I am about to comprehensively lose confidence in the future of print media, especially newspapers, in South Africa. Worse, the major groups compound the problem by denying that not only are most of their black editors tokens but now confirming that they never appointed them on merit in the first place.
The recent trend in appointing top dogs in editorial executive positions have evinced complete disregard for taking black self-sacrifice and talent seriously. There is no reason for the media sector to restart the programme of appointing white women, Indians and coloureds at the expense of black Africans.
In fact, there is reason to believe that by this Christmas the number of black Africans in editorship positions and top executive positions will have been greatly reduced. Mathata Tsedu was removed from the Sunday Times, the Sowetan sent Thabo Leshilo to Harvard, Simba Makunike has virtually disappeared from The Weekender, Fikile Ntsikelelo Moya quit the Mail & Guardian, Tyrone August resigned from the Cape Times to be replaced by white women and the Argus has no blacks in its top echelons.
This is, of course, a testament of how the media has always refused to transform itself to reflect the demographics of the country. And yet it is a national imperative if the industry is to survive. The temptation is strong to write off the media industry as the revival of the tricameral system which in 1984 saw some whites, coloureds and Indians gang up against black Africans.
But this never worked and had the opposite effect of galvanizing the masses to run into the ranks of the resistance movement as represented by the UDF, which was the defiant face of the ANC. One needs only look at the recent top editorial changes in the Cape Times, Argus, City Press and Mail & Guardian to see how black Africans are being marginalised, overlooked or pushed into dead-end “assistant” jobs.
Again, we are hearing whispers in the corridors that “blacks are not good enough” or they are not available. There is a bid to convince everybody that, all of a sudden, the country is running on empty when it comes to black African editorial talent. Of course, it may be true that there are many blacks Africans who were fast-tracked to top jobs before they had proven themselves.
They were set up to fail by being tricked to climb the ladder by doing a quick crash course with Anton Harber at Wits, for instance, to be zoomed into leadership and management positions.
But chickens are coming home to roost, now.
As for me, I am not impressed that despite this fake advancement, black editors and journalists are, again, slipping into the backroom and fast disappearing from the editorial front line of newspapers. The white establishment is reviving liberal style racism through market strategies that seek three things: effective newspapers with political influence and power to get government advertising, white editorial hegemony and black tokens that cannot think for themselves but live to please white bosses.
We have to be deeply disturbed because this reveals that white strategists are putting on thinking caps that have been kept in the freezer for the last 15 years. It would seem the instinctive thinking in terms of the latest appointments is not only to overlook blacks but to appoint anybody and everybody who is non-black, especially white women.
This is done in the name of affirmative action.
Not surprising, black editors and journalists find this development resentful but they cannot say nor do anything about it because they have always been self-hating and powerless. Ironically, they killed the Forum of Black Journalists because they were in too much of a rush to prove their unconditional loyalty to their white colleagues.
But now there are sweeping changes in important top appointments and they are being left out.
This business strategy and development is bound to fail because black news junkies and readers are unhappy with papers that are anti-ANC or portray them as sleeping with goats or chasing the Tokoloshe at night.
I do not think that the failed tricameral strategy — whites, coloureds and Indians in editorial leadership — is going to work. What is required in the print media is newspaper leadership that is intuitively connected to the grassroots communities and possesses credible black leadership that has the ear of black politicians.
Without this newspapers are not only going to suffer from a declining readership and lack of political credibility but disintegrate as more black people lose confidence in them.
Of course, one can cite what is perceived to be a black government (sic) as one influential investor that is, increasingly, losing confidence in both black editors and newspapers, in general. Perhaps this perception could be changed if black editors had the balls to stand up for what blacks support and believe in and were willing to be seen to be fighting racism, economic inequality and injustice in the country and pushing hard to bring a “better quality of life to all”.
But this has not happened. Instead, black editors are seen as both white clones and tokens whose role and responsibility is to protect white privilege for self-interest. Unfortunately, the future of mainstream newspapers without visible black leadership is clearly out of the question. After all, this is a black country!
There is widespread perception that Mathata Tsedu’s removal from the hot seat at the Sunday Times was orchestrated by a tricameral cabal, that is, whites, coloureds and Indians who are opposed to black advancement and progress. In fact, it will be interesting to see if current editor, Mondli Makhanya’s contract will be renewed when it expires some time this year.
The big question is: will they appoint another black? Or does Makhanya’s tenure mark the end of transformation? Clearly, from recent developments, there is reason to believe that the white establishment has regained its arrogance and feels that it can go ahead and appoint whoever it wants, especially non-blacks, in leadership positions of newspapers with a dominant black readership.
But it is hard to see how this strategy, which is most likely to be seen as racist or expressing lack of confidence in blacks, will avoid a “blacklash” (sic).
The starting point for the media industry, especially newspapers, to avoid stagnation is for them to be seen to be offering influential and powerful positions to blacks.
To a much greater degree than in the apartheid years, South Africa has got a wealth of black editorial and writing talent. Some of it comes from all the corners of the continent, including Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria, for instance. The problem is that the continued appointment of white women, coloureds and Indians into top position will continue to be seen as an anti-black move. In fact, it will be seen as undermining nation-building and social cohesion, which espouses the view that top editorial positions belong to all who work in the media industry, both black and white.
People are alarmed that whites and others are being appointed wily-nilly as if black talent does not exist. This may result in the exodus of black talent from the media — as happened in KwaZulu-Natal in the 1990s — to join government or become intelligentsia that will lead the masses to boycotting white-owned newspapers (sic).
And, of course, this development will undermine the functioning and effectiveness of democracy which needs a representative media that gives an authentic black perspective. Perhaps the white establishment needs to be sensitized that black editors and senior journalists are hurting. To be precise, they are a bunch of frustrated mediocre professional who have hit the cul de sac. In fact, the future prospect of the media industry is dim as it depends on the existence of credible black editorial leadership. The immediate beneficiaries of this tricameral arrangement need to persuade the white establishment that there will be no non-racial, post-apartheid media without meaningful black participation at leadership level.
It is hard to overstate the potential economic and social disaster that would await South Africa were blacks made to feel that they have neither the leadership skills nor abilities to handle big newspapers after only 15 years. This view perpetuates the myth of black inferiority.
In fact, this would be a step that confirms that the media remains, essentially, untransformed but takes us backward to days of racism.
It makes a mockery of democracy, especially transformation as espoused by affirmative action.
If a good newspaper is a nation talking to itself, where is the black voice?
you sound bit a like qunta here. but there’s good news for you, there’s a job going at the sabc.
When i last heard the main paper groups were owned by large Black businesses, the the solution is simple; ‘get the directors to do your bidding.’ So instead of a long bitter ditribe to us powerless bloggers jus tgo direct to the source of your problem, the people who awn th emajor groups. The Argus was essentially taken over by Black business way back in the mid 90′s time enough to effect the required changes.
You charge white/colored/indian manager racists as being the problem, suggest you name and shame
Brent
Memela, spot on. There is a degree of arrogance that should be challenged with all the might that it deserves. Who ever controls the news controls what a nation thinks as can be demonstrated by the brainwashing media in the UK and the USA. All should be done to make sure that we are not subjected to stupid and inferior editorial decisions from those that have never suffered and were always privilleged. The covering and editorial before polokwane was such that the media was doing everything to make sure Zuma does not win.
Lets start by stoping our subscriptions to those newspapers and stop buying them completely and that will hit where it hurts the most.
The priorities are to CHASE THE MONEY
Its not really about race at that level
@ Mr Memela: Your use of the term “black” betrays your arrogance. Black refers to Coloreds, Indians and Africans. That is why all these groups benefit from both Affirmative Action and BEE. Your article exaggarates things. There is no tricameral conspiracy going on against the indegenous Africans of this country. Yes, there is a problem in that Africans are not represented enough. Whites are still at the top, then Indians, then Coloureds. Today I was reading the Mail and Guardian and was a little sad that that wonderful woman, Ferial Hafajje, was leaving. I read her comments about Nic Dawes (who’s to be M&G’s editor come June) and she said he was “brilliant” and “clever”. Asked about Rapula Tabane, the deputy editor, all she could say was that he is a “good team builder”. Wow! Remember Hafajje wrote an article last year, praising the DA for being “diverse” and lamenting that the (post-Polokwane) ANC was too “African”. I really, truly and unreservedly used to admire Haffajee. Hopefully she will be re-concientized at the City Press.
Memela, your article would have been good if you weren’t so emotionally charged about the subject you are discussing.Most of what you’re saying is true.Blacks are marginalised in this country. The Mbeki government was primarily concerned with promoting white interests such that throughout his tenure,whites have been proven to have benefited most from his economic policies. He was just a white puppet masqurading as an Africanist.
Black Journalists are disappearing for the same reason that Tito looses black accountants and has to use white Afrikaner males. There are not enough trained blacks and they are poached by private enterprise to meet BEE requirements.
Allister Sparks explains the problem fully in his book “Beyond The Miracle”.
Race is all that matters to you, isnt it? So what if the people you criticise write good stpories investigate corruption and report on the plight of the poor. Its all meaningless because they are white or brown. Colour trumps everything else in governement so why not everywhere else too seems to be what you are saying…
Wow! I pity the poor backs who always have to wait for hand me downs!
In this regard it is interesting to note that the ANC follows the (often bad) example of the Nats in many respects, e.g. job reservation, introduction of a racial classification, not mixing politics and sport etc, but failed to do so in one important area…. The media! The Nats (and Afrikaners) took the initiative to establish their own newspapers (e.g. Beeld, Transvaler, Die Burger, Rapport etc.) where they could decide who would be the editor in chief, and where they could find their Afrikaner voice. But somehow after 15 years of democracy a similar trend failed to materialize. Maybe it is easier to blame the whites for this too.
I think, rather than placing the blame at the “white bosses” one should add to Mr Memela’s question: “If a good newspaper is a nation talking to itself, where is the black voice?” and why are there no “black bosses” who would invest in (or establish) such a publication?
Im continuosly impressed by your crystal clear insight into SA media; and your stating it, despite the social unacceptability of being black and speaking your mind on racial issues in post apartheid SA. I hope that when the history of this period of SA is finally written, voices like yours will not be drowned out by the by the cacophony of acquiescence from the ‘courageous’ and ‘independent-minded’ black journalist who ‘take-on the government’ but represent a minority viewpoint.
What twaddle! If “black” editors choose to go other newspapers (Ferial to City Press, Fikile Moya to Sowetan), how is that the fault of the “White, Coloured and Indian cabal”. As a white person I am increasing following the “black” journalists precisely because I value their views. I suppose in your twisted opinion that is proof that they pandering to my ilk!
Black journos disappearing – now thats surprising? I suspect if their views don’t coincide with your partisan views then they literally don’t exist in your world, do they? Sorry but without a scientific survey to back up your claim of fewer blacks in leadership positions in the media, you seem to be blowing hot partisan air once again.
Having black voices in leadership positions in the media is crucial to SAs transformation but hopefully their views are are not as arrogant, disrespectful and biased as like your recent ramblings.
I think a change is needed to the Star Rating system so that negative Stars can be awarded.
C’mon Sandile, your ANC has championed tokensim as the mainstay of its transformation policy…
If you don’t focus on education, skills creation and merit based appointments, but rather favour window dressing what did you really expect?
And why single out journalism…. it is the same story pretty muych everwhere. Everyone loses out on this current system, where the appearence of transformation is all that anyone is really interested in.
True transformation requires (1) all lot of time (2) brutal honesty; and we are totally unwilling to subscribe to either. (Well you are up for brutal honesty on one half of the story, but in total denial about the other)
‘He believes freedom of thought and expression encourages diversity of opinion and tolerance for the ‘other.’
‘After all, this is a black country!’
Where is the tolerance in this? Memela you seem to be filled with prejudice rather than tolerance of any sort.
It is black people like you who are in leadership positions who spend too much time coming up with conspiracies which hold no water that really get on my nerves. Come up with meaningful reasons and advice as to how black editors should be chosen instead of always seeing racism in every appointment that is not black. Or even better, start your own newspaper publication which has a black editor and therefore tapping into the black market which makes up the majority of people buying newspapers. That way black editors can push for transformation within there own space and not rely on some white owned company to push them aside by seeing them as inferior. It is funny how you will label a black person who is against the government as a counter revolutionary instead of lookin at his argument.
Somewhere in this rant there is, I think, a valid point or two struggling to get out, but the writer’s faulty grammar and non sequiturs make many parts of his offering incomprehensible, while elsewhere the apparent meaning of one sentence is immediately opposed by the sentence that follows. Overall the thing is a dreadful mess. And this from someone who describes himself as an ex-journalist and editor.
Maybe some people who want to be editors don’t cut it. Maybe some people who would more than cut it don’t want to be editors. Maybe the brains who own the papers have been taken over by years of internalised racism. Maybe the brains who run the newspapers still have a conscience.
The ANC is a great organisation. However, it is not the pinnacle of perfection, the best organisation at every endeavour that ever could be in the whole world. Why do we talk as if it is? The time will come when it is indeed superseded by something else, hopefully something better, more cohesive, to better manage the transformation of society without employing a too-oft failed slash-and-burn mentality. That replacement organisation is not here yet. But if it is prevented from emerging in its due time by heavy-handed censorship and self-censorship, we will end up with a kneejerk replacement far inferior to the original. This is not what anyone wants.
Which of course bears the question, are the present leaders of the ANC there on merit, or …
Of course then we could reference Snuki but then as head of the most powerful TV station network in SA we also have to say they are Bankrupt. Perhaps they can do a deal with the Chinese?
@Sandile when are you going to be able to cast off your own racial blinkers and just see people as people no matter where they come from or what race they are? South Africa belongs to us all. If others have racist perceptions you don’t make matters better by climbing on to the same rickety craft that they are on and sinking with them.
malume memela
spot on yet again…i couldnt have said it better myself.
unfortunately, the whole fiasco is now driving khathu & mondli to extreme or extinct, they’re just bungling with information and make decisions on the go & their investigation team is losing touch because it looks like it has been told to only investigate anc (just like sam sole on m&g).
for me, mondli makhanya has lost his position long time ago (after transnet blunder), he still believes that he’s still in charge while we all know that brandon boyle, chris barron & andrew donaldson are now calling the shots at that institution. mondli has been reduced into a smiling shadow of his old self. such a pity.
as for khathu, he thinks that he’s been promoted while media24 has pushed him to a insignificant position of being a gm…where have you ever heard of such position before?
as for justice malala, i just see no future for him, at least his former work colleague at thisday, nic, has been elevated by m&g while justice is just a smiling once-off columnist of a tabloid regional paper. no ceo would ever trust him again, he dragged thisday to extinct…poor african owned paper…now gone forever!
poor black editors…pheeww!
@Phillipa Lipinsky,
Yoh! “Re-concientized”. This isn’t communist Poland Phillipa. Just because Ferial gives her assessment of two of her journalists.
You and Sandile Memela should get married.
Are you for real? Can’t be. You must be having us on.
So sort it out Sandile. I for one am sick of hearing you whine about things that are fully within your power to rectify.
What is this – the 3rd article on a trot about the same subject?
One of the biggest problem in South Africa is ‘racism’. We have a history of serious and innate racist tendencies which affect all sectors of our society [including the media]. No matter what, I’ve always thought white people were comfrotable with racism, South African history is my evidence and that’s not about to change. Just read some of the comments made by [allegedly] white people on this blog, just how they use verbal gymnastics to defend the indefensible. Very pathetic indeed.
On matters of race, I think most racist white people lose their reasoning and resort to slander and cheap offensive tactics to defend their bigotry. Transformation does not exist in a white world, reformation maybe. For white people, rearranging the same thing is fine than to fundamentally change it for better effect and improvement. My conclusion is clear, most white people in South Africa are incapable of change. The same white people who never did anything about apartheid are the same people who do not want to change their old habits….What can one expect from white South Africans? Most of them are short-sighted and lack the ability of living in an open society. The fortunate thing is, our society keeps evolving and soon all the racist dinosaurs will be extinct.
My conclusion, white South Africans have serious credibility issues and racism is one of their major weakness. South Africa can be better than this!!!
Sandile I am hoping that your total loss of confidence in the print media will extend to digital media and that we will no longer have to read your racist rants anymore.
You would go down well in China as partly line journo in a one party state.
Xolani/Sandile
The crippling irony is that if i had written a comment as openly hostile about black people as yours is about whites, the moderators(editors) would have made absolutely certain no-one would have seen sight, sound or had even a sniff of it!!!
And South Africa is racist in favour of whites…… REALLY, i moved here 5 years ago and that is not the SA i live in!
Mr Memela, if this is an example of your writing then let us hope that you, at least, don’t ever take charge of a national paper.
“Whispers in corridors”? “The White Establishment”? Sounds more fitting for a student rag than a high-profile blog that aims to be thought provoking.
If you want to make your points tell, argue for them consistently and support your arguments with evidence, not hearsay. Otherwise, it comes across as special pleading – and a big yawn.
As for Sunday Times, I don’t know who to blame – Mr Tsedu or Mr Makhanya or maybe neither gentleman, but on their watch the paper that once was a must-read is now primarily a substance for our puppy to pee on.
Money is short and people won’t spend their hard-earned, providing sheltered employment to a class of people who think race is more important than what or how they write or edit. Tough times, and a hot kitchen? Where, by the way, did those senior journalists go on leaving their former posts? Did you ask them if they mind being projected as race victims?
I personally don’t care about journalists’ race, if they tell an interesting or relevant story and well. This means, typically, that black voices are more relevant; no argument there. But doing the job properly, comes first, and producing excellent copy. If excellent journos are being fired for their race, I’ll join you on the picket line, but are they?
I am intrigued by the idea that you feel that black talent from Ghana and Zimbabwe should be prioritised over non-African South Africans. And here I was thinking that South Africa was a country for South Africans and had moved beyond race.
@ Xolani if that is the case why is it that Africans despise Black South Africans, is it maybe because they see them for what they are, racist, xenophobic bigots.
Nicely written Sandi. You’ve obviously been working at finding the better blogger in you.
It’s worth remembering that the cornerstone of journalism is TRUST, and trust depends exclusively on seeking & telling the TRUTH. It is not built on power, greed, self-aggrandisement, moral decrepitude and wholesale deception. Precisely the principles your organisation espouses.
The ANC has squandered the trust placed in it, has spent 15 years producing scattered fragments of good (which should have taken it no more than 4 years) and the rest is misery, lies, racism, dependence and poverty on a grand scale.
Truth is you’re not trusted anymore. The fact that the ANC will return to power later this month is the curse of a flawed system (for which the apartheid government bears mutual responsibility – NP & ANC are conjoined twins in this tragedy) not because they’re worthy, good or ethical.
Too many of us now cry for the beloved country that should be South Africa. Instead we have the wasteland of new racists & new colonisers.
Xolani, go through your article and replace white with black and visa vesa throughout the article and re-read it. It would make your blood boil if it were actually sent through by a white. Well that is what your nasty little article makes us feel like, so congratulatons on your great work of nation bulding.
Don’t generalise, that is what sustained Apartheid, lets not repeat history all over again but in reverse.
Sandile – the faults you see in others are actually your own faults, look carefully in the mirror every morning before setting off for your day.
Brent
What are all these sics peppering the blog? Has he got the hiccups?
I must admit to reading Memela out of masochistic glee. And anticipation. He has had a good whine about the racist white and puppet black media, so what’s next on his agenda? I can’t wait.
Seriously though, although I have nothing against freedom of speech, I fear bloggers like Memela because many of his accusations are unfounded and yet he stirs up almost frenzied support in some quarters.
Mr Memela is severely depressed at the dwindling number of black editors in newsrooms around your country. But even more depressing is the lack of transformation in the cockpit of the presidential jet. Still the same old ex-border war white colonels flying the president around, with perhaps a single powerless, self-hating black brigadier observing from the jump seat.
This can no longer be tolerated. It is a national imperative that we see the full cabinet, together with assorted ANC luminaries and especially Mr Memela himself, on board the presidential 767 being piloted not by white relics from the apartheid era but by a fully black crew – one with the balls to take them into O’Hare at night with ten-tenths cloud, plenty electro-magnetic activity and seventy aircraft in the stack.
@Monica Seeber
Answer to your (rhetorical?) question…
He has had a good whine about the racist white and puppet black media, so what’s next on his agenda?
Why, the racist whites and the puppet black media of course.
And then the following blog will astound us all about be about racist whites and the puppet black media.
And after waiting with anxious anticipation for further topics, we will read the absolute treat of a new blog about racist whites and the puppet black media.
The shockingly depressing thing is that even people who fight against racism every day can start to devalue the status of the struggle against pervasive apartheid mindsets after reading enough of these. In compelling people to be either racist whites (and puppet black media) or authentic black African, Mr Memela leaves little ground for genuine discourse – particularly as this is not self-description but a subjective placement in ‘the other’ category by none other than the writer himself (which ‘other’ of course is roundly tolerated apparently).
amused reader …. just testing your theory.
“One of the biggest problem in South Africa is ‘racism’. We have a history of serious and innate racist tendencies which affect all sectors of our society [including the media]. No matter what, I’ve always thought black people were comfrotable with racism, South African history is my evidence and that’s not about to change. Just read some of the comments made by [allegedly] black people on this blog, just how they use verbal gymnastics to defend the indefensible. Very pathetic indeed.
On matters of race, I think most racist black people lose their reasoning and resort to slander and cheap offensive tactics to defend their bigotry. Transformation does not exist in a black world, reformation maybe. For black people, rearranging the same thing is fine than to fundamentally change it for better effect and improvement. My conclusion is clear, most black people in South Africa are incapable of change. The same black people who never did anything about racism in the ANC are the same people who do not want to change their old habits.
My conclusion, black South Africans have serious credibility issues and racism is one of their major weakness. South Africa can be better than this!!!”
@ Lipinsky & Beddy – Your names say you’re white but you’re reasoning tells me that you’re nothing worth the while to neither black or white. Who can trust anyone that hates his/her own race – not me or anybody I know.
Bling Bling and platinum dreams
——————————-
Sandile,
The media needs critical appraisal.And this article does not help.
Most of SA middle and lower middle classes including journalist have removed their hearts from the people and have opted for self preservation. And part of their mobility and preservation is to be part of and internalise the (given)editorial bias to earn bling bling. Greed is a human phenomena that transcends colour.
Sandile, a sober analysis is needed.You have provided the kernel. We need much more to demystify this institution to the people.
Tito Mboweni said some ago, that he was quite happy with the Afrikaners that work for the Reserve bank, because they’re hard working and trust worthy. ( He said this himself – check it out)And to rectify your wrong perception; it was NOT because they were the only people available – it is a case of reliability.
It’s hard to believe that the caricature that Sandile Memela has become was once a journalist himself.
As someone in journalism myself, I know that it is very hard to find and keep black talent. Not because it doesn’t exist, but because it gets poached into the private sector pretty quickly. Why stay in journalism and earn the terrible bucks the average white journo is prepared to put up with, when all that wonderful BEE booty is waiting for you?
Plus, if, as you quote, a good newspaper is a nation talking to itself, darling, you need two voices: the newspaper and the READER. Where are the black newspaper readers? Which newspapers are they buying? The Sowetan, for example, has seen a dramatic drop over the last few years, down from a high of around 220 000, as I recall, somewhere in the early years of the century, to what, 130 000 now? If you want race-based newspapers, you the reader have to do your bit, y’know. Why does everything have to be a reaction against whites? Heaven only knows what Steve Biko would think of a pathetic whiner like our columnist here!
I few choice quotes from you:
“There is no reason for the media sector to restart the programme of appointing white women, Indians and coloureds at the expense of black Africans”.
“I do not think that the failed tricameral strategy — whites, coloureds and Indians in editorial leadership”.
“After all, this is a black country”
I have no idea why you are allowed on Thought Leader. You are a racist, bigoted man with divisive views and neither think nor lead; you merely espouse an ideological position in a manner that would make Chairman Mao proud.
You sum up your own writing quite well with: “…they are a bunch of frustrated mediocre professional [sic]”. You are clearly one of the mediocre and far from professional.
And for your own future use in case you become an editor again.
Sic is a Latin word meaning “thus”, “so”, “as such”, or “in such a manner”. In writing, it is placed within square brackets and usually italicized – [sic] – to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, punctuation, and/or other preceding quoted material has been reproduced verbatim from the quoted original and is not a transcription error.
Thus I used – [sic] above to highlight your error in failing to use the plural form of ‘professional’.
Knowing that mr Memela once worked in the print media, and that he quit not on amicable grounds, it is not suprising that he still pursue the vendetta against the media establishment.
Bosses are those with money, they are looking for return on their investment. The country demographiy has little to do with decision-making. So, if Mr Memela and his ilk are really concerned about the plight of black journos the could his department discretion fund to build a news empire – remeber the Rhoodie issue?
Them being black and african would stand a chance of getting BEE advertising and black readership.
Just to ask why is it that tabloids are the most read by blacks?
Xolile
Blacks are much more racist than whites. You have just proved it in your own comment.
So do the xenophobic attacks, which happen all over the continent.
So does the slavery of one group of another in North Africa eg the Belle are slaves of the Taureg.
You have to abandon tribalism, which is really racism.
Thanks very much for the thought provoking article, in my uneducated thesis I have realised that Africans were regarded as lowest of humans in this country and have been even now In Cape Town some so called coloured still call us Africans with the “K” word, the indians still even today treat us as subhumans, go to their houses and businesses then you will understand, the caucasians have always believed that they are better than anyone else look at fronting to them the economy is only supposed to be controlled by them and no african must control his/her destiny. Remember in order for one to influence people the only thing that one needs is to control how that person thinks, so through the printed and electronic media we are being controlled. As for the Africans who are trying to please their CAucasian bosses with betraying their people, history will judge them. If this Caucasians truly believe that they deserve a piece of Africa how come they cant even utter a single African language? But take them to China for a week they will come back knowing few words of Mandarin.Remember Babu Memela you are an Afrikan not black, wherever you go they will always look at you as an Afrikan. Dont forget that there are Indians that are black but they are not Afrikan. Let us not be apologetic most caucasians are racist and once you raise the race issue they will tell you are rainbow nation
@ Zayd
What total rubbish! Your racist rant, which has only been allowed because you are black (take note moderators), totally ignores fact.
White racism doesn’t create black unperformance, it is quite the reverse. The white world is falling over itself to help black Africa, and its attempts are continually thwarted by the intended beneficiaries, not white kniving.
International business people have no need to learn one of 9 official black languages, which in global terms are totally useless unless you have a very narrow business objective (and virtually no foreign investor does), where as Cantonese is the most populist language in the world, spoken in the worlds largest growing market. Even then the Chinese are falling over themselves to learn English, because they are focused on the reality of our world and not hung up on hopeless idealism.
When oh when will Africa ever learn!!!!
Amused Reader
You are the one who is racist listen to yourself think and speak, as long as you dont want to admit it you will always be living in that cocoon of racism. Firstly the chinese are learning English just for communication purpose only but everything they do is still in Mandarin, so as Germans, Russians, Japanese etc the list is endless. The problem is that you still feel that my language is inferior that is why you dont want to learn, so the question will be if my language is useless according to you, how about the Afrikan people? Do still see them as being useless?
I am not a racist my caucasian friend its that I am one of those Afrikan who is afraid to tell you guyz the thruth, you were raised under the racist roofs so that thing will take an interlligent person to overcome it, as long as you still look at Africa as backward nation then you are still racist.
Let me remind you that Afrika is where it is because of Europe and America still wants to control it, that is why intelligent and independant leaders were killed I am talking about Lubumba, Nkrumah, Lutthuli, Biko and the list is endless, oh! let us not forget the coup’s that are ochestrated by your fellow Westerners in Europe, remember Mark Thatcher? So remember he is not the only one but there are a lot of Thatcher’s around. Challenge me if u can.
Zayd
As usual i left a fair minded, non provocative reply that would reasonably challenge your view, and because i am white…… it was deleted.
That speaks for itself
Maybe you need to consider why when the president of SA visits the western cape and addresses black South Africans he needs to use a european language to do so
Amused Reader.
You people will never get satisfaction from anything we do, the president is suppose to speak in English for your sake and the media because each and every thing he says, is public interest.
He doesnt speak English because he likes it but he speaks it for your sake and the international media, to make an example when Pres. Zuma spoke in Zulu in Soweto last year the was an outcry from the white media and they started speculating that he was speaking in Zulu because he didnt want them to understand what he was saying.
Zayd
Mugabe also needs an interpreter when he speaks to 1/5 of his people, the Matabele. Do grow up and smell the roses.
The Chinese have 500 different languages/dialects – which is why they are using an international language like English, apart from the fact that their pictoral written language can not be computerised or alpbabeticised(i.e no dictionaries, no encyclopedias).
India has over 100 languages, as does Nigeria – so they use English.
The only reason that SA has only 8 Bantu languages ( of the 500 in Africa)- is Shaka killed off the rest when he colonised the tribes.
If the boers had not trekked between the Zulu and the Pedi and the Xhosa, their cultures would have been killed off as well.
Lyndall Beddy
Hey! my caucasian friend your ignorancy is so good Mugabe is not Ndebele he is Tshona, so if you cant get something very simple (Zimbabwe)how are you gonna get the history of people who are thousand miles away from you.