’s blacks.
Feeble attempt to spread the blame so widely that it attaches itself to everybody in general and therefore to nobody in particular.
Exactly the same stunt the ANC cabinet tried to pull after the Eskom power crisis — the daffy “collective responsibility” which really translated into “nobody was responsible”.
I certainly agree with you, i have published an article on my blog to the same effect. It is us South Africans who have caused this indeed, and we have the audacity to pass the busk, no one has the right to kill simply because they are frustrated by government’s ability to deliver on its promises. Only if we start looking inwards will we finally find an answer! Brilliant insights Christi!
All I can say is HEAR, HEAR! South Africa is in denial. We do NOTHING wrong in this country, the leaders say. Everything is happening from the outside (sounding familiar?). Africa is just one cozy little nest of love. IN THEIR DREAMS!
I do not think South Africa, being part of Africa, can handle the truth. It seems this continent is in love with itself looking in the mirror as the boat goes down. No group in this country is innocent, but no group wants to take responsibility and say WE MESSED UP! LET’S GET IT RIGHT THE SECOND, THIRD OR FOURTH TIME! Oh no.
I enjoyed this article. We are in a mess in South Africa and it will take everyone involved to solve this.
As a expert on liberal denialism, you started rather well, i honestly believe you looked yourself in the eye, but ultimately, you bottled it, and reverted to type!
Let me start by saying, this is not US. (So I fit with the terms of your text in blaming THEM). I am a white, middle class male of European extraction.
1 in 25-40 South African’s may have raped, murdered or committed armed robbery each year, but I haven’t, and nor have, to the best of my ability, any of my friends, associates, or even whites who live in my town. So that would be 0 in 10,000. Maybe there have been a couple of unreported rapes, but if there were 10, and i doubt that there were, that would still be 1 in 1,000, so lets start by calling a spade a spade, you mean 1 in 25-40 BLACK South Africans. I am not gloating, but if you really want to solve the problem, then pretending that we are all equally guilty will not wash, we are not.
Next, of course, you still find your way back to the 2008 poisoned chalice of liberalism, the free state incident. When you have just watched what is happening to black people at the hands of other black people, how dare you mention the free state incident in the same breath. Bad as it was, it pales into the insignificance it deserves compared to the bigger picture. How about, why would whites in the UFS WANT to be integrated with people who behave like this? By your own figures, the whites in the koshuis (i think it housed +/- 2000) were being asked to live with 80 rapist, armed robbers or murderers. Why would they want to do that?
The more i live in Africa the more it becomes ABUNDANTLY clear what the problem is. African culture is still primitive, and not as advanced as western culture. Africans still need to become more civilised. This is I know a broad stroke, and there will be exceptions, but in general terms this is the truth, and the evidence in undeniable. In civilised society you don’t rape babies, burn trains because they are late, cut people up for muti or laugh at people dying in agony after you have set them on fire. There may be sporadic examples, and I am sure we will now here them all, but the more civilized you become, the less they occur.
So come Christi, if you really want to solve the problem, look it in the eye, then maybe we can make racial equality and the dream of a rainbow nation a reality, not a bad joke.
The answer to your question is easy: the 20 odd victims are black. It is embarrassing so everyone falls over themselves to apologise. If the perpetrators were white everyone would be baying for their blood and only racism would do as the explanation.
The genocidal war against whites and farmers has white victims and black perpetrators. That is something best swept under the carpet. Whites can never be victims; they are racist oppressors and only evidence of their racism is important.
it’s a shame that you are white and saying this because the resident anc apologists will instantly dismiss what you are saying. at the same time, the people on this board who don’t feel that black governments can get anything right are feeling really emboldened.
that said, most “black diamonds” — who are so debt-addled that they should be called “cubic zirconias” instead — are so blinded by the government’s rhetoric [or lack thereof] that they won’t do anything meaningful.
i’m not rushing to buy any guns to fight off people who run down the main artery in my neighborhood yelling “amakwerekwere awahambe”, but should someone try to enter my house, that’s that. all bets are off.
but then again, it’s more about poverty and inequality than anything else. on the day of the worst violence thus far, the JSE hits are record high? that pretty much explains the bazaroworld we live in — the GLARING inequality.
angolans and mozambicans living in townships have it bad here. they also have it just as bad, and for the same reason in the slums of the #2 country on the inequality index — brazil.
to be honest, i really wish that more south africans would, via the ballot box, stand up to these incestuous oligarchs who have more loyalty to each other and their bank balances than to the people of the country and send them all packing. but that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. it took 28 years for mad bob to lose a rigged election [we all know he lost in 2002, but still], and morgan’s bumbling means that bob [and phiri, and chiwenga] will still get to hold on and call the shots.
it is possible to have a business-friendly, pro-poor economic policy. it really is. however, the people who are running the show now are more concerned about business-friendly, and the next lot are more concerned about pro-poor. these are two great tastes that taste great together, but as long as the ruling party continues to maintain in deed and word that these are mutually exclusive, south africa is just going to be stuck.
and i agree with you. mbeki is continuing to show that he has been wrong and continues to be wrong on topics from A[IDS] to Z[imbabwe]. i thought we could have maybe skipped “x”, there aren’t that many words in english that start with “x”, but no, he made it so easy to fill in that blank.
Just wait broer. It will come, the attack on afrikaners. They are xenophobic because afrikaner apartheid made them violent and race conscious, it was afrikaners’ fault that SA blacks were more wealthy than other blacks, causing immigration, afrikaners made the townships in the first place, the matches used were made by afrikaners, the name Diepsloot is afrikaans etc. You know how it goes…..and always will go.
Think they will praise me as a great PC liberal for this attempt at afrikaner bashing?
The xenophobic violence of the past week has left me feeling physically ill. Though I’m too young to have any memories of the township violence during our apartheid past, I have always comforted myself with the false notion that those days are behind us - that we are now working toward something special, and that I must and will play a part in this rebuilding process.
But killing and injuring innocent people (including women and children) are not what I expected as part and parcel of the building process - though I very well knew there would be bumps on the way.
For heaven’s sake, why are we doing this?
I have too wondered why government doesn’t come out stronger against these attacks, but there’s something wrong in a society that needs a government to tell them that killing is wrong!
It seems as though the ANC couldn’t transform itself from a struggle organisation to a political party, but that they completely forgot that they also need to educate the massas that the people of this country need to come out of “struggle mode” and act like citizens of a democracy.
Anger and frustration must be shown at the voting booth - not with guns and knives on the streets.
A pessimistic but somewhat a real accord of South Africans. I would have preferred links and more referencing in the article. So as to create further reading, scrutiny, constructive thinking, reasoning and objectivity.
I am referring to paragraph 10 where you mention a study yet you do not clearly supply the findings of this study in terms of the rate of violence leveled at female South African intimate counterparts. Furthermore, there is no comparison of SA’s violence to that of other countries. Moreover, there is no comparison of SA with other countries in the same region –SADC- as SA i.e) Botswana, Lesotho etcetera
In addition, you did not inform us –as readers- where the study was done, who or which organisation did it, what the area of focus was and the rationale behind such a study. The manner in which par.10 is written creates a lot of doubt and un-comfortability with regards to the statements you made about the study. Thereby discrediting the weight of the facts raised.
South Africans are beyond the state of disappointment from the ANC and consequently government. The empty and undelivered promises of a “better life for all contract” and the commitment to a “people’s contract” are being viewed as falsehoods and deceptions by ANC politicians.
This is so that the people keep on voting for the ANC in the promise of a better life. However at ground level -people feel betrayed, deceived and being made fools of since they voted the ANC into power 14 years ago.
All these elements are brought to face because of the lack of service delivery. For anyone who watched the news yesterday on SABC, seeing so many poor people in so many shacks, shook a disturbing, woeful, dreadful and shocking side of SA -one that you only read about in Daily Sun’s front page stories. And that is the reality of SA, a country of two worlds after 14 years of democracy and the demise of Apartheid.
The worlds I am talking about is firstly the first world and secondly the third world. Government has failed to address the many warnings about these dichotomist worlds. Firstly, the housing protests in Cape Town. Secondly, the poor clarity and management of illegal foreigners and corruption. You will remember that Special Assignment highlighted the Zimbabwean crisis some years ago stating that about 20 000 Zimbwabweans enter the country illegally. What was government’s response to this? Clearly nothing, as if they did act many foreigners would not be living horrendously, jittery and victimized as they are currently. Thirdly, the attack on Somalis in the Western Cape of which 24 Somalis were brutally murdered: Source Special Assignment. The torching of ward counsellors houses due to poor service delivery or unmet targets without substantial community communication: Source www.citypress.co.za;www.mg.co.za
Thus these ignored warnings of poor service delivery frustrations caused by government have led to the out-breaks of xenophobic attacks and these are not racist but they are profusely economical xenophobic attacks. The real question is; why are so many South Africans still so poor in light of substantial policies such as RDP, Gear, poverty alleviation programmes, Jipsa and AsgiSA –amongst various others?
One thing certain, poor South Africans have lost hope in the ANC led Government and are now resorting to the only resource they have and that is violence. These attacks will transgress into protest marches for the removal of certain leaders in power and widespread unrest and uprising soon. It is to be noted that these are desperate, unemployed, poor and vulnerable people who have turned violent as a symbol of crying for efficient, adequate and sustainable service delivery. One that was promised to them by the ANC who have since failed defilingly.
Christi - this is sombre and as depressing as hell. It takes a lot to depress me. But I’m wallowing in the depths of despair at this point.
This is a dark hour. When we look back at this period, we should all collectively hang our heads in shame and embarrassment. I never thought I’d say this but;
“South Africa, we love you
Our beautiful land
Let’s show the whole world
We can bring peace in our land”
“Apartheid government adopted to detentions without trial, torture, censorship, and the banning of political opposition from organizations such as the African National Congress, the Black Consciousness Movement, the Azanian People’s Organisation, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the United Democratic Front, which were popularly considered liberation movements. Despite suffering extreme repression and exile, these organizations maintained popular support for the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa and forged connections with the international anti-apartheid movement during this period”
The apartheid commenced in Specific period: 1950 – 1994 and the democracy from 1994- current, this implies that the chaos created by the White man will never take 10 or 14 years to be eradicated. The apartheid has demoralized the black nation’s thoughts. The revolution still continues even though democracy is still growing. We may not defy the corruption within governance and the escalation of crime in South Africa but we have a society that still needs to be educated and empowered.
I’m not blaming the white man but I think this incident is being exaggerated, I wish that Christi has conducted her qualitative research properly without having to sit in the libraries, browsing the net but being participant amongst the society that have suffered. AGAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING CURRENTLY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ETHNICITY, RACISM, TRIBALISM OR XENOPHOBIA. We need the government to be submissive and hear the people’s interests. After all HE IS THE PRESIDENT FOR THE PEOPLE. What mostly affects us is the brutality that erupted as a result of the President not responding to the cries of our black people.
Christi I live in a community where drugs are like buying packet of sweets and you know what the most people who are dealers are actually the foreigners, we have foreigners entering SA everyday illegally! We have South Africans that are desperately seeking jobs yet the doors are closed.
Now you busy Christi emphasizing crime occurred during democratic period which this democracy is still on its teens and the Apartheid regime was practiced for decades and left SA in debts.
Ntombizonke Mehlomakulu on May 20th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I’m a South African, but not a proud South African. Looking at all the crisis we face here in SA, I can’t honestly be proud of this. Maybe one day I (we) can be proud of being who we are again.
And yet – We’ll vote ANC next year, more than 50% of us…
Because we want the free Smartie box house and the Mbeki grant rather that jobs, security, freedom from AIDS and a feeling of self worth.
No! - This is a BLACK thing. I don’t see any white faces in the masses. I don’t see any white faces in the top structures of our despotic Government. The only white faces are the few policemen (had you noticed?)
It’s time for a little honesty guys - why not challenge me if you disagree
I do not think that the government is business friendly at all, that is the problem. You are quite right we can have both, in fact, for either to succeed we need both.
If our economy was really thriving, and it is a nonsense that it is, then we would be creating jobs, which would create wealth. The ANC are focused on power and nepotism, and take no responsibility for the results they achieve, in fact they do the very opposite.
@ Xolani
The poor, for whom i fell desperately sorry, they have been betrayed, do have choices, and have not been forced to behave this way.
They can simply elect another party, they just wont. They are like the ‘Turkeys that voted for Christmas’ (An English saying where turkey was the staple christmas meal - you get the point i am sure.)
No point wailing away and giving the culprits a mandate to carry on.
Ndumiso, I suspect the constant deflections at Zulus being responsible has an agenda? Those Zulus getting too much say in the ANC these days? One specific Zulu anyway. Take them and the foreigners down with one blow? Soon they will be saying Mfecane II.
@Ndumiso
Take any group of poor jobless people with no decent levels of education and you can easily drive them on a xenophobic race. It will be worse if the foreigner represent about 10% of the whole population.
The problem is to act like an ostrich for too long (remember the “No Crisis”?), and when things come to this point you should see police to purely desmiss any concentration of menacing people. What do they expect from dozens of guys with sticks, knives, etc, gathering together? Does authority hope they’re heading to a soccer match? These mobs should be attacked, dismantled and arrested all together on the spot! And individually identified for a later accusation of weapon possession and so on.
It’s not the mob’s fault. It is of those who let them go around like that! Now, don’t tell me police have no experience for that. So, there is one thing left: they have been hold back until the last minute.
So, it’s not even an economic issue. It’s all political.
Wow you live in a sad world. You should come and visit the rest of us in South Africa. You might relax for a bit, spend your day being one of the people who do some good, instead of making everyone too depressed (with seemingly good reason) to do anything about anything.
Although, I do enjoy reading the neanderthal-era posts of people like Consulting Engineer, who climb on to the bandwagon with their whiney little agenda at the drop of the hat. I’d like to take a very serious bet that if someone where to talk about the safety of clothe-pin manufacture in China, Consulting Whingeneer would find some way to relate it to black people and how “base” they are.
The really scary thing is that while so many of these blogs seem to play into the hands of these racist, bitter, dinosaur relics… NONE of the authors have any response to them, not even to tell them where to get off, or quite simply to zip it and emmigrate. WHY? Again, simply, because the authors tacitly support the sentiment, but are too afraid to come out and say it themselves.
Reading these blogs on M&G is slowly becoming a waste of time.
Too right. we are reaping the consequences of the greed of colonial disposession , the greed of apartheid, the greed of globalisation and the worsening inequalities of the last 14 years due to discredited macroeconomic policies still being defended by the 3 TMs- Thabo Mbeki, Trevor Manuel and Tito “chicken-wings” Mboweni. When will this ??leadership ever take responsibility or apologise to thge nation for their systematic destruction of our post-apartheid hopes of building a caring egalitarian nation. The current global energy crisis aka peak oil and the global food crisis will only make the situation much worse. We need powerful leadership like Hugo Chavez , Evo Morales, Nestor Kirchner of Latin America to put this country back on a course of humanitarian economic development as opposed to the neoliberal free-market drivel of the current government policy. SA New Economics Network (see www.sane.org.za } does provide progressive and sustainable economic polcy alternatives but is anyone listening out there.
Yaj
I see so much of South Africa in Kenya.SA is just going down the road Ivory Coast and Kenya have gone through. We Kenyans and Ivorians thought we were special ,different from the rest of Africa.Economic powerhouses not like the rest of poor Africa and its embarrassing behaviors and attitudes. When things started to fall apart our first victims were foreigners amongst us. In kenya it was the Asian.But soon it was the Kalenjin the Kikuyu etc . South africa is so much like kenya its like we are watching our history unfold from the ANC battles Zuma vs Mbeki to sweeping the real issues under the carpet. Trust me its not the foreigners .We African are our own worst enemies .
Ps In swahili there is a saying -Asante ya punda ni mateke(the thanks of a donkey is its kick) Poor front line states that stood by South Africa in the past are getting their DONKEYS THANKS
We as South African’s should indeed be ashamed but must take some solace in the fact that we are collectively disgusted by the affair….it demonstrates a deep rooted love for our country and a concern for its welfare and well-being. Nothing neagtive in caring I believe.
What is disconcerting is that our government told us some time ago that we would have to welcome people coming though our porous borders yet did not provide a policy or directive or commit to any meaningful plan asto how it was to be dealt with.
In the absence of any rules or perceived governance as to how individuals should handle the issue of long term poverty then our current problem was always doomed to manifest.
How do you handle the articulate and witty Zimbabwean serving your Pizza in Primmi Piatti ? If you’re the shop owner you are doing as the President stated nd are embracing this influx. As a customer, one is saddened that he or she is not a South African but hey….the President asked us to accept and so we do !
The Nationalists asked South Africans to accept things and look what happened !
My comments may be a wee bit of a ramble but my concerns are passionate. I want a Government that I elected to lead and govern effectively and be responsible and ccountable for its actions. Is this too much to ask ? Must I have to witness bloodshed in our streets and accept this as the norm…I THINK NOT !
Nice piece of information that is also depressing and demoralizing. I supose we South Africans do need these home truths about about the effects of our behaviours to us and towards other people. However i have a problem with this categorization of crime, crime is crime whether it affects children, men or women. It can not be tolerated the way it has been in SA,more specially in townships. As for the government, “oh God bless SA” it is parylsed by greed,incompetence ect,ect. I so wish the citizens of this country can give the ruling party a good kicking during elections.
In the US anamosity exist between Blacks and Hispanics, the latter being robbed on payday by the former, 33% of black male population involved in crime. So SA is no exception, just higher numbers due to incompetent Law enforcement. I have never robbed or murdered anyone so pse dont include me in your ” society”
The recent events in Gauteng are worth much more than a thousand people simultaneously warning of the dangers of the racial and ethnic faultines that exist in this country. The government conveniently swept these under the carpert and instead opted for the rainbow nation and reconciliation sermons. Even provincial boundaries pronounce these ethnic differences to this day(N/West for Tswanas, KZN for Zulus, Free State for Sothos). The truth is these differences and tensions were never addressed and all too often those that rang the alarm bells were dismissed as agitators and counter-revolutionaries.
In a short while I bet the violence will subside, the scared foreigners will flee and leave the locals in ‘peace’ but the seed of hate will not be removed. Eventually brother will turn against brother, and for a country with at least ten ethnic groups, that is the apocalypse.
This is an excellent post and deserves to be taken seriously and decidedly beyond the ever-present tendency by some whites to make every issue about collectively bashing Blacks.
Farm murders are part of the criminal fabric that is South Africa. There is no damn genocide being directed against white farmers.
So stop playing the victim.
I am an anti-racist Black South African and I condemn the murders of white farmers and the murders of migrant workers.
No point scoring here. It is more complicated than that Walt.
Yes, my heart is also in despair. How stupid we are !
But more and worse tragedy will come.
TRIBALISM is next and deadly inevitable. That scenario will make today seem like a mere warm-up party.
Who can forget the long lines of refugees pouring out of Rwanda. The mountains of skulls. Kenya almost went that route but intervention stopped the slaughter.
Humanity is only on the surface in Africa - a very thin veneer to hide the blackness within the soul of its people. None of us are exempt. As at this moment, I have sheer hatred for the people doing this madness.
I can see myself, a bent old lady - mowing them down with a G5 Cannon.
There is no humanity in Africa.
WHat caused the anarchy in our homeland ?
There are 44 million reasons - those who voted for the morons who actually call themselves leaders.
The cretins who are oblivious to suffering by their voters.
The other great disaster and tragedy - is not only genocide - but NATIONAL SUICIDE in 2009.
Yes - the majority will once again put their cross next to ANC ! Besides - there is no other party to vote for.
Of course, to realise that voting for an opposition who are enough in number - (never mind how pathetic they are) - will be a buffer to the steamrolling of asinine legislation or dereliction of duty by the Executive.
They would be able to do more than just YAP YAP as they do at present.
That logic - sadly, is totally beyond the mentality of us Africans.
That and that alone is the cause of Africa being what AFrica is and seemingly will always be.
There is no solution for our problems - the problem is the utter stupidity of Africans. Ashamedly, I am one too, which exacerbates my despair.
I refrained from voting which is as good as endorsing the majority - so I too am stupid. I was and am part of the problem.
I think all South Africans should donate to South African charities if you have any spare cash at all! It is evident the government does nothing to alleviate the plight of the poorest amongst us, and their problems are fast becoming ours.
Whether you are in SA or overseas, become involved in uplifting the country of your birth, and help the future to be somewhat better than the present.
Charities actually DO something, and the government denies any problems exist.
We need to take social responsibility for what goes on in the country, no one else is.
Here is a link to a list of charities, there must be one among them that you think worthy.
I would imagine that the racism of the past, and the ongoing poverty of the present would dehumanise many weaker souls. Unfortunately the cure can only be more accountability, by individuals and government, to the rule of law. I really worry sometimes that we will not make it, because we are trapped in the programmed presponses of the past and the need to dominate each other. So whenever a crisis arises that would be identified, in other countries, and solutions found, we end up delaying any action or solution so that we can attack each other, black and white. Crime, Zimbabwe, Aids, maybe poverty, all of these are merely pawns in the battle between black and white elites. No one can say anything sensible, it gets co-opted and cancelled by this fight. President Mbeki struggles to admit any problems because he’s always conscious of the whites looking over his shoulder. A perverse type of revenge is to put your head in the sand.
Africa’s leaders have consistently failed its people. They were voted in power because they stood up to colonialists or dictators but power corrupts and they turn out to be no different. South Africa is reaping the bitter fruits of poor leadeship across the continent. However politicians and government people have been complicit here. Intolerance and insularity are common underlying root themes. If you are a ‘makwerekwere’ like I was in South Africa - we make easy targets. I bought my domestic helper some clothes from Kenya and when she wore them to church - she got picked up by the police. Didn’t matter she was born in South Africa and was a card carrying member of the ANC. If you can, FLEE and use your skills where you are can be safe and appreciated. They don’t want you there. Come here to New York -some white folk who value what you have to offer will pay you some great greenbacks.
Perhaps some facts in place of sentiment are needed.
1) South Africa is a capitalist economy run by whites, with a government run by blacks. Apartheid is not completely gone.
2) The former Front Line states and the rest of Africa’s are economies and state run by black Africans. These economies are still pre-capitalist with a small but bureacratic state apparatus.
3) In Zimbabwe, the agricultural capitalist economy has colapsed. The state is only just surviving through repression. This is causing Zimbabweans to run to SA, which they perceive as better. The economies of almost all the other former Front Line state are weak.
4) More than 3 million Zimbabweans(a third of the population!) and more than 30 million poor black South Africans are competing for the crumbs from the table of the rich minority. Still, this extreme violence that has erupted affects a fraction of that 3 million of Zimbabweans.
Why is Zimbabwe or the Front Line states in this situation? How are they going to sort out their situation by running away from self-inflicted hardship instead of fighting for their rights? How can anyone blame South Africans for the failure of Mugabe which is what has driven people to SA in the first place?
Ever thoughtvthat we are living in the Last Days? Or does the voice of Jehovah God’s profecy fall on deaf ears? You should not be amazed but WHEN YOU SEE THINGS HAPPENNG,RAISE YOUR HEAD BECAUSE YOUR SALVATION IS NIGH!!
I SAY THAT - Desmond Tutu - a voice of reason in a season of murdering mania.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s heartfelt plea:
I want to apologise, to ask for forgiveness on behalf of our people. I am deeply, deeply sorry. I want to apologise that we could be so inhuman.
Who am I to complain? I did not vote - so I got the leaders “the people” voted for and deserved.
I give a few links well worth a visit. They perfectly sum up the stupidity of ANC.
They validate my assertion that Africans keep voting for a “disaster scenario” of their own stubborn making.
www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=770144
SACP TARGETS PREMIERS
‘Kill the Shangaan’
{Sorry not fully PC Literate - the links will not copy and paste this morning from Google Reader}
As for Pahad, who has doubled his body mass since getting into powerful circles, gives ludicrous causes without solutions; wastes our and the media exposure time on our well-known LIES, BLAME GAME, DENIAL, “RUBBISHES ZIM REPORTS”.
The ANC Cabinet has become a zombie, dozing breed of overfed BULLS and COWS, slumbering through the nations agony. Let them get on with it - they will vote us back into power. Let us sleep or party comrades.
The country will caryy on the LIBERATION STRUGGLE and produce new Heroes. EISH - you befoul your own nation.
Those who stand and do nothing are as guilty as the perpertrators. Me included as a damn non-voter.
I raise my hands not in salute …. in total despair.
I greet and speak to domestic workers I pass on my morning walks.
They are fearful - Pedi, Tsonga, Shangaan and all mention ZULU in great fear.
I am told, [can not verify] that Mr.Zuma said in Atteridgeville - “The Mozambique’s must go home.”
Do we have a split tongue in the future Ruler?
History tells us - Zulus are an extremely proud, dignified, highly disciplined - ethnic group.
They are obedient and will offer their lives to their chiefs.
Another salient point is that no ethnic group in Africa condones intermarriage between cultures.
Females are their future and are treated with disrespect is they disobey the culture. Even killed.
History ignored - is history repeated.
It is in the news that SAPS are conspicuous in their absence and when present, wait until the mob is in full frenzy before intervening. I ask WHY?
Are they being “anaylsed. researched etc?”
Silly me - silly question.
There is no solution to our quagmire. We are and will remain, our own worst enemies.
We do not need foreigners to do us harm. We are efficient at it all on our own - thanks but no thanks.
Run SHANGAANS, run for your lives in your land of your birth. Your are - like whites - no longer welcome,
PEDI, TSONGA, save yourselves now. Leave the rest of us violent, crazed, beserk and stupid lot to wallow in the morass of our own making.
Why do people keep saying that they are ashamed to be South African? I certainly am not, because I made no contribution to these xenophobic attacks. Although, i do feel ashamed to be associated with these people guilty of the xenophobic attacks, since they are South African and I am too.
I got so depressed reading through the comments that I couldn’t force myself to read to the end. Walt asks why care about foreigners and Pauline misses the point completely and talks about a feminist diatribe. Others ask what is the point about Christi’s article. Comments like that truly make me despair. They just refuse to see what is right in front of them.
We all know who does the vast majority of the crime, whether here or in america. Except it seems to be a bigger crime to point it out. In america the FBI keeps stats by race. here they dont allow race to be published lest the truth come out.
This new liberal motto of ‘we are all responsible’ is just another way to avoid the truth like the joke of ‘crime has no colour’.
We all know this is a load of BS. Can they tell us exactly how Whites, Coloureds or Indians are involved in these attacks and this latest example of Africa Let Loose?
Because they refuse to acknowledge the problems in their own culture tehy can never solve it. Worse, they will keep voting ANC, showing they dont want to solve it.
Tribalism has always been alive and well, and exists even amongst whites, the latest outbreak which was in the former Yugoslavia.
It is natural and only the liberal is fool enough to deny its existence and believe all can live together without friction. Diffences in culture and competition for resources ensures we will always look after our own first.
There lies the fallacy and idiocy of multicult and rainbow nations. Behind the rhetoric they are unworkable and have been for time immemorial. They all collapse from internal strife, as history shows us. Look at the friction and riots in europe over immigrants, the brewing hostility over latinos in america.
Look at what Yuoslavia and the USSR had to do: ethic enclaves with some degree of autonomy.
The forced integration in SA is leading to disaster. Why do the ANC persistently refuse Homelands? They know an Afrikaner homeland will work and will set the example. Not only that, there will own people would rather work there than in the multicult cesspit they are creating by their forced integration.
What greater idiocy than voting for a party that makes liberal noises while enriching themselves robbing us blind?
By the way, you can’t mow anyone down with a G5. its an artillery piece which uses indirect fire. But can I suggest an MAG or an RPD or some such?
What is right in front of us? I see Blacks killing other blacks as they belong to a different group, not only foreigners. I admit whites do it as well (USSR and Yugoslavia).
Poverty etc is irrelevant. They are all poor.Its not the fault of other groups they are poor but of failed government policies.
I see Christi and others trying to blame ALL of us for this. Not me. I am not responsible. I am not out killing or hurting anyone, none of my people are involved, except some of the police trying to stop it, nor did I vote for the ANC which led to this.
In fact, I have always believed its best to keep diffrent peoples separated, hence this wouldnt happen. It was the height of lunacy to remove the former Apartheid era border controls and policy of keeping groups apart, especially in a nation with high levels of ethnic awareness. Why should it be pinned on all of us? I didnt vote for it, nor do I belong to that foolish liberal class that beleives ‘we are all the same’ and should all mix freely.
Do you have a point besides insulting other contributors and the bloggers?
No one tries to refute what we say with facts maybe because they can’t. They simply can’t debate without invoking emotional repsonses. So they have to resort to insults, name calling and character asassination; sort of like you.
Would you prefer it if everyone just clapped each other on the back about how liberal they are, how sad this is, and how bad they feel that the multicult utopia is not living up to their expectations?
Just dont tell them they are repsonsible as they wanted multicult in the first place.
“The Economist has a good piece this week on the widespread dislike of foreigners in Russia. Things are so bad in that country that even African diplomats are wary of going about the streets of Moscow on foot”
the cause? According to human rights watch one was Multicult thinking:
Soviet nationalities policy contributed to ethnic strife and xenophobia through the post-Soviet era. Communist ideology stifled the question of ethnicity and nationalism. Under the slogan, “Nationalist in Form, Socialist in Content,” the ethnic minorities of the former Soviet Union were allowed a limited level of linguistic and cultural autonomy but no real political power. The code words “Internationalism” and the “Friendship of Peoples” were used to indicate “ethnic harmony” under Russian and communist party guidance. Eventually, it was hoped, a “Soviet People” would emerge under the leadership of the communist party as national differences subsided and the peoples of the former USSR merged.
A brilliant, perceptive piece of writing. Christi hits the nail on the head, we are a nation of savages, all of us together, black and white. The violence on the streets of Gauteng, which we easily decry is not much different to the economic violence that plays itself out in our country every day. We are all to blame, our government too.
We are also, all, capable of acts of great beauty and kindness…
No! - This is a BLACK thing. I don’t see any white faces in the masses. I don’t see any white faces in the top structures of our despotic Government. The only white faces are the few policemen (had you noticed?)
I SAY
I agree, i said much the same thing yesterday (12.51pm), but it was held back in moderation for 18 hours, so it wasn’t there when you read the comments!!
It is so noticeable that when Christi says ‘This what WE are’ everyone agrees, but when anyone says ‘this what YOU are’ which is the reality, the howls can be heard in Antarctica! Why? If you are black African you are guilty either way, does it make you feel better if whites were also to be guilty?
a) Collapse of law and order and inability to control crime and violence. Hence violence becomes feasible to the xenophobists. they can do it without fear of authorities.
b) The ANC’s culture of violence and making townships ungovernable. Many poor communities are conditioned to violent behaviour.
c) Incompetence in the ministry of safety and security, falling standards in the SAP, corruption up to the highest levels of the police, and affirmative action had eroded the capacity of the police to provide a safe and secure homeland. Warnings about this collapse have been ignored by the ANC, whites were told to leave if they complain, and a crisis of crime and violence is denied.
d) Collapse of Border Control. Millions of people gaining entry to South Africa illegally. Corruption in Home Affairs permits easy entry. The closure of the commandos as they are white. While SA sees the highest levels of violent crime in the world, the ANC sees fit to close down one of the main sources for rural policing. because they ar white.
e) Corruption is endemic and little is done to end it. High level corruption in the ANC, the closing of the Scorpions etc passes the message that corruption is acceptable. This filters down to all lvel. In home affairs, social welfare, and the police, literally tens of thousands of officials have been identified. were implicated in corrupt dealings.
Even where some like the Shaiks, Zuma, McBride, Yengeni, Selebi etc are identified the ANC sees fit to treat them like heroes.
f) The people see no recourse from a corrupt government stemming the tide, hence take it into their own hands.
g) Economics. With Unemployment at 50% or higher due to failed policies like BEE that stifle growth by those able to promote it, youth have time on their hands and nothing to lose. There is also anger that false promises made by the ANC that they could not keep.
h) Labour policy hopelessly inappropriate for a largely unskilled workforce, has contributed to keep many mainly black South Africans out of jobs. Who will hire workers they cannot retrench if need be? Immigrants were able to get jobs as these labour policies dont apply to them. Meanwhile, skilled people are encouraged to emigrate.
i) Education. The liberation before education and poor standards has resulted in declining standards. Only 1% of black matriculants achieve a good HG maths pass. The adoption of outcomes based education to generate paper rather than true education and the closure of teacher training colleges sabotaged what was a functional system.
j) Flagging economic growth due to poor policies and restrictions on entrepeneurs means that SA attracts little foreign investment. Empowerment policy, affirmative action, BEE, and things like bureaucratic interference in mining by a Mining Law which hands over rights based on race saw South Africa’s mining sector decline when it should have boomed.
k) Racism. In many cases racial bean counting, AA, self enrichment through BEE economic empowerment, and transformation rhetoric win over economic growth. Transformation Policy led to ESKOM and Telkom collapses, which hamper economic growth and investor confidence. The desire for Black faces in power overrules pragmatic managing the economy.
l) Destruction of the agriculture sector: government policies like land claims, denial of boer genocide is hostile and food prices rise as farmers are forced off the land. Increasing food prices affects the welfare of poor communities.
m) Inflation in food prices and rising fuel costs and tax creep affects everyone and little is seen in return for our taxes.
n) ANC arrogance. BEE has established a very small and often politically connected black middle class. They drive around in fancy cars and exhibit massive displays of wealth even as the majority of blacks live in squalor and poverty. It is incredible that these people can flaunt such limited participation in the economy broader by a select few cronies when most Blacks do not benefit, but lose out when their white boss closes down to emigrate. The sight high speed government convoys of black luxury sedans with a platoon of police escorts, bullying their way through beggars is extraordinary arrogance. Noen of the rich whites they slandered ever did that.
o) Zimbabwe policy and Mbeki covering for his brother Bob kept Bob in power and gave him credibility. Mbeki and the ANC failed to condemn violence and electoral fraud, leading to massive influxes of aliens into SA. Now the ANC condemns xenophobia. So violence against Zimbabweans is OK if done by brother Bob in Zim but not OK here. Do I get it now Thabo?
p) Failed service delivery. Contracts wand jobs ere given on race and BEE rather than ability to deliver. Corrupt and incompetent local government was given a mandate and they were allowed to persist even when their failure was evident. Thansk but no thanks whitey, we will do it ourselves.
q) Race relations and the ANC’s race based policy and legislation undid any hopes Mandela had. Whiets saw they would be targetted and retreat into racism. The ANC assigns quotas based on race and whites face hositility. What do theye expect back? That conflict is only black on black and no other clear violence has emerged is actaully suprising given the hositility ANC policy has generated. ANC obsession with white racism means they ignored more widespread black racism. Fear to speak up and be branded racist, censorship and political correctness prevents anyone from speaking up about an problems that are black related.
The ANC has created a powderkeg of racial strife. We see the first spark. Violence can easily expand. They can appoint any studies they want. It won fix it. They need short term responses of public order a la Apartheid Security Forces to control it, while addressing the root causes. But have they destroyed the SAP to such an extent it is no longer possible?
Certainly the SADF has been gutted and are no longer trained, equipped, or ready for such a task. There is a real risk of the army shooting into a crowd with live ammunition, much like they now shoot themselves.
They can no longer even call up the former SAP and SADF members that not long ago would have quelled this without breaking a sweat. The ANC would be too afraid to do that anyway. Bad politics to have whitey bail you out of your self inflicted mess.
The violence can be directly attributed to failure of ANC policy, no matter how much they want to blame ‘racism’. In fact more racial policies of racial separation would have prevented this.
When everyone comes round from the ’smelling salts of reality’, can we start to try and fix the problem?
We need:
1. A constructive and just policy on immigration, that is designed to benefit the citizens of South Africa, not the citizens of Africa
2. A national office of statistics, so that we really do know what is going on in our country, instead of playing ‘hear no evil, see no evil….’
3. We need, in practical terms, to set realistic (as opposed to political)goals for the creation of a more equal society, that is based upon upliftment, not averaging out.
4. We need politicians and civil servants to become properly accountable for their performance in delivering these goals, and the incompetent ones to be trained/disciplined/fired
The chickens are now coming home to roost, but the frightening thing is, no one seems to have learned a thing.
There are several people who comment on this site who seem to have a tragic and profound lack of empathy, tolerance, understanding and compassion. This same group only posts negative comments, trashing anyone who tries to gain a deeper understanding of an issue or who holds views that are contrary to their own.
You might have noticed that I seldom, if ever, engage with you or anyone else on this site. That is because most are not interested in actually engaging in debate. All they want to do is parrot on about their own opinions without ever really reading and trying to understand the other person’s point of view.
The gist of all your comments, for example, boil down to, “blacks are the problem, keep everyone apart”. That about sums up your views and those of several readers. I used to make an effort to read your comments and try to gain something valuable from the practical suggestions while ignoring the usual tired rhetoric but I no longer do that. As time has passed your comments have exposed the true ugliness of your thinking and frankly I can seldom stomach to read your words.
The reason I replied to your comment now is because it’s a cold, rainy, grey day in Cape Town and I’m not in a good mood and just having you mention my name put me in an even worse mood.
This reply is not an indication that I want to continue any kind correspondence with you. I doubt my stomach could handle it.
Christi van der Westhuizen on May 21st, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Consulting Engineer - thank you for the prolific writing.
I lived in the long ago era when the G5 was ‘Invented” and proudly presented to the population to brag about. Be proud SOUTH AFRICANS - ja!!
I specifically mentioned this cannon, as the sight of me- [a truly old in body but agile in mind -] female behind that monster is totally as stupid as our Nation.
You missed the symbolism I should have elaborated.
I can with killing effort and heart failure, handle the smaller killers, so refrained from mentioning them.
Thank you. I have lived through all the turbulence of the ethnic cleansing in Europe. I even remember new Communist Rule, their rantings and turning people into docile idiots, with the might of weapons. That reminds me of our previous “WEAPON” crazy government - herding people - via rantings - also getting our approval by ….stoking up fear in our hearts, with weapons at the ready - to the HOMELANDS.
De ja vu 2008 !
I even, stupid as usual, bought into that idea. Yes - let people rule themselves - the perfect solution.
Yes I am old enough to remember how the “elected” ’so-inappropriately’ named - CHIEFS - terrorised, looted from their people. They lived in splendour with thier own armies. Paid for by the idiotic Nats and the taxpayers people. Even factories were established in the “HOMELANDS” where the same culture and tribes had lived. Really good idea here. The people in their homelands were exploited unmercifully by their “own” and the rulers of the entire South Africa.
Failure was inevitable - people flocked to where they could earn a living. South Africans risked being shot to “invade” “immigrate” “urbanise” their own country; without the iniqutious “PASS” or euphismistic “Reference Book.” These poor people who were caught were treated as aliens and suffered the consequences.
Homelands did not - will not work. An affluent homeland such as Japan/China etc does work. People have opportunities that they can take.
People need to sell their labour to a willing buyer so that both can make a living.
Engineer - you have your solution - ORANJE - why are Afrikaners still content to live in our holocaust ?
Has ORANJE succeeded? Drawn people towards the “better life” of a HOMELAND.
Get real - you are using a G5 to make your point. Mostly - I do really enjoy your comments. Take a few steps back and find that person. You can debate.
It is 2008 and 2009 looms terrifying ahead. My point is we are going to make the same mistakes unless, and until we - as a nation - realise that ANY government needs a strong opposition to keep it in check.
We will NEVER have this pipe dream - we will NEVER solve the endless problems of our own making.
People will die from all the shortcomings of their homeland. the country of South Africa.
I repeat that my heart is in despair. The only beacon on the horison is that my time is limited to see the future devastation.
Young black people must wake up - stand up - and find the wisdom to form a new party. I can, but will not name, some excellent middle aged, and now wealthy, black men who have the money and means to form a party. They do have the respect of black and white.
They need to be persuaded to get out of their comfort zones. Come to their nation’s rescue.
What a sensationalist rant. South Africans are not in denial, we know our problems. I would agree that we all need to work on them starting with ourselves, starting with how we speak to each other, how we drive on our roads etc. That is where the root of respect, dignity, human rights lies. It doesn’t lie in the constitution which was not written by South Africans for South Africans but by elites and Europeans. Our country, society and beliefs are not the same as theirs. We never claimed to be so uber-peaceloving. And other countries are very xenophobic too. Just recently there was a riot in Naples against the Roma. Where I study in Germany there is more than one neo-nazi street march a year. Related attacks and even murder occurs from time to time. That being said, violent crime in general is almost non-existent.
I disagree with the notion of telling South Africans that “we” are the criminals. South Africa is neither the idealistic rainbow nation nor are most South Africans murderers and rapists. Which brings me to one of my biggest problems with South Africans: we need to stop telling ourselves and our children that we are criminals, racists or whatever. Nothing good will come of it. As a young person who temporarily left the country I can tell you that apart from violent crime, the big reason why I left is because of white people with post-Apartheid guilt issues who treat other white people like crap. I grew sick of it and “I’m not going to spend my life being a colour.”
It’s time to see South Africa in perspective: it is an ugly brutal place, but there’s also a whole lot of beauty and many great people. It’s time that we all change our own behaviour and force political change. We need to make a break from the past in terms of who we vote for: South Africa should not fall into the rest of Africa’s trap by recycling elites. We need to be and elect new people.
i’m american. i can’t vote here. and as i’m registered in the district of columbia back in the states, it doesn’t make sense for me to vote there, either.
sterk gesprek
————–
This is who we are.
Let’s look ourselves in the eye”
children; of a difficult birth,
refusing to be aborted during incubation
let us not “transfer” our dearth
but is this solely of our making-
while stalking wolves huff and puff
the interregnum lingers on………
It will take an extraordinary effort with a clear objective, roles and responsibilities assigned and accepted by all South Africans to shift the current reality. Whether you agree with Christi or not (I think she is spot on) we (all South Africans who are able) at some stage have to move to the next level and that means doing more than we are doing now (action). Don’t wait for the government; you’ve been waiting for 15 years they will not bring about the change we seek without your help. Employ more people. Use your training funds. Build houses. Feed another person, adopt children whatever. But just do something. Don’t think it won’t make a difference, it makes a huge difference. The point is we at least know the basic problems. Pick one. Fix it. We are the solution as much as we are the problem.
“Good is just not newsworthy” and “never hear about…”
That worrys me too. But then most of the good is by charities, NGOs, faith based groups and service clubs. They don’t appear to be newsworthy.
Hlakite
“No comments and it is past noon”
Please all realise that these guys have a newspaper to run, are sometimes shortstaffed, and often comments are backing up awaiting editing. Sometimes mine take 2 days to clear.
Mundundu
The black diamonds being cubic zirconias was very funny.
How was Morgan supposed to “unrig” the 2002 election?
Ridwan
“no damn genocide being directed against white farmers”
Sorry, I don’t agree. The forced disbanning of the commandos is enough proof for me. The excuse was that the police were sufficient protection. They are not. One of my friends had a death threat and warning of an impending attack - the police would not even come out. The commandos would have.
Po
The charities which seem to be doing the most in the crisis is “The Red Cross” and “Gift of the Givers”
Logan
Mbeki may have “whites looking over his shoulder” but he is not listening is he - like blocking all resolutions at the UN eg on Burma?
Consulting Engineer
There is an Afikaner homeland - called Oranje. Did they reject you - I have heard they are quite fussy?
Yai
If we followed any of “sane” - our money would be worth as much as the Zim dollar.
Jose
The police “hold back until the last minute”.
Worse than that. Did you see the photo showing the black policeman smiling behind the man being burned alive?
Xolani
Good point about not sufficient details been given re the report.
I don’t think this is”poor people turned desperate”. There is more and more proof emerging that this has been orchestrated.
Walt
I agree - foreigner blacks being killed is news. White farmers being killed never hits the English speaking press. There were two farmers killed in Ficksburg a few days ago. I heard one report on radio news - then nothing, nothing at all - and not in ANY newspaper!
@Afrikaner:
“mere existence of millions of illegals testify loudly to the fact that apartheid was a benefit to SA’s blacks”
Afrikaner exactly how does millions of zinbabwean refugees pouring into SA since 2000, proves that apartheid(ended 1990) was a benefit to black people ? I think that you have more twisting to do to explain that one. With the huge unemployment numbers and informal settlements that existed long before 1990, obviously apartheid was a curse to SA. UN only confirmed the obvious by calling apartheid a crime against humanity.
@MW
“What really grates though (and this is mainly I suppose because I am currently grappling with the fact that I may be a racist) is that these societal ills that you describe seem to my (possibly racist) mind to manifest mainly in the black community.”
One people live under oppresive systems like apartheid and communism for many decades then survival instincts kicks in and after decades of living deprived of education and other resource peoples behaviours become debased. Go to Russia, eastern bloc countries and rural parts of china and you will find the same behaviour. It is not only a black thing.
Xonophobic violence is not unique to SA and has been around since people learned how to migrate. It also occur in the most sophistacated 1st world societies. Australia is still looking nervously over its shoulder since the cronulla riots.
@consulting engineer “Ndumiso, I suspect the constant deflections at Zulus being responsible has an agenda? Those Zulus getting too much say in the ANC these days? One specific Zulu anyway. Take them and the foreigners down with one blow? Soon they will be saying Mfecane II.”
Poor attempt at trying to ignite tribal wars ce. Apartheid 3rd forces tried that one as well. South africans are all too wary of the divide-and-rule cheap shots.
@John Bond
“I don’t see any white faces in the masses. I don’t see any white faces in the top structures of our despotic Government. ”
As SA history has proved, behind the strife and commotion there has always been a white force pulling the strings.
I discuss this stupid comment below:
“As SA history has proved, behind the strife and commotion there has always been a white force pulling the strings.”
Oh come on – just show me the proof of ANY white involvement what-so-ever in this current crisis. This is a BLACK thing.
Another ill thought through comment:
“One people live under oppressive systems like apartheid and communism for many decades then survival instincts kicks in and after decades of living deprived of education and other resource peoples behaviours become debased.”
South Africa got independence 14 years ago. Real Aparthate ended 3 decades ago, before almost all of these blacks were born. Our group responsibility and blaming someone else is perhaps our nation’s biggest problem.
It was Alan Greenspan in his recent book “The Age of Turbulence” who said “…a country cannot drive into the future by navigating in their rear view mirror”. He was saddened by Africa and said that the lack of property rights and the selective application of justice. He prophesied that this will all kill future growth in Sub-Sahara Africa. The property rights he discusses isn’t just land though it includes land, it includes the BEE fiasco and our refusal to prosecute some political fraudsters and thieves. It includes police and government officials demanding personal reward before they’ll do anything. Greenspan is a world expert at prophesying the economic future.
Greenspan, together with James Wolfensohn and Kofi Annan have been credited with the amazing 10 year international economic growth of over 5.5% per year. Our government claims the recent growth as their own but have not been able to come close to the international economic growth, averaging under 3% for the same period. We couldn’t even grow our economy at half the rate Zambia’s economy grew OUCH!!! South Africa’s huge loss of unskilled jobs (over a million) and our deaths through AIDS has taken substantial wealth from the poorest and made us “well off” seem much more affluent. (I must admit that I am uncomfortable with the idea that my increased prosperity has come at the expense of the poor but I doubt that it worries you much – after all, they are just blacks).
SOUTH AFRICANS, IT IS TIME TO TAKE YOUR BLINKERS OFF - OUR FUTURE IS AT STAKE
Mandrake dons his traditional attire, smears ochre on his tear-streaked face, picks up his traditional spear and soot-darkened mnqayi.
He walks towards the hate-mongering hordes and starts singing Nkosi Sikelela. The tide bays for his blood yet he trudges on, his voice hoarse with emotion.
Thats my stance on this whole affair. I’m not falling back towards depression and moaning and bitching and whingeing. If theres anyone recruiting for a peace-corps i’m there. Give me my bloody dog tags. There was too much blood and tears spilt to buy our freedom, i’m sickened at the amount of bitching which goes on TL.
Can someone start singing this bloody anthen with me please?!!
You don’t even know the current South African Anthem – Ag Shame! It was changed many years ago.
It now goes “Gi’me, gi’me, gi’me. I am Xhosa and I am rich so you nust give much more…” It is sung by Niel the Black Diamond.
A great political leader said at his inauguration as President of the USA, “Think not what America can do for you but rather what you can do for America!”. Any wonder why they’re so successful a nation?
Christi, try to answer your question. It is ‘What is wrong with us?’ ‘Us’ ,must include Christi yet for the life of me I cannot find this recognition in Christi’s post.
In this case all the use of ‘us’ is a fake.
This for my money is what is wrong with us.
The people most responsible for the situation are the people with money because they have choice. By and large they blame Thabo Mbeki, just like Christi.
John, I’m also sickened by the likes of Cyril who was a unionist, but what has he done for labour reforms? NADA.
If you have a solution i’ll gladly fall in step and offer aid or assistance. i’m just tired of everyone raising the same stuff we all know. Even Saki Macozoma who is from the Eastern Cape recently said he can’t help a local development bank, despite the fact that all the ANC bigwigs were asked for aid by the bank’s management. The way i’m reading that is that they couldn’t give a shit about EC development…unless theres some incentive for them.
I’ll stick to Enoch’s “Nkosi Sikelela” thank you…I might be Xhosa but i’m not rich yet, still got a moerste TEFSA loan to payback.
i am with you. you sound like you went to school in the 90’s, i can identify with your way of thinking. What have we inherited? it is up to us to make it better cos our elders sure didn’t bother.
CE
There was no local colored population then, only master and slave. Have that DNA test done – they do it for free.
Eagle
Why should the coloureds side with “us”? There are more of them than of “us”.
Women live longer than men NOW not THEN. Check the Stam Register and see how many had second wives, after their first had died – usually in childbirth.
Yes – the blacks did not kill women and children. They took them into the tribe. Often as slaves or concubines. Sometimes as wives. There was one child, only known as Bess, who was so respected by her husband, the chief, that when she grew up he had her as his only wife and took no other. She is in the bloodline of Mandela’s family – although not a direct ancestor.
Oldfox and Eagle
The only ones who could “nail the cops”, including Jackie Selebi, were the Scorpions. Any society that does not have a unit “guarding the guards” will develop a corrupt elite.
I was told by a cop friend that their black boss had instructed them not to investigate crimes against whites because whites are insured. How does he work that out? There are whites that can’t afford insurance; and Black Diamonds that can.
Lazola
Not only the Elephants! I have a family of monkeys, mom and dad and baby, that raid my bird table. The other day the baby jumped up onto the table while dad was eating and got driven off. Dad, however, ate no more – only sat there long enough to establish respect for the elder and discipline, and then jumped onto the roof – letting the baby eat.
Black and brown have been going to school at Bishops for decades, often on church scholarships.
The state of our schools is so bad that children should have the right to self teaching through home schooling. However this would mean greatly strengthening our libraries, including free internet access for scholars. The budgets for libraries fell between the cracks. Neither local or provincial authorities take responsibility. Many are being kept alive by dedicated volunteers.
Amused Reader
Paul may be becoming more tolerant, but what is happening to you? You appear to be getting less tolerant. Why?
“Poverty does not explain the level of violent crime”
No – but other things do, including bad leadership, poor role models, false history of violent “struggle” having been successful, leaders who have boasted about liberating by necklacing etc etc etc
Rhodesia was forced INTO federation by Britain to prop up the weaker states, instead of being given their autonomy, like SA, decades before. Part of the roots of the problem.
Paul
You are right about the mafia.
However you are wrong about:
“Ian Smith led everyone into a disaster…if he had been a bit more open minded and had some sort of power sharing agreement back in 1965…”
Smith did, and he had. Mugabe did not take over power from Ian Smith, because he was not Zimbabwe’s first black democratically elected president , but the second, whom Mugabe defeated in 1980 elections through massive intimidation, which was ignored by Britain. Far from wanting to keep Zimbabwe – Britain could not wait to get rid of it.
Invinovertitas and Paul
If you read Ian Smith’s autobiography you will realize why historians in the future will record him as one of Africa’s finest leaders.
Septagenarian
You may know some wealthy black men. I know one or two wealthy white men. Tried like hell to point out the trickle down effect was not working - to no avail. They were all mesmerised by Mbeki - till Polokwane. Then they frantically started to “gatkruip” Zuma. But they are all, black and white, the new rich. The older families are still pouring money into charity.
Oosthuizen
“live under oppressive regimes…and then survival kicks in”.
No,pal, the opposite happens. They have no opposition from outside. They have supreme power, so they start to fight each other inside the regime for who gets power. It happened in Russia with the communist party. It happened in SA with the Nats. They break up and split from within. It is now happening with the ANC. Eureka!
“A white force pulling the strings”
You sound ANC - hinting at “former apartheid third forces” behind the present violence. Pretty unlikely. They are exactly the kind of people who would be employing the foreigners, and the least likely to attack them.
John Bond
Why are you so sure Oosthuizen is white?
Po
“elders didn’t bother”
Does that include Nelson Mandela,Walter Sisulu, Oliver Thambo et al?
I’m not sure that Oosthuisen is white but I doubt we’ll be having any President with a White sounding surname for a while yet…
Thackeray (an English name) is making big strides in Mumbai in India but on the anti-colonial ticket. 55 years on, some rabble rousers are still blaming the British. Strange how many politicians from ex-British colonies expect to improve their countries while focussing on the past in their rear-view mirrors rather than looking forward through the windscreen. South africa need to model our decolonisation on the Eastern Tigers, South Korea in particular. The 1952 UN Year Book spoke of Chad’s bright future but despaired for the poorer South Korea. South Korea they said had nothing to offer, few natural resources and a totally uneducated population. The soon to be independent Chad on the other hand had everything an emergent nation needed to succeed spectacularly. Straight after this, Korea had a devastating civil war. By 1997 or 45 years later, the average South Korean earned more than 20 times as much as the average Chadian. These days, South Korea provides Chad with foreign aid and Chad remains a typical African mess…
An interesting thought – It is acknowledged that the British colonies were the most liberal yet, the independent states these produced have generally been monumental failures, often taking two or three generations to recover. India, Chad, Ireland, Burma, Zimbabwe, Swaziland… (dare I say Australia )
What on earth had Portugal pulling out of Africa to do with it? It was South Africa threatening to pull out its support (specifically Pik Botha) that forced Ian Smith into Lancaster house which sold all the OTHER blacks in Zim down the river as well. See the results now?
In the “guerilla” war thousands of blacks were killed in black on black violence, mainly by Mugabe’s thugs - but only a few hundred whites.
Cuito was not guerilla war! It was a massive coventional battle between the Cubans and the South Africans, after which South Africa and the Russian backed Cubans settled by BOTH withdrawing out of Angola.
Swapo did not win a guerilla war either. TEN YEARS AFTER Cuito, Unita and Swapo reached a negotiated settlement.
It is this kind of feeding of fake history to people which helps to lead to the violence we are seeing in the townships now! Tell them their “freedom” is from bush wars and “necklacing” opponents and what do you expect!
Lyndall
Here you are posting on this blog.
The reason Portugal was important for Smith was that it protected the entire eastern border of Rhodesia. Once Machel was in power there he allowed ZANU to operate against Rhodesia. The border was just too long for the small Rhodesian army to defend. Things really started to ge pear shaped after 1975. Cuito was the culmination of a geurilla war. According to Mao a geurllla war leads up to the eventual conventionla confrontation.l This was like Tet in Vietnam. SO although the Vietcong physically lost TET it was the turning point of te war. It broke AMerica’s spirit and lead directly to peace negotiations. I would argue that Cuito was similar. Counting the number of dead geurillas or blown up tanks does not equate to victory. Clausewitz said war is the continuation of politics by other means. It seems that veyr few traditionla armies understand that
Not all were failures. Malaya, singapore, hong kong were resounding successes. They were successes as they were non-liberal and very hierarchical. Everyone knew their place. The white man is still welocme there.
In addition, there is the hardworking high IQ Asian who didnt just blame the white man. They learnt and took over.
The biggest failures were the Portuguese colonies, where race mixing was the norm.
Look at it another way. Without colonialism those african messes would have been even worse off. They all got their infrastructure and education from colonialism. When most of africa was colonised in the late 1800s it was going nowhere and was 1000s of years behind europe.
But looking at the xenophobia, its looks like like have a wish to go back to the ‘good old days’.
That is why they needed the South African’s help, which officially they got (as told to the SA public ) but privately they threatened to withdraw to force Ian Smith to Lancaster (not told to the SA public). Pik Botha was under the delusion that if they sacrified Zim, SA would be left alone.
And, by the way, Caborra Bassa was built at about this time, under the supervision of the SA army, to protect against “rebels” - in Mocambique!
Just noticed you quoted Mao ? Another blog advised that the three dictators who killed the most people in the 20th Centuary were Mao, Stalin and Hitler(with Hitler trailing at third place) !
Lyndall
I never said anything about MAo being my hero. He did have some insights about what geurilla warfare was all about. If staff colleges around teh world had paid more attention tro what he had written during teh last 60 years there may well have been some very different outcomes. I stand by my claim that conventional armies have nver internalized the lessons of geurilla warfare at all. Name me one successful counter insurgency campaign apart from Malaya.
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Christi van der Westhuizen is an award-winning political journalist and the author of White Power & the Rise and Fall of the National Party (2007). She has worked at Vrye Weekblad, Beeld and ThisDay and has regular columns in The Star, Cape Times, The Mercury and Pretoria News and in Media 24's dailies. She has been interviewed for political comment on the BBC, Radio New Zealand, Radio Adelaide (Australia), SAfm, SABC3, e-tv and M-Net.
In 2005, she edited Gender Instruments in Africa: Critical Perspectives, Future Strategies while working as senior researcher in International Relations. Currently she is Inter Press Service's trade project editor for Africa and Europe. She holds an MPhil in political economy and South African politics.
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I would even go back and say, in 1994 we were told we have forgiven each other when it was clear we did not. Us the children of a divine miracle, the special ones, us the ones closest to the celectial one. Its no wonder we look down on our brothers and sisters.
We carry with us, the vileness of apartheid. We also carry with us the dept to our struggle heroes whose struggle credentials seem to give the a perpetual ‘get out of jail free’ card.
Can seem depressing at times, but a lot of good is out there. Good is just not news-worthy.
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