I’m sorry, but has everyone gone mad? Wherever I turn, it’s Joost. Joost and his wife (not to mention her equine flatulence), Joost and his apology, Joost and his book. Really? A book? Have we not all suffered enough? I tell you, I have had it up to here with Joost. And considering that Andre Agassi, a man who could at least hold his own in a press conference has also recently released a tell-all book, the Joost bedwelmend is particularly sickening.
Agassi revealed in his book that his famous, or should I say infamous, 90s mullet was in fact a hair piece. That is more disturbing than anything Joost could do. The idea of the Agassi sporting a fake mullet is unspeakably disheartening. I’m going to pick on someone else. Actually, that’s a misspeak. Juliarse Malema picked himself. He deserves to be heckled roundly for their latest verbal flatulences with regards to the mines. Earlier on, Juliarse called for the nationalisation of South Africa’s mines, claiming that this was a requirement of the Freedom Charter. Well, I went and read the Freedom Charter, and I’m not sure whether Juliarse and I are quoting from the same Freedom Charter. The one on the ANC website reads thus:
“National wealth of our country, the heritage of South Africans, shall be restored to the people; The mineral wealth beneath the soil, the Banks and monopoly industry shall be transferred to the ownership of the people as a whole.”
The Charter says the people ought to have the mines. Apparently, I just can’t wait to go to the Witwatersrand, find the nearest scuffed-kneed mine owner, toyi-toyi him to death so I can scrabble about a mud pit, looking for shiny bits of metal. And why — so Mrs Govender can have her teeth filled? The only thing that stands between you and the complete anarchy that would result from this action is the ANC, because even as we speak, the masses are clamouring at the gates, demanding to be let in so they might plunder the mines. Or so Juliarse would have us believe.
My father was in the mines over 20 years ago, and he assures me that it’s not as nice a place as the Freedom Charter says. He has an enormous scar on his shin to prove his point. I don’t want a mine, and I’d warrant “the people” don’t want mines either. And yet at every opportunity Juliarse assures us that we do in fact want mines, and that it’s only a matter of time before the ANC hands South Deep over to me. Oh, wait. I see my mistake. Where the Charter says “people”, Juliarse reads “the People”, as in the State. Juliarse you communist, you. Numsa, that delightful bunch of traditional-weapons enthusiasts, have joined the fray by demanding that the assets of Patrice Motsepe ought to be nationalised. You certainly can’t accuse them of doing things by half. I suppose it’s only a matter of time before they call for the mining pollution to be nationalised as well.
The thing is, Juliarse and his 19th century Numsa brethren are missing the point. The Freedom Charter was written at a point when the majority of South Africa could be accurately described as being oppressed masses. One reads the Charter’s naivete with amusement; fondness even. But things changed. The Berlin Wall came tumbling down. The old Soviets swapped their war tanks and red flags for luxury yachts and former fashion models. More importantly, Mbeki came to power and the black diamonds were let loose on South Africa’s shopping malls. Sorry to burst your silly little bubble Juliarse, but the black middle class has embraced capitalism. We don’t want the ANC to nationalise the mines. If that happened, investment would clog up the nationalised airports, trying to escape ANC communism. I don’t think I’m exaggerating if I say that the economy would effectively collapse. Then where would the black middle class get their Edgars Club cards from?
The sad thing, at least where that part of the ANC still stuck in yesteryear’s class struggle is concerned, is that as more and more black people get an education and a 21st century career, there will be less and less oppressed masses, Numsa union members and social grant seekers. Juliarse and his commie buddies will be the mouthpiece of an ever-shrinking part of the electorate. If they don’t realise this fact soon enough and act on it, we may live to see the day that the ANC and its left-wing partners get voted out of power. It’s time to admit that communism was a crushing failure, Juliarse. Be a sport and join the new millennium, dear chap.
Who the hell is “the people” the freedom charter is referring to?? I’m so sick of these idiots sprouting nonsense and claiming to represent my views. When I voted ANC in 1999, I was never consulted about any decision they took afterwards and frankly I disagreed with most of how they were going about delivering on the freedom charter. Which is why I told myself I will not make the same mistake twice. But I have hope, even those with no access to information are slowly seeing the big lie, our 20 years is almost up.
I find it interesting that ‘the people’ is really here ‘the state’. I’m sure that the people can look after themselves, why does the government treat everyone like a five-year old? Why can’t land claimants have their land back in shares so that they can farm it or lease it out to some other enthusiastic person so their kids can go to school or whatever rather than owned by the government to whom they have to pay rent? I don’t understand how some vague entitlement to a rescindable lease is restitution. If mines are to be nationalised, why can’t the people hold shares themselves – kind of like a Vodacom/Telkom share issue but without the outlay?
I don’t understand the crux of this nationalisation debate because to me the state is NOT the people. The state is an administrative body there to do the stuff that we can’t do as individuals, usually because of economies of scale or the common goods theory or whatever. Maybe it’s sheer stupidity on my part but this whole ‘debate’ looks to me like a flimsy excuse for the rich peeps running the admin function to get themselves a bit more pie.
And Joost? What a has-been. Or baked bean or whatever floats other people’s boats. I can’t bear to see any more crap about this self-serving ghost-written (I assume) guy. Can we have a referendum to just stick him off in Oranje or somewhere they might give a damn?
Sipho
“We don’t want the ANC to nationalise the mines”
Who is this “we” are you referring to?
The 66% of South Africans who have mandated the ANC to implement every sentence, line and paragraph of the Freedom Charter, Or are you talking about the trivial 33%+ of the disgruntled South Africans who’ve voted for minor parties?
Please be clear when you use inclusive terms such as “us” and “we”, because we don’t want to have a situation where those who are privileged to inscript on fancy platforms—which by their own set up and leadership represent none other than a profit driven rightwing capitalist agenda—to impose their beliefs, pretence, ideologies and lunatic inspirations.
“…old Chap!” Oh the irony. I love you work. Nice my brother!
I also want a mine! One full of diamonds.
The bizarre socialist rantings from ‘Juliarse’ is peculiar in light of the fact that he’s a super-capitalist with a string of luxury vehicles and Armani suits – are only the electorate to be subjugated to communism while the ANC elite live in sublime luxury? Bloody hypocrites!
Nice piece, Sipho
Good job, Sipho old chap…
Excellent writing and excellent thinking;
Do you think the ‘People” owning the mines could mean the population receiving the benefits of the mines? Corporate taxation would provide the revenue, and what would be needed would be decent Social Policy properly applied. Tough to do, but easy to draft. And this is the 21st century, in South Africa also; you’re facing the same problems that all other countries face. Welcome to the club.
Very refreshing piece! Carry on mate, and just ignore the hate peddlars like Siphiwo Siphiwo above.
ah, Siphiwo Siphiwo, those pesky “trivial” 33%, hey?
I’m sure the 66% who voted ANC are fully read-up on Marxist theory, then, and can understand fully the implications of every word and paragraph of an ANC policy they probably have no access to, if they can read at all thanks to the disastrous education system they preside over.
You funny man you! Juliarse wouldn’t recognise a genuine communist if it bit him in the bum! Maybe Joost can bite him in the bum and keep both of them occupied for a while!
On a somewhat different note, mines or no mines, the middle class will shrink and disappear, or at least, what constitutes the middle class will – peak oil was last year, and peak per capita oil was in the 70s. The number of people living on one US dollar per day in RSA has doubled since 1994, and that is without correcting for inflation.
And nationalised mines? Even Pinochet refused to privatise Chile’s mines (recall – that’s why the yanks withdrew their support). I do find it interesting that the black middle class speaks the same shit as the white middle class – have we come closer to being a non-racialist country?
Good piece and analysis and I especially like the Juliarse designation as he is hard to take seriously, but is still rather scary in his ignorance.
I think Juliarse summed it up himself with: “We are not scared of debate even on complex matters we do not understand”.
Yep, he does not understand and continues to air his flatulence as if it is viable material for a debate.
I think The People he refers to are ANC cronies who will ‘mandate on behalf of the people’ – and by mandate means to eat at the trough.
@Siphiwo Siphiwo/Bakang Molelekwa – The ANC was mandated by 66% of the vote, which is not the same as 66% of the population. If you break down election figures that is less than half of the actual eligible voters, let alone the entire population. You like Malema argue from a basis of ignorance as nationalisation would scupper the entire economy in a few weeks. We cannot even have the local municipalities run well let alone all the mines.
In South Africa all the people already own the minerals and the state administers this on their behalf and receives revenue from royalties and taxation. Perhaps the solution lies in increased taxation or renegotiated royalties.
Top man, this Sip-Ho.
(Dodgy name, though. Sounds a bit like a mildly dipsomaniac gangsta-nympho. Ehhh??)
This is the sort of political commentary that I like to see. Everything else is so heavy. You got the point across (on all fronts) and you make people smile. Good on yer!!
I cannot believe this country fell into the Joost/Amore trap – such a coincidence that all this Joost talk started up again on the eve of his book release…which sold out countrywide…muppets the lot us I say.
We do not have a celebrity culture in this country…or should that be we do not have celebrities…if Joost/Amore are the best we can offer, or is that perhaps where Juliarse takes central stage? Lets just offer the man a spot on Isidingo and be done with him!
You my friend are a coconut. Throughout this whole blog there is no mention of the poor. It seems to me like you only care about the so called black middle class which makes up only a small percentage of the black population. And please understand I am not saying that Juliarse’s suggestion is right.
So it seems like us the poor blacks have to struggle with both the whites who are trying to protect what is theirs and the so called black middle class who thinks they have something to protect.
“The Freedom Charter was written at a point when the majority of South Africa could be accurately described as being oppressed masses. One reads the Charter’s naivete with amusement; fondness even. But things changed.” Ja right, things have changed? The majority of blacks in general and Africans in particular remain economical “oppressed”. The Freedom Charter remains relevant today to the majority of blacks in general and Africans in particular, as it was 54 years ago.
Sipho, absolutely love your stuff! That was such fun.
Let’s face facts, this country devises a celebrity out of anyone; even those God-awful SABC 3 presenters that thankfully found their demise. They dressed so badly (blame the designers they were promoting) for TV; didn’t know what to do with their hands and one of them danced a jig every time she opened her mouth. No training for the job! Why do we never do things properly?
And why do we allow jumped-up individuals to take over the media? Perhaps this is a good forum to explain to the media: if, as Tokyo S. said, the silly season has begun early this year, please find something more interesting to fill time and space. There’s tons of really educational stuff that could help us all learn something really worthwhile this Christmas.
Frankly I fail to see how the nationalisation of the mines will benefit “the people”.Leave Motsepe alone….at least the brother is ploughing back to “the people”. Thats more than I can say for the pot-bellied ANC top brass. I’m confused here. I thought the Secretaty General of the ANC said the ANC was against the nationalisation of the mines,so what the hell does Siphiwo Siphiwo talk about?
Thanks dude! A good article – well balanced and obviously misunderstood by a lot of the above commentators. Siphiwo Siphiwo – the ANC only managed 65%. Communism is like a marriage chapel in a whore house, neither have much use. EVERYONE will eventually become too use to instant gratification to ignore the secret value of capital. Onward and upward, Aluta Continua!!
@Michael Francis on November 4th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
It’s bull that you had to show the name of the guy here. Did you think it was necessary?
Who is the state? Ahhh, gone are the good old days when Louis XV, King of France, said:
L’etat? C’est moi!” The state? The state is Me!
@Tlanch Tau – I think that people that hide behind fake names on a political commentary can be rather scary. He is the type to supply the petrol when anger at neighbours flares up. He is also an avid Mugabe supporter and seems to think Zimbabwe has done well in its policies. He is the type who will damn the future of South Africa. He is a crude and crass ideologue that doesn’t even have the guts to be acknowledge who is really is.
Keep ‘em coming! Spare no one. If you haven’t yet, sock it to the capitalists next!
Awesome article.. now if we can only get the commentators that think nationalising the mines will help the poor, to realise: The poor will be way worse off if the mines are nationalised, investors will run, and lets be frank, the current government can’t be trusted to redistribute wealth to the poor.
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Tau, you have incorrectly associated coconuts with being rich. Infact, a large part of the ‘coconuts’ originate from ‘blacks’ being raised by the ‘white’ employers of their parents.
@Ndlovukazi on January 26th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Dude, you are wrong.
The word coconut and the use of the word has evolved over the years in the black communities. In the villages we used to call a person who comes from a rich family a “Cheeseboy” because they could afford to have cheese with their breakfast, and similar to a coconut, which might have been a black person raised by a white family(and were not many of them, as in less than a percentage of the black masses), now a coconut is not about a person being rich but more about “State of mind”, I wouldn’t dare call Julius Malema a coconut, though he has enough money to put many senior white guys in shame.
So it brings us to what is a Coconut? And for crying out loud stop saying that this word is Derogatory. Let me know if you need a few examples of what a coconut is.