The privileged class would rather enjoy a life of luxury and indulge in shopping sprees than attend Freedom Day celebrations.
They have no shame that their wealth is gotten by stealing and monopolising the Earth’s wealth for themselves, exploiting the working poor and perpetuating class-exclusive lifestyles and economic injustice.
In fact, it is so business as usual for them that they expect their servants and workers to report for duty on significant national holidays, including Freedom Day. Otherwise, who would be there to make up their beds, serve them breakfast at home or at a restaurant, and generally attend to their whims and fancies? Oh, no, the maids and servants must not be given time off to attend these stupid political holidays, they say.
Over the past 14 years, the privileged class have insisted that Freedom Day is not their day and has got nothing to do with their history. In fact, they believe they have worked very hard for everything they own. As a result, they always find something “better” to do, which, in most cases, is to carry on with an exclusive privileged lifestyle that sees the working poor attending to their needs in a business as usual economic climate.
They point out that it is almost 20 years that Nelson Mandela has been released from jail and he has forgiven them. So, the black government (sic) must clean up the apartheid mess and forget about the privileged class’s responsibility to help build a non-racial, prosperous and united nation.
To make matters worse, they are inclined to be very angry that it is not the political conservatives like the Democratic Alliance, for instance, that are in political power. Of course, this would have seen them dictate the policy towards Robert Mugabe, labour relations, racism, the monopolisation of wealth and generally forcing the working poor to be modern-day slaves. In fact, they are terribly depressed that Thabo Mbeki is president of the country and his Cabinet is independent and self-determining.
The prospect of newly elected ANC president Jacob Zuma ascending the government throne gives them sleepless nights. They see him not only as a primitive African native who practises polygamy with more than three wives, but also as a thug and rapist. This is despite the fact that the man is entitled to his “culture” and has not been found guilty by any court of law.
The relationship between this democratically elected government and the privileged class is not the best. This is despite the fact that the government has not dispossessed the privileged of stolen land and has not driven them off their property. Instead, they are wealthier as they are free to roam deeper into the African continent to plunder its riches, expand their businesses and make more money to save in offshore accounts.
But for the privileged class, the celebration of Freedom Day has become a black sideshow that has absolutely nothing to do with modern-day social realities. It has become a norm for them to hold exclusive braais where they discuss ways to make more money in order to train their young people to hold on to the family’s legacy and perpetuate economic injustice and economic apartheid.
Otherwise, how would anyone explain why too many people who are privileged see Freedom Day as an occasion to do their own thing? It is more a time to indulge in their fancies and whims, for those who can afford it.
Of course, South Africa is not a fascist state where the government dictates what people do on Freedom Day. But the problem for some people is that the privileged class is seen as boycotting national holidays. This attitude could be read as an unwillingness to show appreciation for the achievements of the past 14 years and thus to contribute to reconciliation and nation-building.
The continued boycott of national holidays by the privileged class poses a serious danger to the spirit of forgiveness. One can only hope that there will be some attitude change sooner than later. Of course, the working poor have long forgiven the privileged for the sins of the past.
Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have also transmogrified into the privileged class and epitomise the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.
This has seen the privileged class ensconce itself deeper into enjoyment of the benefits of 14 years of freedom. The cherry on top is that the working poor not only look up to them but seem to have successfully forgotten about apartheid. They, too, believe it is dead and gone.
But on the other hand, what can be pointed at to show that the privileged class is willing to build bridges for a non-racial and undivided South Africa?
When the likes of renowned poet Antjie Krog and politician Carl Niehaus, for instance, tried to mobilise the privilege community to repent, turn away from its sin and embrace the spirit of reconciliation and nation-building, they were rejected for suggesting the privileged were responsible for apartheid and economic injustice.
Of course, this is not a problem per se because the TRC did not find anyone guilty of any crimes against humanity.
It is the total disregard for the observation and celebration of Freedom Day that may, increasingly, become a problem.
This boils down to a refusal to forge partnerships with the indigent to build a better quality life for all. In fact, it is spitting on the graves of countless heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice to give us the South Africa we have.
The privileged classes, just like everybody else, have every right to do as they please on any national holiday, including Freedom Day. This right is enshrined in the Constitution.
But take a pause and think, for a moment: What is the likely consequence of Freedom Day being seeing as an exclusive event for working poor people only? This threatens the very efforts to build a non-racial, non-sexist and unified society.
The privileged classes are, of course, not the only people who are missing on Freedom Day celebrations, but for the past 14 years they have been conspicuous by their absence. Even a convoy of 4x4s and other luxury sedans would make a resounding statement about their willingness to be part of the new nation that is emerging.
Will true privileged patriots who love this country please stand up?
I could not have said this better myself. There was no bloody revolution, sometimes you think more’s the pity
Maybe we could make rally attendance compulsory, all wear khaki uniform and donate our assets to the almighty state?
Or maybe we could just enjoy the freedom in our own unique way?
Yes, the whites – oops – Privileged Class all sit around with their little pinkies raised to their lips laughing like evil maniacs on Freedom Day.
I make no bones about having had a privileged upbringing, but why should I give everything away? Why can’t you rather think along the lines of uplifting everybody to a privileged level rather than whining constantly?
Maybe the government should introduce White Guilt quotas – unless you gather enough points each year your basic tax rate goes up.
Oh, still waiting for you to post a follow-up article on Mbeki’s wonderful Quiet Diplomacy and how it is working soooo well in Zimbabwe.
As usual, an extremely ill-informed and downright stupid column, as one has now come to expect from this particular author.
His intellectual bankruptcy and fallacies are exposed by the simple fact the his so-called downtrodden classes are in fact the richest blacks anywhere on earth, except for the United States. If they were really suffering that badly, why do millions of other inhabitants of the continent flood to South Africa as illegal immigrants?
The other garbage that he spews, such as the tired, Afro-fascist claptrap about land that was “stolen”, is of an equally brain-dead nature. Much of the so-called stolen land was actually bought or negotiated with local chieftains. If we want to talk about stolen land and settlers, why not discuss the theft of Koisan lands and murders of the Koisan by black settlers from Central Africa?
All in all, a pathetically stupid piece of inane claptrap.
Hi Sandile. Funnily enough, earlier today I commented about Freedom Day celebrations on your “Indifferance to national holidays…” post.
I’m a young (white) South African. I want to celebrate. My friends want to celebrate. We just don’t know how. We’re going to try but we’re just making it up as we go along.
Do you have any suggestions?
The closest Freedom Day government evet I saw advertised in the paper is a few hours away from where I stay, so thats not really feasible.
Spoken like a true Communist brother…Viva
Freedom Day is a bit of joke when you’re not free.
Sandile
You and your friends might treat your servants that way. I never did. Nor did my mother, my grandmother or my friends. My workers always had all weekends off. You don’t know how much I looked forward to Mondays! You disgust me.
What you are saying is that you will not tolerate any other form of opinion or view. So we must all have ubuntu so long as we all do the same things.
I don’t like public rally’s – never have and never will. So as you believe in ubuntu repect your african brothers differences and accept them.
Has it not occurred to you that the poor attend rallies because it is the only entertainment that they can afford?
Please don’t threaten retribution as it stunts your argument for the rainbow nation.
Also a lot of poor people don’t attend rally’s either – why don’t they?
. . . Generalisation after generalisation. Assumption after assumption. bla bla bla
Reverend Mamela, this reads like a lame sermon flavoured with Marxism
Sandile, arn’t you lucky that your black skin protects you and your blatantly racist attacks on white people, unlike Bullard.
According to recent economic data the wealthiest 2% of our country are equally black and white.
By the way, I won’t be joining the luxury-vehicle-parade driving to multi-million rand ‘Freedom Day’ rallies around the country. And neither will the hundreds of orphans from various local townships whom we are visiting today.
Please enjoy the celebratory pigswill on our behalf.
Do yourselves all a favour and read Michelle Atagana at
http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/michelleatagana/2008/04/25/satirically-speaking%e2%80%a6/
Freedom means you are free to choose whether to attend a rally or to go shopping or whatever.
Oh how shallow Sandile. How does this well-used race card claptrap make it to the TL. Sure, you might say I’m white and “privileged” but I’ll work most of to-day to help maintain my position. This is that I’m OK but not really “well-heeled” (I suggest Sandile is not well-healed)in the world context. I must pay for security, education, healthcare etc on top of crippling tax and pay fraudulent rates to “subsidise the poor”. Of course the money never gets to the poor, 2010 and chubby municipal political appointees gobble it up before it makes it.
Sandile, wake up and smell the dung. Whites are a minority in SA and contrary to what the government and its fellow travellers would have you believe, black people control every facet of SA business and politics.
I reckon that the bulk of South Africans are just glad to have a holiday. Do they care that some don’t celebrate like they do? I don’t think so. They’d rather have food, services, education etc. Now that is more difficult to provide, so let’s distract them and play bash and blame whitey for the failure to meet lofty promises; it’s easier than finding solutions. And, all the while we fill our already bulging stomachs and pockets with taxpayers money provided to us with government connivance.
Pull the other one Sandile, it’s got the bells on.
Maybe there was no Madiba magic to start with. If there was something like it it was imaginary at best, something we wanted to happen. Yes we chanted the words of Martin Luther King, Free at last…but maybe we forgot to ask: Free from what…
Freedom is a state of mind.
Maybe we should rename the day to ‘Day of the nation’ or ‘Thanksgiving day’.
The so-called well-heeled (or anybody for that matter) would have no excuse not to attend unless they dont care about the nation or giving thanks (e.g. for the freedom) is not what they like to do.
YES! That’s unthinkable. Those who get the best from new SA opportunities should attend Freedom Day cerimonies. In fact, they should be queued by their servants, and in a perfectly submissed attitude should be taken to the nearest political rally – uh, I mean, “celebration”.
Yes, because, all the other citizens – the ones that have not yet achieved a full inclusion in the “rainbow country”‘s developed life, they all keep going to these rallies/celebrations, in the hope that in the next 12 month their freedom will turn into a better life in a friendly society, with no blackouts, no high crime rates, better job rates, better social medicine, etc.
By the way, the «… countless heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice to give us the South Africa we have» might just wanted to achive another kind of freedom society.
(I better keep quiet. After all, many will say I have no right to say what I say… Just contingences of democracy, ultimatelly given by the original Freedom Day.)
I must say I usually find Sandile’s long-winded ideological obsequiousness either mildly repugnant or totally detestable; but in my mandatory masochistic scan of his latest TL offering I glimpsed upon the mention of a profound humanitarian truth. He said “This boils down to a refusal to forge partnerships with the indigent to build a better quality life for all.” and this resonates with me in certain specific scenarios… which I have no need or desire to articulate on this forum.
Then, having touched upon a single salient point he descends once more into the pomposity of excessive verbiage in an apparent attempt to impress his superiors with his indignant patriotic outrage; which ever seethes under the surface in this loyal cadre and devotedly self-righteous civil servant… who is most likely sticking us all overtime on the days in question.
“I realized that the purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity.” (- Bill Watterson, Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat, page 62)
Since your blog is said in a Racist way..Let me tell you in a equally racist way (so maybe you can understand) why I didnt go to “Freedom Day” Sandile..and like a “good whitey”..oops , Sorry,I mean..”A Bad Whitey”…thought I could utilize my time more effectively and efficiently elsewhere.
..in a country with:-
-crime out of control..and a minister who tells us, to stop whinging and to emigrate if we arent happy.
-where criminals have more rights than victims
-with 150+rapes a day
-with ?50+ murders a day
-with 1400+ Hiv/Aids deaths a day and a PM who says he doesnt know anyone who has died of AIDS
-with a minister of health (thats a oxymoron for you),who says eat more veggies and garlic….
-with a PM who maintains there is no Crisis in Zimbabwe and hugs and is big mates with a person that will one day face crimes against Humanity.
-who despite being warned ten years ago of a looming Energy Crisis..chose to rather ignore it..and to solve the problem..”to turn the lights out..and get into bed early”.
-Should I carry on….
..and now you want me to go and utilize my valuable time and listen to some “insightful person/President” with all the above credentials. Mabye that sort of person will appeal to your intellect and have you in adulation, Sandile, while he besides other things..spews out how ungrateful us whiteys are for not being there. Maybe that appeals to you…But for me…Duh…I dont think so …I will “celebrate” in my own way!!
Sandile Memela is a bit ingenuous. It is not just the beneficiaries of apartheid who continue to maintain their exclusivity, They have been joined by a coterie of the previously disadvantaged, parading under the banner of the ANC, who play the role of the maintaining stability. Just like the Bantustan leaders of old, they have become the “Black Boere” to use a slogan used by the South African Municipal Workers Union.
The 14 years of ANC rule have created a new ‘black’ elite and a society that is more unequal than ever. They dived into globalisation and we lost thousands of jobs and billions of rands of investment to create global companies based in London and New York.
This new paradigm of an elite that is not homogenous makes the struggle one where the currently disadvantaged are pitted against the newly advantaged and the previously over-advantaged. We are beginning to see how this will pan out.
well – you’ve definitely written something to aggravate & stir up a few people.
I’m interested to know your views WRT our (RSA’s) economy. How exactly are we all supposed to make money & put food in our families mouths, with this many public holidays?
I think we’d all like to celebrate/remember/relax, etc – but this country can’t function on goodwill alone – we actually need to be productive…
any comment?
What utter rubbish. Sandile, you seem to forget YOU are the new ‘privileged class’, and perhaps you were subconsciously looking into a mirror when you wrote this ideological claptrap.
Firstly, as an employer i have to say i have ration the number of workers i allow to come in on Freedom day, as they all want the overtime / double pay. For them freedom means being able to feed clothe and house themselves, maybe buying a few luxuries. They are just normal people, they aren’t connected to the ANC, they haven’t benefited from the gravy train of BEE, so whilst you gorge yourself in the ivory tower of power and political connections, there standard of living has fallen. Your ilk are too busy looking after each other to worry about the real people. What pisses you off when you say they have ‘forgiven and forgotten’ is that you realise they have seen your mob for who and what you really are, and ‘Freedom Day’ is as hollow to them as it is to us’
Secondly, do not be so quick to dismiss peoples concerns over Zuma. Having multiple wives may seem odd to our culture, but it is not the reason people are rightly concerned. We have seen the damage that inappropriate leaders can inflict upon African countries, why should we not be concerned. At the very least Zuma, by his own admission, has been guilty of a number of ‘serious errors of judgment’ and whilst a court of law has not yet found him guilty, it has found someone guilty of securing bribes on his behalf, and this has been upheld upon appeal, so it is perfectly fair and reasonable to worry if he is a suitable president for our beleaguered little country. You deny this because of your own myopia and prejudice, not because of logic.
Thirdly, SOME land was stolen, and legislation is currently correcting this. MOST land was not stolen, you just chose to view history from a fanciful viewpoint where Africa is a black continent, and therefore the land belongs to black people. This is inherently racist, is not the case for any continent, and in viewing history you must apply the same rules for black and white alike, which off course, you don’t.
In vilifying Mandela and Tutu you show your true colours. That you now turn your back upon those you were willing to die for probably says more about your bitterness and inability to adapt to the new order than theirs.
Finally you suggest that in white folk not celebrating freedom day they are ‘spitting on the graves of those who fought for them’. Surely you are not this stupid? Do you go and cry on the graves of Afrikaner soldiers who died for you in the border war, are you campaigning to have their names added to the Freedom wall, are you hell, you would rather, i suggest ‘spit on their graves’.
Many of your ‘Freedom fighter’ were nothing more than common murderers. They did not fight for white people, they fought against them. They murdered innocent women and children. We all must accept the past, and i do not deny the legitimacy of the cause, but i will not condone the murder of innocents, and wanton acts of terrorism, and then cry on the graves of the perpetrators.
We must find a way to reconcile ourselves, and in that Mandela and Tutu are mentors and leader. Without them you and i would be fighting each other with bullets and not words.
Sandile, what should ‘privilaged’ people do exactly? Surely, without any well off South Africans, there’d be nothing to aim at for everyone else. Not much point in having an entire 3rd world population, when we are trying to increase everyone’s wealth……can’t exactly ask everyone to hold off becoming succesful until we’re all ready to do it in one go. Bit silly really….
also, some South Africans may feel that freedom has not been entirely achieved as yet…….sunset clauses and all that?
Such a pathetic, worn out argument that achieves absolutely nothing, zero, zilch. And you wonder why people are leaving? Never mind crime, maybe they just tired of the same old racist crap that keeps on being served up. Or maybe they take people like Paul’s comment too seriously.
All dictatorships (Nazi Germany, USSR, Marxist E. Europe, Cuba, N. Korea etc forced its people to attend patriotic rallies and not one of those countries were/are havens of people bashing down their doors to get entry)
I choose not to attend the Nat’s Republic Day etc rallies for the same reason i choose not to attend the current ones – boring, pompous politicians hogging the stage again – better to attend concerts and theatre celebrating our wonderful local talent.
What makes me proud of being a S.African is; waiting in line peacefully with millons of others to vote in 1994, our guy winning the Olympic marathon, winning the world rugby cup in 1995 and 2007, the Africa soccer cup in 1996, going to a wonderful women’s day concert on Women’s Day a few years back and being entertained by amazing talented local women etc etc – definitely not listening to politicians that we hear every day of the year.
Brent
So much for nation-building…
Sandile,
A terrible submission once again.
What is your take on the ‘non-privileged’ or the newly created ‘privileged’ class that was created post-1994 with regards to non-participation on Freedom day celebrations?
I have seen very minimal participation from the ‘non-privileged’ and I think it is because perhaps unlike you, they have nothing much to celebrate. I seriously doubt if they have indeed felt the full effect of this ‘Madiba magic’ that you are referring to.
As for the newly created ‘privileged’, they probably have ‘better’ things to do with their time. I have not seen any participation from them either.
Anyways, what did you get up to on Freedom day?
With government hiring kwaito-stars at every one of our national holidays no wonder ppl are losing focus. JUNE 16 went from being a reminder of lives lost and sacrifice to Youth Day. Youth Day is about some bash with a couple of high celebs and lots of booze and a govt-sanctioned afterparty where someone gets stabbed or run over by some idiot who’s doing dough-nuts(not the type you eat).
Please advise us poor misguided souls how to celebrate, government surely is forgetting to send us those fliers.
Dear Sandile, A useful hint going foward, its usually quite an effective way of making a point to use some facts to back up your emotional outbursts otherwise you just get branded as an emotional outburst with no substance.
In any regard take that comment as you may I am interested in what you have to say and whilst I know it is important not to generalise to understand what facts and substance you are basing your commentary on. The conclusion I’d like to reach is whether there is any substance in your comments or is this a legacy comment from a period in which I never had a hand in.
Woohoo! Two day week!
Was monday freedom day?
In Zimbabwe I have attended the Governor’s ball and dinner dances. I do not like the Stadium dos in the sun. I remember last year’s do with the masses sitting in the sun and the selected ruling class in the shade eating ice cream and the voice over the loud speaker telling the crowd to cheer as Bona and Chatunga made their entrance.
At least in Zimbabwe the main attraction is the soccer match at the end of it all featuring more often than not Highlanders and Dynamos
I do not think it is fair to have people sit through culturally and politically biased proceedings. I am black and love independence day but imagine me being made to cheer a partisan speech by Robert Mugabe and go Pamberi or Pasi with the fist or in the case of South Africa by Thabo Mbeki. Or dance to kwaito while standing in the sun while I can be listening to Arno Carstens, Don Laka etc
What “amused reader” said!
At the rate our limited skills are running for the hills, it would be sensible to leave the privileged classes to do what they want on public holidays.
PS – the swart gevaar threats are so last regime.
PSPS – top class stirring!
The ‘privileged class’ often do contribute towards making the ‘downtrodden class’ wealthier. For example, by being robbed, burnt with boiling water, electric irons, etc. Or by being shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, raped, being turned into widows/widowers/orphans/parents grieving over dead children. Howzat, Sandile, see how negative generalizations can be? Get a life…..
“Privileged class” is the latest Mamela codespeak for “whites” and “coconuts”. And he implies that Tutu and Mandela are coconuts too. Mamela detests whites and coconuts but doesn’t have the cojones to say it in plain language, so it has to be encoded into codespeak.
Good heavens, this is such rubbish!
I’ve read one or two of your posts that contained some truth or sense, but this is incredibly disappointing. I won’t be wasting my time reading your stuff again.
May you can draft a caste policy so the elite and the riff-raff dont mix?!!
:\
Sandile, how does this attendance at freedom day celebrations fit with your thought police article??
Eish, dude you are confused.
Zuma? Sleepless nights?
Here’s a shocker for you. As a privileged white person I state that:
a) I can accept that everyone makes mistakes, sometimes huge ones
b) If Jacob Zuma comes to power and if he listens to the people and if he empowers the people and if he makes people people proud then we’d follow him to the ends of the earth – white & black alike will back him up and follow him and love him
Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought he was the white mans worst nightmare. He is not. I’m starting to become quite fond of him. Does that sound kinky?