Ah, the race card. Where would we be without it? Zapiro sums the latest up quite nicely here.
Owing to my research for the insult books, I’ve been collecting fine examples of the use of the race card for years. Amongst my more recent acquisitions:
“They want to undermine the African Union and (South African) President Mbeki’s (mediation) efforts because they are racist, because they think only white people think better. It’s an insult to African leaders.” Deputy Zimbabwean Information Minister Bright Matonga, who isn’t.
“It is impossible to live with the very obvious condescending attitude toward black people which has become a repeated theme in his [Kriegler’s] statements. He [Kriegler] is in essence saying that all black judges were appointed because they are black and not on merit.” Dumisa Ntsebeza, SC, on Johann Kriegler’s challenge to the JSC’s letting of Hlophe off the hook.
“Can’t blacks achieve and be what they are without some creepy-crawly bigots belonging to latent international white supremacy dehumanizing and debasing them?” Letter to the Sunday Sun in response to the Caster Semenya controversy.
“It would not be like that if it were some young girl from Europe. If it was a white child, she would be sitting somewhere with a psychologist, but this is an African child. People think we come from the bush in Africa and live like animals.” Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene, also on Caster Semenya.
“All of a sudden there is a hullabaloo about blue lights. I suggest it is because some people are aware that in the blue light car today, there is a darkie inside there.” Bheki Cele, then MEC for Transport.
“If you are racist, don’t dump it on me. I’ve never been a racist and I will never be a racist. It came by three boats Dromedaris and Reijer and others. I’ve never been a racist that’s why I joined the ANC.” Membathisi Mdadlana, called to account for his remarks about Chinese South Africans.
“What I learned in SA is if you take your car to a garage and the owner is black and they mess it up, you never go back to that garage. If the owner is white, you say they made a mistake and you go back again. This is how some people live their lives.” Peter de Villiers.
“Watson’s deep-rooted ethnic prejudices against Afrikaners should be addressed with the same rigour as is the case with other incidents of racism in the country.” Kallie Kriel of AfriForum, on his complaint to the Equality Court over comments by Luke Watson.
No doubt there will be more fine examples in the future (though someone else will have to collect them because the forthcoming collection of South African insults is my last. Three seems like a good number — it worked for George Lucas, and he should never have tried for sequels three, four and five). It should be fun.
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48 Responses to “Some of my favourite examples of the race card”
Good one Sarah. I picked up this one from the Business Times of 12 July. A certain William Bouwer from Centurion wrote a startling letter to the editor following the insistence of the government for Anglo American to appoint a black chairman of the board: Anglo employs more than 100 000 people, which would not be achieved under black management. Black managers do not make the grade in Africa. In South Africa, just look at the SABC, Transnet, Denel, SAA, LandBank to see that blacks are not good at management.”
this article serves as a mechanism to strength the one side of the argument, that is based on specific fundamentals as far as its background is concerned and naturally influencing the same thinking (to which Zapiro does not belong), and therefore i say it is a courage to continue the struggle (for this side), this is clearly observable without any difficulty, but i what i want to know whether does this approach draw the line to say okay now this was not playing a race card but a genuine case of racism or a recognition of the same undertones - is this thinking capable of drawing such a line as things continue to happen in SA, surely you can’t be co existing with idiocy all around you in SA, it won’t be bearable
this is one article that is divisive and as it does not continue to apply any other approach to resolving the problem it identifies (as a result of its nature) and the fact this problem identification is used as an instrument to strike [back] to the ‘other side’, let’s see comments sorting themselves accordingly (in terms of these sides) having said all this, may be some examples are authentic cases of race card, I consider that..
Some of my best friends are architects! Does that count as a racist remark, because it’s true. The fact that they are Jewish is neither here nor there.
Alan in Botswana on September 10th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Sarah, there’s no such thing as the ‘race card’. Racism exists. No, we’re not living in a post-Apartheid or even in a post-racial world.
And to deny that is to live a life of white privilege. Come stand in my shoes for just one day and you’ll see things differently the next day. Or even during that seminal day of shoe-swapping.
Very dry, very relevant, and rather amusing. Many uses of the race card (by people of all races, let me hasten to add for fear of being thought equivocal), remind one of the language used when submitting insurance claims of ‘the tree suddenly jumped in front of me’ variety. And again, this in no way condones racist behaviour.
Definition of a Racist. A racist is someone who does not agree with what you have to say or do but only if the one disagreeing is a white man criticizing a black man.
Exceptions to racism.
1) A black who criticizes a black (unless said black is a lackey of a white!)
2) A black who criticises a white.
1 and 2 are not racism as racism can only happen from white to black and not vise versa!! Blacks never ever are racist as they were born “Black is beautiful” and “White is Wicked”, So blacks are always innocent victims of one way discrimination!!
Of course, we all know that we are “all South Africans” and we should ignore the point that Europeans descended in the region in the mid-17th century and engaged in a rampage of bloody marauding, emerging with a disproportionate share of the wealth. We all know that Europeans hardly care about maintaining this booty. In any case, this is all ancient history because everything was corrected in the Spring of 1994–right?
Firstly, in the interests of fair play how about showing how both sides play the race card and don’t be afraid to go back a few years - pre-liberation. Secondly, the privileges of being white cannot be eradicated after centuries of white supremacy, so you need to factor in why whites in our current society don’t even have to play the race card. Thirdly, if you feel SAns are quick to “play the race card”, read Niki Moore’s classic http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/readerblog/2009/04/17/time-to-shift-our-attitude/ to understand this phenomenon.
Thobekani, at first I thought I was reading a post from Thabo Mbeki ….!?….what were you trying to say????
Thank you Sarah for helping me with compilation of data for my app. to Canada for refugee status…I just hope that those donnerse Red Indians are not racist as well….
It is an unfortunate situation, but unfortunately SA will only start to become racially integrated in another generations time. The first generation of truly free, and generally non racial, youngsters are already reaching their 20’s.
I’m afraid that anyone older than about 40 at the moment will have to die off as well because people from all of the diverse cultures living in SA were scarred in different ways by apartheid, and will continue to act out this legacy until they die (i’m speaking generally here)
I look with real hope at how well generally young South Africans are integrated as a society.
The real test will be whether we can survive as a nation until then. We can only hope for strong, intelligent and moderate leaders who will be able to guide South Africa until then.
Just wondering, perhaps a poker expert can enlighten me (since I have never been in a game where two royal flushes have come up at once), is it diamonds, spades, clubs or hearts that trump? Surely it isn’t whether the cards are black or red? Just a stupid thought I know
It is a fantastically empowering feeling, being able to show four aces when your opponents all have three of a kind or four sixes at best! It must be like that in politics as well…it must be!
So, we all play the cards we’re dealt. Nobody’s gonna throw out an ace so easily! That would be plain stupid! Stir…stir…
The race card stage was set by Mbeki, when he said “the white politician makes bold to say” of Tony Leon and when he continued to harp on about two nations.
There was a post-apartheid window when the use of the race card could have been significantly reduced; instead it was entrenched.
We are all “politically correct” to a degree (jokes about baby rape or racial attacks, anyone?) and we all have a sense of humour of a sort. It’s just a matter of where you place your own taboos and what jokes you are prepared to make at whose expense.
People who claim to be “politically incorrect” mean that they enjoy violating the taboos or sensibilities of others, not that they aren’t protective of their own.
The “politically correct/incorrect” cudgel is therefore mainly a mechanism for the forming and validation of social cliques and in-groups.
Sarah, some of your arguments/comments have value. But only some. The obvious is not the point. You see your job as highlighting differences. Thobekani touches on the problem by calling ‘this one article’ divisive. He also mentions that ‘it is a courage to continue the struggle’. You should not strive to accentuate differences in opinion. Do some really investigative work that produces real results, and CAUSE opinions that stick for generations to come. Then the ranking of ‘thought leader’ will fit. Show courage! Please!
Oooh, oooh, here’s one (courtesy of the Sunday Times):
“Youth league president Julius Malema…..labeled DA leader Helen Zille as “racist” because she and her party had questioned the purchase of luxury vehicles by Cabinet ministers.” (I appreciate I don’t have the exact quote).
I think you’ll find others, even within the ANC alliance, that disagree with the purchase of these cars. Therefore, by inference, they must be racist too.
Our little Julius could have several chapters dedicated to himself on this very topic.
South Africa was the land of the Khoisan. When the Dutch arrived to establish a trading station at the Cape in 1652 on Khoisan land; the Xhosa were arriving in the area which later became the frontier of the Cape Colony and displacing the Khoikhoi King Hintsathi, and the Zulus were trekking into the northern part of Natal from the Congo. The Xhosa claim to have “bought” their land from King Hintsathi’s widow, Hoho, for a sum of cattle (like Rhodes later claimed to have “bought” Rhodesia from Lobengula).
White settlers therefore arrived in the South in the same century that black settlers arrived in the North, and both displaced the Khoisan off their land.
White and black did not meet, except for the occasional explorer or trader, until the next century when Xhosas and settlers started to clash on what was then the frontier of the Cape Colony, formerly the land of the Khoikhoi King Hintsathi. These were local battles confined to the frontier which started after white and black met in the 1770s.
Whites only started to encroach on “black” land after the Great Trek of 1835. The trekkers were a small group of landless poor whites who trekked out of the Cape Colony in oxwagons. Exactly how were these few hundred people supposed to advantage the hundreds of thousands of blacks? Split up an oxwagon and give everyone a splinter?
It was the blacks that enslaved the other tribes, not the whites.
It is not possible to be politically correct and honest. Politically correct is just another phrase for appeasement, lies, perversion of pricipal, expediency of corruption.
This subject is just sad. I cannot help but think about the Nazis and the way that Jews were vilified by the media and every problem in society was attributed to them for being Jewish. In SA today whites are vilified and blamed for any and every problem, its always their fault, no matter if the judge did try to influence other judges about a case involving the crooked president, the athlete was born a hermaphrodite, the Blue Light brigade kills innocent citizens in road accidents all over the country or any other problem, in which white people may or may not have been involved. If you are always at every opportunity crying racist and pointing your finger at whites, surely sooner or later it should become clear that you are indeed the racist, and more importantly, refuse point blank to accept any responsibility for any problem ever under any circumstance ?????????? Not in SA, here its as ok to vilify whites in the media and make inflammatory racist remarks (as long as you are black of course) as often as you like, just as it was in Nazi Germany to make such remarks about Jews. God help us all.
race card = blacks pointing out acts of racism by the caucasians
One can justifiable conclude that the article itself is written by someone who is in denial of reality or racism and thus the message from this article is another form of what is termed ‘race card’.
I was just going to say Peter Joffe had written the most profound statement on racism I had ever read. Then I remembered Bill Cosby doing his nut about African Americans not taking enough responsibility for their collective lot in life. And then I remembered some of the wry observations of South Africa’s answer to Bill Cosby - Ndumiso Ngcobo - which are contained on this site.
And I realised I was just another racist bastard after all.
@ David: Julius gets a chapter of his own.
@ Bravo: evidently you missed the two examples in this article of whites using the race card. But hey, never let facts get in the way of that lovely warm feeling of self-righteous indignation.
No let’s be fair now. Seeing that you managed to put this one together perhaps you can come up with another one that is really about racism in SA. Or are you saying that white South African’s are not racism?
Starting with phrases like..
“I am not racist but….
“I am not racist, because I have a black maid and gardener but the way the government…
“Not to sound racist….
“Not that I hate blacks…
Those are some of the common phrases that we come across on a daily basis in corporate SA and you want to say that there is no racism in SA?
@Dave Harris, I too, really enjoyed Niki Moore’s post. That’s how I try and live - it’s such a pleasure. Some people WILL NOT do it though - or not until they’re in a new country. It’s sad, really. It makes life SO MUCH EASIER to be polite and positive. Like when a taxi goes by, think: “Sixteen people going to work and only taking up one car’s space . .” It’s just a thought, thassall.
I don’t recall suggesting that there is no racism in South Africa. The fact there is genuine racism makes the cynical use of accusations of racism in order to avoid accountability even more egregious.
South Africa is all about race and always will be. Time for white people to realise that they are not welcome in Africa and certainly not South Africa. Sad but true.
S.P.van Niekerk on September 11th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
What is funny is that many of the people commenting think only whites can be racist and are afraid to admit that playing the race card is a crutch, most generally a lie and only weakens the accuser. Blacks need to stand on their own 2 feet and stop crying “racist” (wolf) all the time. Cause after hearing it so many times only the naive and stupid care anymore.
Are you American? If you were South African you would know about the Mfengu and the Mfecane (never mind the African chiefs of North Africa who supplied the Arabs with the slaves).
Racism is the subjugation of one race by another through social, economic and political means.The Nationalist Party had all those powers and ended up brutally murdering Steve Biko and others for suggesting otherwise.
Patrice Motsepe has money in his account,the party he voted for runs the country and whenever he walks into a room he is recognised.What stops him to be racist?He was not indoctrinated by Kay Motsepe to hate Whites for having oppressed him.What does he do instead?He buys a soccer team with his BEE money and makes a certain section of Tshwane happy.He supports efforts to spread the BEE cake to other Black entrepreneurs who have HDI status.For what good reason,his party wants to redress the imbalances of the past.Whites who do not do business with these entrepreneurs lose out on these opportunities and become bitter with some running to Australia and/or seek refuge in Canada.If that is racism,then I think we must really consider sending people to hell and do what we were supposed to do in 1994 and that is to claim everything back for our generosity since 1652.By the way our history does not start in 1652.
Julius Malema speaks Sepedi in English.He speaks his mind and does not intellectualise.His party runs the country and wants to improve conditions in Limpopo.Is he a RACIST?Hell no!!!
@Phemelo,
Julius Malema speaks a lot of crap in English. About Sepedi I know nothing, but of English I know plenty, and I know crap when I hear it being spoken in English whoever it’s coming from.
Too many here are confusing “racism” with “playing the race card”. Of course racism exists. Always has, always will. It’s human nature.
Playing the race card is when you have no answer to an argument or statement, so you accuse the person of playing the race card. Rather get a better argument, then people will give you credit whatever your race.
@Sarah Britten on September 11th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
If you are not denying that there is racism in SA, what are you doing as a Thought Leader to try and help resolve this issue so that the blacks can stop using “the race card”? Do you have equal examples of racism or are you just in denial that even when you see them you decide to look the other way around?
@pete ess on September 11th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Like when a taxi goes by, think: “Sixteen people going to work and only taking up one car’s space . .” It’s just a thought, thassall.
I love that, and that’s exactly how I have always looked at it. Yes there are times when I get cut off in a violent way and to make myself feel better I just scream “you flippin nuts” and that’s it. Just like when a white lady or guy cuts me off or is being slow I will just scream “asshole” not because they are white but because they cut me off.
@S.P.van Niekerk on September 11th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Your surname says it all.
@Ivan Cole on September 11th, 2009 at 3:17 pm\
And I say it seems like many whites who are commenting here are denying that there is racism in SA. It’s no longer over, it’s is now covert. Are you denying that there is racism and institutional racism in corporate SA? And yes you will no cry racism because you are still reaping the rewards of privilege.
@Phemelo on September 11th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Everything you said is true and I understand you, but was there no other polite way of saying it? Now these people are going to point towards your comment in their claims that blacks are racist and all that. But I love the fact that you and Julius have the courage to say these things openly. I respect that. I wish I could do that but then “some of my best friends are whites” so I can’t say them.
yhchrana: Don’t take Lyndall Beddy seriously. She is desperate to absolve whites of the terrible atrocities they committed against Africans when they first came to SA. More than anything, she is so simple as not to realise that before settlers came to Africa, there were no national borders. Africans moved freely about the continent, so all of Africa belonged to ALL Africans.
@Tlanch Tau,
“Just like when a white lady or guy cuts me off or is being slow I will just scream “asshole” not because they are white but because they cut me off”.
Just like when a black person cuts me off I scream “asshole” not because they are black but because they cut me off.
No racism involved in either case.
@Phillipa Lipinsky,
Just like hundreds of years ago there were no national borders in Europe. Europeans of different tribes moved freely over the continent. So all of Europe belonged to all Europeans.
Your argument is totally ridiculous. So everybody owns everything. You idiocy knows no boundaries either.
Strong tribes everywhere defeated the weaker and took what they wanted. Just as Shaka Zulu did here. Just as the Bantu and the herders pushed the hunter-gatherers further south and west in Africa.
Whites in Europe committed horrible atrocities against other whites. Sometimes it was different races (tribes), later on it was done in the name of religion.
If I was black I would hold you in contempt for your patronising attitude. I think black people have put up with enough from patronising whites
That is why I do not have White friends so that I should not be apologetic when engaging in empowerment/affirmative action issues.You see some White folks tend to remind us how they built this country and continent and thus will not let go.I want to continue to be bold enough to raise these issues especially racism,land dispossession,slavery,exploitation,poverty amongst the majority,unemployment,crime,etc.If you want to appease your best friends,it’s your choice broer.
@Jeff
Crap is:
1. the offensive word for something useless,nonsense or worthless
2. an offensive word to describe passing out solid waste matter out of the body through the anus
When Julius demands free education from JZ you dont hear that it is crap due to your prejudicial stance since he said he will kill for Zuma.This and many other issues that seek to address the aspirations of the youth, especially Black are crapped out by the Capitalist, White press.They only quote Julius on issues that will create sensation so as to hide real issues.I had an opportunity to speak and listen to Julius in Moshaweng and was quite the opposite of what the media portrays him to be.I think Julius is the rough diamond that JZ portrays him to be and shouldbe polished but so long as he does not stop t speak Sepedi in English.There are issues that you can express better in own tongue.
@Phemelo,
Exactly! As I said I know what crap is when I hear it in English. Also, when I see and smell it.
If Malema can’t express himself adequately in English then I suggest he keeps to Sepedi. Then at least the majority of us would not have to put up with the crap, only the poor Sepedi speakers.
There is no such thing as “free education”, someone, somewhere has to pay for it. In this case it will be paid for from the taxes of the much-maligned capitalists.
I have no problem with the taxpayer paying for the education of those who genuinely can’t afford it. I got such an education myself. My father was a coalminer and could not read or write. My family were Marxists. South Africa does not have the tax-base to support “free education” along with the supposed NHI.
If I failed a course at university in the UK, I would have lost my education grant. No second chance even if the university would accept me back. I couldn’t afford to fail! Not like here where people accumulate a degree over any number of years.
Julius portrays himself on TV quite adequately. That is him we see performing, not a figment of the media’s imagination. We see him, we hear him. Unfortunately.
@Phillipa Lipinsky,
One point is you can throw money at the educational problem to your heart’s content and it will not solve the problem of poor people getting an education. That requires a functional education system with high standards, and a work ethic all round from teachers and pupils/students.
I am involved at a school of young black children from the townships. The school fees are very low. Unfortunately the work ethic of a lot of the teachers and almost all the children is appalling. If these kids parents paid nothing for it, the results would be the same. In fact the parents pay for this because it is a much higher standard than is generally available in the townships.
Despite “free education” most of my childhood friends ended up as coalminers, steelworkers, or labourers. Their parents used the extra money for beer, cigarettes and gambling. Malema would be better off calling for a change of attitude in the home towards discipline, hard work and respect. I have seen “free education” at work. I succeeded because my parents made me work, whereas my friends’ parents didn’t.
I’ve seen socialism and it eventually drains everything from the economy and is a drift towards the lowest common denominator in society. People getting paid more for not working than for getting job. A recipe for disaster in the long run.
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Sarah Britten has written three books on South African insults. The latest has a yellow cover and would make a perfect Christmas present. And yes, Julius Malema gets a chapter to himself.
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Good one Sarah. I picked up this one from the Business Times of 12 July. A certain William Bouwer from Centurion wrote a startling letter to the editor following the insistence of the government for Anglo American to appoint a black chairman of the board: Anglo employs more than 100 000 people, which would not be achieved under black management. Black managers do not make the grade in Africa. In South Africa, just look at the SABC, Transnet, Denel, SAA, LandBank to see that blacks are not good at management.”
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