Why is it that we tend to look at the components rather than the whole when assessing South Africa? Isolate the negatives and aggregate them into a false reality that, looking forward, will translate into a bleak future without any prospects of redemption.
Jacob Zuma’s meeting with the Jewish community was not only a success but also just the tonic that we needed. Of course there were those who found him boring and others who were not inspired by Msholozi’s views, but that does not detract from the fact that JZ, our president in waiting and, by extension, representing the ANC, showed by his visit that the community is regarded as being of value to South Africa.
This will mean much to the community, particularly in light of Jews from overseas expressing concerns at the plight of the locals and encouraging them to join them in their countries. In addition, South African Jews have had the benefit of seeing the ANC president and discussing the things that concern them.
I believe that JZ would do himself and the country a great service if he and other ANC leaders met as many communities as possible during this time of transition. It really does dispel a lot of uncertainty while building bridges for the future.
If you read reports on the meeting, it seems as if this bobba from Gallo Manor could have stayed home and played bridge, that yenta from Woodmead missed her personal trainer to hear this waffle, and of course Uncle Maven from Wendywood thought it wasn’t bad but he’s heard far better speakers in his time.
Point is that the chief rabbi and the community know that JZ made them feel special enough to warrant address and discussion.
My real concern relates to the Afrikaner community.
When the killings near Swartruggens first arose, I termed the attacks racist, because that is what they were, and I set out why it was necessary to see them as such. The same applies to what transpired at the University of the Free State — I let those geniuses have it with both barrels. Just scroll down the articles on my home page and you’ll understand that pulling punches is something of which I will never be accused.
There are many other incidents that relate to the Afrikaans community, just as there is a Forum of Black Journalists that expels whites, BEE and affirmative action, which are racist issues that relate to the black community.
These incidents are hardly surprising considering that we are a country barely 14 years out of apartheid. Lest we forget, such incidents affect all communities the world over. Maybe not to this degree in some cases, and less so in others, but every country has its problems. By way of example, we don’t have students blowing away their fellow students in the way that the US does, or putting rape videos on YouTube, and we don’t have people blowing themselves up on a regular basis.
Yet each time we see an incident relating to the Afrikaans community, it is set out in the overseas and local press as some sort of racist conspiracy from the entire group.
Leave aside the fact that all the leading Afrikaans groups slammed the UFS video as unacceptable behaviour and focus on the following:
Nelson Mandela’s response when he walked out on to Newlands to open the World Cup in 1995;
Loftus Versfeld’s response to Bryan Habana; and
Every cricket ground where Makhaya Ntini bowls.
Those are spontaneous reactions by huge crowds of which at least half are Afrikaans-speaking South Africans. Why is it that unfortunate incidents in isolation are taken as representative of the group while these gatherings, which clearly demonstrate positive outpourings of emotion, are largely ignored when assessing them as a group?
It’s tens of thousands going about their business without any signs of racism and bigotry as opposed to isolated incidents that occur in communities the world over.
Of course the Afrikaans community is going to feel pressurised and uncomfortable so soon after apartheid. There is no doubt that some will long for separatism or even federalism as a result of fears that, if truth be told, most South Africans are feeling right now — crime, as well as financial and political insecurity.
Yet if you read the guys who come on to Thought Leader, Afrikaans newspapers, the Blue Bulls website and AfriForum, then you’ll appreciate that in the overwhelming majority of cases they are expressing points that are of concern to them, without threats and in a logical manner.
Like all communities they are in transition and concerned about finding their rightful place in the new South Africa. Like all of us they do not appreciate those people whose conduct embarrasses their community.
It is time for the media to stop creating unnecessary hatred towards a wonderful community by playing the man, not the ball. Where there are incidents such as Swartruggens and the UFS, then have a go, and set out why the behaviour in question is a disgrace and why it needs attention.
But FFS, spare me the “Afrikaners are coming”-type garbage I’m reading at present. It is not only inappropriate but can only retard our drive towards transformation. Remember, for every aberration one community has committed there is in all likelihood a matching example from another out there. Generalisations will only cause resentment and detract from the point you are trying to make.
Let’s all try to deal with these incidents in isolation and treasure the whole — try to build a rainbow nation through the clouds that seem to colour our judgement.
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62 Responses to “Zuma meets Jewish community while Afrikaners meet prejudice”
Traps, you are right my man. As much as I am on the receiving end most of the time, I find it abhorrant to discriminate against the Afrikaners because it is senseless. There has never been a single racist who has ever been able to advance a coherent argument to me that tells me that Afrikaners are the bad guys.
I love real folksy conversations with ordinary people. I have always been astounded and amazed about how African folklore, customs and culture (right down to homegrown cures for ailments) are so very similar to Afrikaner equivalents of the same. So what is the noise about? We are joined at the hip; we are African brothers whether we want to acknowledge it or not.
We are South African, dammit, and we rock ALL OF US.
The South African White community feels as if they are in grave danger, its like watching The apprentice when they all tend to talk themselves into trouble and get fired.
Change starts with oneself, if you feel guilty for whatever reason , forgive yourself and make changes to yourself before trying to change everyone around you.
I concur. It is the truth that Afrikaans communities are not being consulted so much, if at all. My personal view is that the Jewish Community carry much weight both financially and politically and that is why Zuma is addressing them. The Afrikaner is still the enemy and seems not to share in the rights of other South Africans.
Yea some decent commonsense, devoid of political oppertunism. Lets see if the blogs match or better the high standard you have set and try to be part of the solution not the easy way and be part of the problem.
Well put.
People need scapegoats to drive their respective agendas, and at present and for the foreseeable future it will be the Afrikaner. Perhaps this is as it should be, but then there should not at the same time be any talk of equality.
There are many and jarring exceptions, but for the most part middle and upper class Afrikaners have a sincere love for the country and its people. It is also a historically embattled community, dealing with its own demons and hurts.
If Government would allow Afrikaners to make a contribution instead of shutting them out so vehemently, we would not have to import Cuban doctors and nurses, or engineers from anywhere. Public sector could benefit from a massive skills base and experience, and we could really set about improving the lives of so many people who are desperate for help.
Black South Africans often say that they can forgive, but never forget. This is OK, our history is something that should not be forgotten.
But empowering anyone, even Spanish-speaking doctors, as long as they are not Afrikaans, is not helping anyone.
By far the best way of smothering any remaining racist thoughts in the Afrikaner community is to integrate them into the system, and let them feel like the valuable citizens they are, or can be, given a chance.
I agree that we should all work togther to create a NEW South Africa devoid of racism and sexism. And fingerpointing is, in all probability, a useless exercise. But the kind of reactionism we are facing from some parts of the Afrikaner community (note: only some parts…) is negative and counterproductive. This kind of identity politics can only encourage divisive thinking and some introspection is necessary here on the part of all those who feel proud enough to call themselves South Africans.
A refreshing post. I agree. We must not demonise Afrikaners, just as we must not demonise blacks because of crime, the ANC or whatever other issues we have.
Ultimately we are all citizens of this amazing country and we have to find a way to live and work together for the good of everyone.
Thank you for making me feel welcome again in South Africa. I really think that a bunch of South Africans, white, black, pink should go on a peace march, showing that what we stand for is a unified country. Our countries motto after is “Unity through Diversity”
It is becoming obvious tho’, Traps, that Zuma is simply tailoring his speeches to what he thinks his audiences want to hear. One message for business leaders at the JCCI, a different one for trade unionists in Mmabatho, a militant tirade about the rights of the Zulu in Ixopo, but the opposite in Galeshewe.
It is already becoming difficult to disentangle truth from bullshit or posturing from policy. And the ease with which he changes hats is distressingly eloquent.
The big question we should all be asking is the same one Wayne & Schuster ask in their famous spoof on Julius Caesar: CAN HE BE TRUSTED?
btw Micheal - you don’t seem to understand federalism. What is wrong with the USA federal model or the Europena Union confederal model or the Russian federation. The AU is proposing an African federation. To be pro federal is by no means to be pro seperatism. The 2 are mutually exclusive. It fact if one is pro national (as is the ANC and old Nats) then one is pro seperatism.
ie. To be federal says I want to join with my neighbours for a greater good. To be national says I want to be serperate from my neighbours and maintain my own sovreignty.
Thanks for the insight, I would just like to comment on the abberations found in other communities. Last night my sister told me about a coloured teacher who decided he wanted to buy a house in Khayelitsha and he did. However to his dimay, his house was trashed and all vandalized by black community members, shocking I know. When the community members were questioned about their actions they had a simple stereotipical response which goes something like this “We don’t want coloureds in our neighbourhoods because wherever they move to they bring TIK with them” I was quite shocked, I guess if all coloureds are TIk users then all whites are racist and blacks are hijackers, clearly we have some serious issues with integration in our country. Please just check the story out, it would make quite an interresting blog,
Here is a thought: what is the one thing standing in the way of South Africa turning into another Zimbabwe.? What prevents the ANC turning SA into yet another African wasteland? (OK, they’re admittedly already halfway there with Eskom.) The constitution? The rule of law? Parliament?
Don’t believe it for one minute. The ANC has shown quite clearly that it will do exactly as it pleases with the law, by disbanding the Scorpions. It is, rather, a well-grounded fear on the part of the ANC that is stopping faster Zimbabwefication.
The latest manifestation of this fear is the extreme reaction, way out of all proportion to the
actual incident, to the UFS video. The mass hysteria was totally unjustified, seeing that so-called victims have crucially neither complained during filming, nor laid a charge between September 2007 and now. They themselves clearly did not feel their dignity had been compromised.
The absurd licensing requirements for firearms were another example, and so was the extreme reaction of politicians to the Skielik shootings. Consider, for a moment, that close on 30000 whites have been murdered, mostly by blacks, since 1994, and then compare this to the 4 people killed at Skielik. Where was the extreme reaction to an elderly white’s fingers being cut off with gardening shears recently?
The fear is that there will be an Afrikaner uprising, should the ANC go too far with anti-white legislation, for example. There was a very real threat around 1992 of just such an uprising, led by Constand Viljoen. The memory has never gone away. Impossible, you say? Careful - we are talking here about a nation that did not hesitate to take on the mightiest empire on earth a mere 100 years ago, and was only defeated by an overwhelming force of 250 000 troops. Will the AIDS-infested SANDF act as a deterrent?
Does the ANC have reason to be afraid? I think they do. Afrikaner sentiment is turning, no doubt about it whatsoever, and it is turning among the youngsters. Witness the large-scale reaction to the song De La Rey. The most right-wing party, the FF+, has its largest support among young people on campuses. Their parents vote DA, but the students vote FF+. The shooter at Skielik was 18. The makers of the UFS video were youngsters. This is the opposite of what you find in other Western nations. In those nations, the young are more liberal than their elders these days.
Yes, more Afrikaners will emigrate if the ANC makes more moves towards a Zimbabwe situation. However, more than half of all Afrikaners cannot leave, being too old, to unqualified or too poor. They cannot be wished away. Continue to practice ethnic cleansing against their culture and history, and racist practices such as AA against them and they will resist, and this could conceivably include armed insurrection, as happened with other aggrieved minorities such as the Basques or Tamil Tigers. It has probably already happened with the alleged Boeremag.
The more intelligent members of the ANC surely have to realize that they are on a collision course, that there is growing resistance against racially based policies like AA among Afrikaners. Unless a Zuma government does not bring about a radical rethink, stop targeting Afrikaans schools and place names, and unless there is a radical move away from racist legislation, expect a lot more resistance - incidents like Skielik or the UFS and even more serious resistance - as discontent grows among young Afrikaners.
The question is what we should do about this, given that the Rainbow Nation has quite clearly come apart at the seams. Both federalism and an Afrikaner homeland give us an opportunity to avoid a Northern Ireland in South Africa. Does the ANC have enough wisdom and vision to start talking about this, before it is too late?
Don’t you find it odd that there are those who still object to groups made up on the basis of race, yet Jacob Zuma had a meeting with the Jewish Board of Deputies where everyone within SABC camera view was Jewish/White?
Surely, if such organizations including Muslim council, women’s league, youth league and solidarity can exists, the FBJ should be able to exist and determine the agenda of their meetings
Traps,
What Zuma said at the meeting was extremely worrying. The following report is from It’s Almost Supernatural blog:
http://supernatural.blogs.com/weblog/
“The most negativity was created by Zuma’s answer to a question on Zimbabwe. He basically praised the current approach directed by President Mbeki and seemed to side with Mugabe, explaining how Zimbabwe has been singled out by “Bush and Blair” only because there are white people in Zimbabwe. He implied that Bush and Blair are fine with massacres elsewhere in Africa as long as there are no white people involved.
He reinforced the argument that the previous Zimbabwean elections were free and fair and supported Mugabe’s views that Bush and Blair are in no position to criticise Mugabe when it comes to democratic elections. He spoke of their Western foreign policy hypocrisy noting American support for a man in military uniform who was never even democratically elected in Afghanistan. (In fact, Mohammed Karzai of Afghanistan was democratically elected – he must have confused Afghanistan with Pakistan.) This anti-American/Western attitude stirred some concern.”
The above is appalling! Zuma is backing a corrupt sick dictator. Mugabe has destroyed Zimbabwe. The world should take note. The new South Africa has lost its way and is neither a paragon of democracy or human rights.
BLACKLISTED DICTATOR on March 6th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Michael,
Nelson Mandela sipped tea with Mevrou Verwoed in a gesture that made a lot of us angry. Of course the old man didn’t know that a decade later, Afrikaner boys will, instead of offering tea to swart tanies, they’ll make them eat soup laced with piss.
JZ also met with the Afrikaners last year when they were pining for their hero De la Rey in song.
So, you still call for JZ and other ANC leaders to reach out to Afrikaners again!!!
Enough already. We have other communities in this preoccupation is not to cry for the good old days and end up doing stupid things like UFS vids. The Jews, Greeks, Portuguese, Palestinians etc etc.
Exactly how did the Afrikaner manage to oppress us for four decades if they want to be molly-coddled so many times? Alright, I know how: they rigged elections because I have yet to meet a single person who voted for the National Party of old.
Thanks for your article, I think that you are right and we all need to look at what is positive about us as a nation-we are going through some troubles, but we will pull through.
Afrikaners must be feeling under siege and it is understable and not surprising. They were the most priviledged under apartheid and the main beneficiaries of the apartheid goodies. It is therefore not surprising that they would feel the effect of transformation the most. Separation formed the basis of apartheid and it is surprising that there are people who want to take us back to a failed system. Unfortunately we are sharing the same space in most facets of life and there is not even a square centimetre of ground or land that can be put aside for a particular group of people, we do not have enough land already. I would also like to as a question, ” WHERE ARE THE AFRIKANER WOMEN?WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?ARE THEY PART OF ORGANISATIONS LIKE FF+, AFRIFORUM. Or they are silent because they are also benefiaries of some of transformation measures hated by the men such as AA. As long as we have political organisations like FF+ who organise themselves on racial basis and claiming to represent the interest of Afrikaners we will never rid ourselves of situations that manifest in racism. At least FBJ has been honest enough with their stand who is FF+ fooling. As a black person I know I would not be welcome to be a member of FF+, may as a gardener at their offices. South Africans must realise that the time of fiddling and fooling each other talking about reconciliation, rainbow nation and other such terms are over. The sentiments at the time were based on hope, expectation, the path that we all had yet to travel. Over the last 13 years we have all traveled the bumby, expectations have not been met, hope is lost. It is time we face the reality and deal with it.
Having taken the move to jump abroad a few months ago and keeping a close eye on the happenings in SA. I’m still amazed how some people are still so positive about the country.
People over here in the US cannot believe that a Zuma can become president. The fact that Zuma is meeting with communities means absolutely nothing, he is after all a people’s president, just like Mugabe.
I still have family and friends in SA and I know it’s not easy for everyone to leave, but when you look at what’s happened in the country in the last few months you can’t help but think that things are going to get a whole lot worse.
I really hope they don’t, but guys please be realistic. Stop trying to look for the silver lining on everything when there isn’t one. Make a plan, take charge and stop complaining.
You praise you mighty nation where do you think the other races in SA will place should you proposed uprising go forward, with Whites who treated them as less than humans or with a struggling but working government. The AIDS infested SANDF you speak about i’m not sure about the AIDS but you forget that those very people you speak about sit on the heaviest artillery in the whole of SA, I don’t promote the idea of war I’m just saying you shouldn’t be so optimistic.
With that aside I don’t think fighting is the answer, we are civilised mature beings who are able to reason, debate and work together to a common cause pretty much the same as when FW and Madib’s sat down, lets not tarnish all their hardwork and the work of all the struggle heroes (Of all races) surely we can work together and recapture the essence that is the rainbow nation
The Afrianers are trying to make there way within the new South Africa.
If you expect them to judge someone on themselves and not their skin, then you should return the favour.
And start talking of an Afrikaner South African, rather than the Afrikaners.
And start talking of a Zulu politician, rather than the Zulus’ leader.
In the same way the new ANC should be acepting that there may be an Afrikaner that will be the new Joe Slovo, and that there are bad Blac liberation war heroes, like Mugabe.
Owen I do understand federalism - it can take a number of forms. The USA was exactly the one I think the guys had in mind when reading the comments on a few of the previous posts.
Muammar al-Gaddafi is the latest proponent of this African federation which didn’t find much favour with our president.
The prejudice against Afrikaners are by and large not originated by black South Africa, but by English speaking South Africa and comes from way back.
It has such a long history and is so pervasive that most people, especially English speaking white ones, don’t even recognise it.
Quite early in the relationship between white English and Afrikaner it all turned sour. When the Afrikaners tried to call the newly arrived English at the Cape ‘Afrikaners’, this overture was spurned. The Cape’s English newspapers said, the term Afrikaner was inferior as it referred to Africa, the language was inferior AND it was spoken by slaves.
The prejudice by those who regarded themselves as European and not African remained for a long time and is well documented.
Probably the most outspoken racist in this regard is Rider Haggart who arrived in South Africa from Britain just in time to hoist the British flag over Pretoria. This is the upper class poepol who later openly encouraged military confrontation and wrote:
“Now, if there is any country dependent on England that requires the application to the conduct of its affairs of a firm, considered, and consistent policy, that country is South Africa. Boers and Natives are quite incapable of realising the political necessities of any of our parties, or of understanding why their true interests should be sacrificed in order to minister to those necessities.”
And he wrote:“Personally Boers are fine men, but as a rule ugly. Their women-folk are good-looking in early life, but get very stout as they grow older. They, in common with most of their sex, understand how to use their tongues; indeed, it is said, that it was the women who caused the rising against the English Government.
None of the refinements of civilisation enter into the life of an ordinary Boer. He lives in a way that would shock an English labourer at twenty-five shillings the week, although he is very probably worthy fifteen or twenty thousand pounds. His home is but too frequently squalid and filthy to an extraordinary degree. He himself has no education, and does not care that his children should receive any. He lives by himself in the middle of a great plot of land, his nearest neighbour being perhaps ten or twelve miles away, caring but little for the news of the outside world, and nothing for its opinions, doing very little work, but growing daily richer through the increase of his flocks and herds.
Such are some of the leading characteristics of that remarkable product of South Africa, the Transvaal Boer, who resembles no other white man in the world.”
This is the same chap that wrote King Solomon’s mines and he was widely read in Victorian England.
On the annexation of the Transvaal the Guardian (who had no correspondent in the country) wrote:
“There is a general feeling in this country that our responsibilities in South Africa are sufficiently onerous. It is not a mere question of annexing a slice of territory here or there. That could be a small matter; but with every mile we increase the burdens and risks which accompany dominion over savage or semi-savage races.
We are not in a position to pronounce a definite judgement. The situation in the Transvaal country had become deplorable. A chronic state of anarchy had set in. The Portuguese are reproached, and not without reason, with the marked deterioration which seems to overtake the national character whenever it is brought in contact with inferior races, as in Africa.
The Dutch appear to suffer in the same way. In Europe they are unsurpassed as representatives of the principle of order. In South Africa we see in their kinsmen a degree of lawlessness scarcely matched by any other community of European descent. “
The seeds of prejudice about Afrikaners had been planted in Anglo minds. From here its a quick hop skip and a jump to what Lord Milner thought of Afrikaners. We were dumb, violent, lazy and obsessed with South Africa to their own detriment, and needed to be weaned from their language.
This is the same Milner who said:
“I am a Nationalist and not a cosmopolitan …. I am a British (indeed primarily an English) Nationalist. If I am also an Imperialist, it is because the destiny of the English race, owing to its insular position and long supremacy at sea, has been to strike roots in different parts of the world. I am an Imperialist and not a Little Englander because I am a British Race Patriot … The British State must follow the race, must comprehand it, wherever it settles in appreciable numbers as an independent community.”
Liberal Scotish journalist Neal Ascherson commented in the NY Times that as a racist politician, Milner is the only British politician that deserves a comparison with Hitler. He believed in the superiority of his own race, and was prepared to instigate war to assure their dominance.
Unfortunately of all the people who ran the Empire Afrikaners had to have Mr. Milner. That War was the second Boer War.
Getting a kicking in said second Boer War did not endear the Afrikaners to the ‘English race’. Especially inside our country where many English speakers still had their loyalty to England, rather than South Africa.
The antipathy towards Afrikaners ran shallow. Here was the largest speaking English community in the world without political power.
When global opinion swung against apartheid in the 60’s, it was all too easy for English South Africa to distance themselves, from the stupid racist Boers. Conveniently forgetting that in Rhodesia things were much the same as in SA.
But while other racist colonial writing and opinions was discarded because it was politically incorrect, those about Afrikaners were not.
Afrikaners were eternally cast as the bad cop in a good cop - bad cop routine.
While Nadine Gordimer sat in Houghton writing about injustice, Piet Pompies was a policeman, or a railway shunter in Soweto.
How convenient to be a liberal and open minded, especially of you could emigrate to the ‘mother country’.
And in flew the journalists and documentary makers from the ‘mother country’. A whole genre developed: “Good god, look at the stupid racist Boers. It’s so easy. They speak their minds! And good golly it makes good TV.”
So good on you for posting this. But prejudice with such a long history, captured for so long in literature and movies of the Anglophone world will be rather hard to erase.
You misunderstood me, Wanna Bet. The mighty nation I spoke about refers to the British Empire of the 19th century, and not to the handvoel of Boers who were silly enough to take them on and inevitably lose.
With regards to the SANDF: it is currently in a pathetic state. There is no comparison to the British Army of 1899. Almost none of its armoured cars work. Many of its so-called soldiers are ex “freedom fighters”, a euphemism for an undisciplined if not criminal rabble. Its trainee pilots can’t pass maths or navigate and therefore crash their planes. Its morale is low. There is very little discipline. Incompetent female gunners kill their own comrades. Its soldiers have a huge HIV infection rate. A few years ago a Zimbabwean army commander boasted that the Zim army could march from Beit Bridge to Cape Town without much resistance.
All Afrikaners above approximately 40 years of age have military training, and received that training in a disciplined, professional army. The SANDF’s artillery won’t work in the first place, and in the second place its soldiers are too ill-trained or sick to use them. Any war will be a no-contest.
Having said that, I am not advocating war. I am trying to avoid a war, by suggesting the ANC read the writing on the wall, and realizing that the so-called Rainbow Nation is dead, buried and in fact never existed. Let’s talk now, rather than fight tomorrow.
Lord Have Mercy on Us! I think South Africa is a ticking time-bomb ready to explode. And South African leaders should concentrateon uniting the nations now more than ever or we’ll end up with sky rocketting inflation and exodus like Zim. Watch out.
It is interesting to see that here and there a few voices can now be heard in retrospect with respect to the UFS “four”, that perhaps it was not quite fair to elevate these deplorable student shenanigans to an international incident reported on international TV channels with the mouthed rider “Read my lips - Afrikaners are ALL like that…” This kind of feeding frenzy is unleashed whenever a handy pretext presents itself to “enemies of Afrikanerdom”, only usually the whipped-up froth does not quite enter the stratosphere as in the above case. In the after-action hangover stage the liberal conscience slowly awakens to memory of the mantra that we are all individuals and races do not exist…..
The bottom line…..if the broad mass of civil society (black, coloured, indian and white) treats one another with respect and dignity then the bad behaviour of a few malcontents will eventually go unnoticed
Thankyou Wessel, more people need to know these things. In my opinion it was the English who birthed apartheid before it was put into laws or given a name. Just consider the segregation which exists today in all ex-colonies of the British.
Afrikaaners choose to adopt Africa as their home and negociated for their own tribal zone. But when gold and diamonds were dicovered it was British colonial power which came to rape Africa of its wealth. Yes, it was the British who taxed black Africans with taxes that compelled them to urbanise. It was this colonial power that lumped many different tribes + the Afrikaners together and told us to ‘be quiet and behave’ as a nation.
However, we cannot change what has happened in the past. It is very difficult for the English people to understand the Afrikaners because English South African people do not have any culture of their own. It would be wonderful if they could just respect how important our culture is to us and that we feel the need to protect our heritage. On this point is where we have a better understanding with black South Africans because they also have their own tribes and the precious languages and cultures therein.
Lets not force each other but lets create a safe environment in which we can grow together naturally and without fear.
I look forward to the future in this country when we can respect each others unique individuality, a time when we will be a nation rich with cultural diversity and mutual opportunity and respect for each others cultures. The black people of Southern Africa were not genocided +-400 years ago, but ask the North American Indians and the Australian Aborigines about thier history…Consider this, they did not have Afrikaners standing in colonial Britains’ way.
The recent UK dissing TV interview with Zuma was closer to the mark. Zuma does not warrant the sort of respect that South African jewry is giving him.
The more I think about it the more I realize that the meeting was a fiasco.
Why on earth did Rabbi Goldstein give Zuma “the blessing” of the Jewish community? To make his ride to the Presidency of South Africa smoother ?
Zuma is still facing corruption charges. His accomplice Shabbir Shaik is languishing in jail.
The South African Jewish establishment has lost the plot
BLACKLISTED DICTATOR on March 6th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
@Mavusana.
You’ve certainly made up your mind and you’re not going to let facts get in your way! Why don’t you just spit it out and get it off your chest: “I hate the bastards!”
That might just make you feel a bit better. They say cropping it up is not good for the health.
The points you made in your excellent article are well said and to the point. Your arguments are constructive with many commentators not only coming on board sharing your perceptions, but further embroidering on them.
Having said that I must further commend you for starting off a discussion of this nature with a level headed approach tackling an issue that for most people is taboo, namely the demonization of the Afrikaners for “their” Apartheid. I was actually quite surprised by the reactions which were overwhelmingly positive and supportive of your contention that this demonization is overboard and should stop.
What I would further wish to add, to push the perimeters for debate further, is the fact that we are living in a world of relentless globalization where nationalism has had its day and led to enough bloodshed and misery during the course of the last century. Leaving aside for the moment Israel and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are well on the way of transformation not only effecting white/black relations internally, but also externally. When South Africans live, work or holiday abroad they meet one another with a special ethos that makes us totally transformed with the energy of contention at once transformed into an energy of fellowship and celebration.
We are living in a world many do not like as the very word “globalization” leaves a variety of tastes on different peoples’ palates. But the truth of this transformation is that we are becoming citizens not so much of territorial states, but people with equal rights and opportunities in the modern, global economy. It is a great pity that these equal rights and opportunities are still lacking. But leave this over to the real cosmopolitan activists of the day who aspire for exactly to make another world possible. There are many upright cosmopolitan people who despise globalization of today for its neoliberal character. In South African there are many who despise Trevor Manuel for the same reason. But then as nationalism has had its day and is now baking in the sand dunes of Arabia, so too this neoliberal order of globalization has had its day with more and more talk of a post Keynesian global world order being seen on the horizon.
In sharing in progress, becoming cosmopolitan in the framework of the globalization of human relations we South Africans are doing just fine. Here and there are a few rubs, like for example the extremely high rate of overt crime. But remember that this is also part of a world trend and many countries are having similar problems. In many countries violent crime is not as overt in South Africa or Ecuador, but then crime is also not all that the eye can see. Look at Enron, look at the hundreds of thousands of people losing their homes and life savings because of the current malpractices in the financial world. Relatively speaking we as South Africa are well off. According to last reports the income gap is narrowing.
Furthermore let us believe indeed that transformation is no mere catchphrase, no ideology that any single movement or political party can put is name to, and no thing that can be owned of controlled by a single person. The time for kingships and dictators is growingly an outmoded and dwindling phenomenon. We can name Mandela as a best-case scenario as a liberator, a man who can stand out as a statesman with world recognition. Many people know Mandela. Much fewer know where South Africa is. On the flipside we still have the likes Mugabe stands as a worst case scenario, and Zuma hanging somewhere in between.
Transformation is market driven and what will come will come. Our lives are more and more affected by events out of our own control or that of national governments as humanity battles it way forward to find peace, prosperity and equality within itself, and betterment of the planet worth living on.
So transformation today means what the word says — things are changing and changing fast and we as South Africans are frontrunners not simply because we, or many of us, feel a the need to bend over to forgive and forget the wrongs of the past done to black people. Let me tell you that many black people feel a sense of justified pride in the level and standards achieved by white South Africans who bequeathed a well structured state and economy, even though this went over a few speed bumps and wobbles over the past 20 years. What bedevils the world governance are malpractices and wilful creation of inequity and destruction of the planet, corruption and dictatorial practices. In South Africa these are dwindling maladies although one has to keep up the guard with growing corruption which is not a particular African, but due the developed countries of the world exporting the virus of these social disease.
Traps, you are merely scratching on the surface of the true meaning of transformation. But you too are guilty of falling over backwards to appease a bad conscience under cover of coming up against the demonization of the Afrikaner. To a large extent the British Empire came up against its own Vietnam in South Africa fighting the Boers, so too the English speakers of South Africa were first and foremost the enemies of the old regime, although they never overtly acted or said that. To a large extent the Boers went through a nationalist transformation as reaction to the plunder and bloodshed caused by the British war against them. There is no blame or shame in either of these as like nationalism had its heydays so too did Kingships and Empires, including the British Empire. And apartheid itself was knocked down not simply by armed struggle and sanctions, but by the cosmopolitan forces of the continuously globalizing market economy.
So just remember, rather than preaching from a pedestal of self-righteousness, realize that we, as Afrikaners, as English speakers, as Black people are being transformed in manners and means more powerful and invasive than the superficial scratching around we find blurted out nowadays. As whites we all benefitted under the social system of apartheid. And, despite the qualms of black people, today we have a state and economy which is the best in Africa and to be thankful for by all. South Africa is, after all, not like Ethiopia or Somalia both of which were never under appartheid and had only short periods of globalization under imperial globalization. The Afrikaner is no longer the nationalist bully he was forced into being through the vagaries of history, but probably among the most cosmopolitan people of the world today. And given the globalization of transformation at work, lets say that all our people, especially as they meet one another in the world domain, white and black, Xhosa, Zulu, coloured, Khoisan, are the most cosmopolitan people on this earth.
I thank you for this grand stretch of really constructive dialogue you have initiated!
While I appreciate the validity of most of the argument, what I come away with is that the brutal and barbaric treatment of blacks by afrikaners should be excused - for how long? South African whites in general have had it relatively easy post 1994 considering what the indigenous African was subjected to in their own country by both English and Afrikaner white - those who invaded and those who were given preferential citizenship to “white wash” the countr. These people should accept the positive and peaceful transformation and play a constructive role in shaping the future of south africa - otherwise they’re welcometo trace their ancestry and move back to the safe, crime–free and peaceful countries in europe and elsewhere where they can afford a decent home, cheap labour, etc.
Wessel van Rensburg said it eloquently.
One must not discount the ongoing animosity of the British against the Afrikaner.
The Boer forces trounced the British forces on the Natal front during the Anglo Boer War. However, even when they had the upper hand, the Boers showed compassion towards their enemy.
On Plattekop, outside Ladysmith, British soldiers erected a memorial to their foe with the following words engraved:
“It was here that during the battle on the 6th of January 1900 the Reverend John Daniel Kestell Minister of the Harrysmith Commando in great danger and under heavy fire brought succour to wounded friend and foe alike.
A grievously wounded British sergeant said to him ‘You are preaching a good sermon today.’ ”
How was this kindness repaid?
• By bayoneting wounded Boer soldiers during the early stages of the Spionkop battle, a battle where the British forces was routed by the Boers.
• By burning farms and putting children and woman in concentration camps where in excess of 26,000 died out of a total Boer population of about 280,000.
The appalling way in which Britain fought the war led Sir Harry Bannerman of the British National Reform Union to exclaim: “When is a war not a war? When it is carried on by methods of barbarism in South Africa.”
How does a nation live down such a blot on its history?
By portraying the erstwhile enemy in the most negative light.
I see the Xhosas as British surrogates, carrying on their anti-Afrikaner war by other means.
I think that a Zuma-led government will make the Afrikaners feel much more welcome.
The Zulus and the Afrikaner are both nationalistically inclined. Africa is their only home. They also share a bond of having defeated the British in colonial battles.
Dumi atleast the afrikaners are still willing to call themselves afrikanes. There is still a sense of belonging, a language, a culture and a common religion. So yea there is still afrikaners, unlike many blacks who lost their culture, and language to the of the Imperialist English. The real language of oppression.
Wessel van Rensburg.
I full agree with your comments. One thing that needs to be understood is the oppression, discrimination, violence and prejudice suffered by the afrikaners and the afrikaans speaking community at large, at the hand of the english. Something the english never owned up too.
The afrikaners need the rest of SA as SA needs the afrikaners. As a group the afrikaners have skills to provide to SA, a large portion of young afrikaners are university graduates. But still they are being excluded from jobs in SA due to the discriminatory policy of bee/aa.
It is never a positive sign when any group of a population is exclude, either from economic or political activity. Such as situation normally is a breeding ground for extremist thinking, which is only counter productive for the broader society.
The painter Marjorie Wallace told me that when she was a girl in Scotland, a piper played ‘The Campbells are Coming’ in the local pub. It was MacDonald territory. Next morning he was found in a ditch with his head stove in. This was almost 200 years after the Battle of Culloden, the cause of the animosity. Prejudice can be VERY long-lasting, unless specific efforts are made BY BOTH SIDES, not just concessions forced on the losers, are made.
I feel the Afrikaner has nothing to fear from South Africa. Since the beginning of Democracy very little has been taken away from these people. They have their own Universities; the majority (Blacks) do not have a university that teaches in their languages. Afrikaans is spoken officially in the work place daily and the African languages are marginalised. They have Orania were they are allowed to live on their own.
You say “BEE and affirmative action, which are racist issues”. As a journalist with resources at hand please do not write perceptions as truths. In the Labour force report by Stats South Africa March 2007. It is reported that unemployment among the white population has been reduced from 7% in 2001 to 4.3% in 2007. Unemployment amongst the black African population decreased from a high of 40.3% to 30.2%. Black representation in top management positions increased between 2000 and 2006, from 12.7% to 22.2%. If affirmative action was racist don’t you think the unemployment rate of whites would increase? Whites still occupy the vast majority of senior positions in most if not all private sector businesses. The economy is still in their hands and you still complain.
“Why is it that unfortunate incidents in isolation are taken as representative of the group while these gatherings, which clearly demonstrate positive outpourings of emotion, are largely ignored when assessing them as a group?” This is because the white community in South Africa tells the Black man regularly to forget that there was ever apartheid when 23.8% of South Africans live on less than two Dollars a day. All of these are Black, Coloured or India. We have seen people like the Freedom front plus still ask for self determination and the non integration of residences in Universities. We had the belief that at least our children would be able to mix and regard each other as humans but we still promote segregation. Where are the voices opposing these acts? The problem is that as you put it “It’s tens of thousands going about their business without any signs of racism and bigotry as opposed to isolated incidents that occur in communities the world over” and yet the same do not reject racist talk amongst their friends and neighbours. If they were so concerned why don’t we hear their voices opposing segregation in universities and society in general?
I have also heard this notion that blacks are raping and killing white people as the crime wave increases. This is also not true. I know you have not touched this point but I feel this is one of the many perceptions that are being touted out there. Criminals don’t have an agenda to rob and kill white people. Criminals rob and murder at will in South Africa. Blacks, Whites, Indians, Coloureds, they don’t care about your skin colour. I will say that more cases are reported in newspapers about crime in white areas because most newspapers cater for this market. My House was burgled more than 3 times last year. Most of my friends have had a gun pointed at their heads in the last year. Another friend of mine had to sell his house because he had been burgled five times in a space of two months and hijacked at his gate. There are many stories like these. We see people who have been shot and killed for cell phones on a regular basis. These cases are not reported as they are not news worthy.
We must realise that perceptions are actually destroying South Africa. The fact that columnists and bloggers and some political parties send these massage out for us to devour is worrying.
In this time all whites are faced with the same problems: our youth are emigrating hence less and less white kids will be born here, our culture faces extinction, education collapses, more and more whites grow poor, our businesses BEEed, etc.
Are we to sit here and refight the Boer War while all this goes on? That is nero fiddling while Rome burns.
What is worse is that there is also the Boer vs Afrikaner issue, with Boers not wanting to be called Afrikaners due to allegations of traitors etc.
Then we have the white liberals attacking us as well.
Are we to tear ourselves to pieces fighting old battles or forgive and come together as a people? Think of people that you know that are mixed couples english-afrikaans. They could do it.
Wars are lost when you prepare for the last war.
Seeing whites attack each other is music to the ears of the multicults that want to see our pride eradicated and all of us ‘transformed’ and ‘integrated’.
Consulting Engineer on March 7th, 2008 at 11:05 am
@Thomas
Afrikaner universities are no longer that. They must now offer the courses in english as well for the sake of ‘diversity’. No course can be given in afrikaans only. They are hit with equity in employment, hence sub-standard lecturers get appointed and white lecturers cant get positions or promotion. they prefer to hire a Black from outside SA, and even a white foreigner to a white south african.
The traditional Black universities are still there.
Afrikaans cannot be used in offical business correspondence.
Unemployment is down among the white population since 20% of the white population has emigrated. Most of them the young people who cannot get jobs or promotion due to BEE and AA.
Black representation in top management positions increased due to BEE, not necessarily ability. A white maybe would take 30 years to rise to management, only if he shows ability and determination and hard work. Now he cannot aspire to that due to BEE. Blacks get ‘fast tracked’.
Whites have not gotten poorer? Tell that to the white beggars on street corners or to these people:
You believe in self determination? Fine.You go stay in an integrated residence. Perhaps some of us don’t ant to. Cant we express our freedom of association? Let some residences be mixed and some be segregated. Then we can all be happy. Our children would be able to mix, if they want to. Perhaps mine choose not to. What gives integrationists the right to tell my children who they must live with? The constitution says we are free to choose and associate.
You have heard this notion that blacks are raping and killing white people as the crime wave increases beacuse it is true. When do you hear of whites raping blacks? The killing of blacks is rare, like skielik. When it happens the media is on it like hyenas on a carcass.
Criminals don’t have an agenda to rob and kill white people. Well Kekana must then be a lair ‘I killed them becuase they are white.’ Why then is their a high rate of torture and cruelty in attacks on whites?
Criminals rob and murder at will in South Africa, but whites have a much higher chance of being killed than blacks. I think I saw somewhere that 58% of victims are Black. Well if 91% of the population gets only 58% of teh crime are they not ‘advantaged’? I think I recall Indians were hit propertionally the hardest.
It is perceptions like yours that destroy South Africa as you deliberately misrepresent, hence increase white suspicion.
You claim people who are shot and killed for cell phones is not news worthy. Do you think it is a good thing? The fact that it happens tells you one thing about this government. They fail at the most basic role of government: protecting people.
One thing that I really struggle to figure out is Affirmative Action. Yes, it truly is necessary (too many rich white folks with white-nepotism). The DoL has identified areas of scarce skills, e.g. engineers (Eskom crisis anyone?). Why can’t Aff. Action not be removed for these areas. On grass roots level, bursaries are amply available to the young bright black students interested in these areas. But what about NOW. We’re pissing of educated white folk. Anyways…
Rocky - both AA and BEE are necessary measures at this time. If you read through my previous articles you will note that I steadfastly endorse them for the medium term.
In real terms however they are racist (albeit necessary). They exclude people based on race.
Don’t confuse something that is racist with something that is unnecessary.
South Africans must understand that they are measures that are required to uplift the black community at this time.
As you correctly point out there are sectors where this needs to be avoided.
BEE on the other hand needs to be investigated by the government to see why a few fat cats are creaming it while so few middle class and poorer people are seeing any benefit.
BTW guys I just want to say that while reading through all your comments and points I have gained an enormous amount of insight into the current sentiment in South Africa.
With all the steam being let off I still love my country and all the people in it.
That is why when any group is attacked (my articles are there for all to see) I try and give them a forum for response.
My cousin (my late dad’s first cousin, my 3rd?) Prof. Stan Trapido who dedicated his life to a free and just South Africa died this week :
He was a very well known historian and a former Dean of Lincoln College, Oxford England - His wife is the famous author Barbara.
Regardless of the anger and hurt all of our communities feel in respect of the past and injustices that will anger them in the future - ALL South Africans are my people and the greatest people in the world.
PS
Anyone have any idea when Derby County will win a Premiership fixture?
Traps,
Only one man could save Derby County and he, unfortunately, is dead:
(please note, for those who are young and innocent , that the former first division is now the premiership)
“Clough became a manager starting at Hartlepool United with Peter Taylor as his assistant manager from October 1965. At the age of 30 Clough was then the youngest manager of the league. They guided Hartlepool to a finish of eighth in their first full season, before they both joined Derby County as manager and assistant manager in May 1967. Derby finished 18th that season and up to Clough’s arrival were frequently involved in relegation battles to Division Three. Clough brought in several new players,amongst them Roy McFarland, John O’Hare, John McGovern, Alan Hinton and Les Green. Eleven players departed and only four were retained: Kevin Hector, Alan Durban, Ron Webster and Colin Boulton. Clough also fired the club secretary, the groundsman and the chief scout along with two tea ladies he caught laughing after a Derby defeat.
In 1968, Derby finished 18th, but after signing Dave Mackay and Willie Carlin, Clough and Taylor’s management led Derby to become champions of Division Two a year later. Clough was universally seen as a hard but fair manager, who insisted on clean play from his players and brooked no stupid questions with the press. He was famous for insisting on being called ‘Mr Clough’ and earned great respect from his peers for his ability to turn a game to his and his team’s advantage. He took Derby to fourth place in Division One in 1970 but due to financial irregularities, the club were banned from Europe that season and fined £10,000.
During the 1971–72 season, Derby tussled with Liverpool and Leeds United for the title. Leading the table by one point having played their last match, having beaten Liverpool 1–0, Peter Taylor took his players on holiday to Spain, where they learned that both title rivals had failed to win their final matches, meaning that Derby became champions for the first time in their history. Clough was not with them at the time. He was in the Scilly Islands with his family and parents when he learned Derby were champions, on the evening of 8 May 1972.
The following season Derby reached the semi-finals of the European Cup, but were knocked out by Juventus 3–1 on aggregate in very controversial circumstances. It later emerged that the West German referee had received gifts from the Italian side before the match. Clough himself accused the Juventus team of being “cheating bastards” and then questioned the Italian nation’s courage in the Second World War. Clough’s frequent outspoken comments against football’s establishment, such as the FA and club directors, and figures in the game such as Sir Matt Busby, Sir Alf Ramsey, Don Revie and Alan Hardaker eventually led to him falling out with Rams chairman, Sam Longson, and the board of directors at the club. Clough and Taylor both resigned on 15 October 1973, to widespread uproar from Rams fans, who demanded the board’s resignation along with Clough and Taylor’s reinstatement at the following home game against Leicester City five days later.”
BLACKLISTED DICTATOR on March 7th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Traps you are right on, for me too this country and all its people are my beloved, but I really do believe that it would have been better for us all if non-racist legislation had been used in an effort to correct the Apartheid legacy that government is trying to overcome through the further racism expressed in the AA and BEE legislation. You do not cure AIDS by continuously re-infecting yourself with HIV.
To Zonkie:
The last Afrikaner to leave won’t have to put out the lights – Your buddies at Eishkom have already seen to that!
To Kay:
Are you suggesting that the ill-treatment should only be excused for a certain period of time … …and then, what??
I suggest to you: for as long as the Afrikaner has accepted the genocide that was done to him by the British.
To Mr. Trapido,
Thank you very much for an excellent post – it has been a long time since anyone has written anything positive about the Afrikaner – it’s all to easy to make him the “bliksem” of everyone’s problems.
I am reminded of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s comments on the Boer during the Anglo-Boer War:
The Great Boer War, Chapter 1:
“Take a community of Dutchmen of the type of those who defended themselves for fifty years against all the power of Spain at a time when Spain was the greatest power in the world. Intermix with them a strain of those inflexible French Huguenots who gave up home and fortune and left their country for ever at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The product must obviously be one of the most rugged, virile, unconquerable races ever seen upon earth. Take this formidable people and train them for seven generations in constant warfare against savage men and ferocious beasts, in circumstances under which no weakling could survive, place them so that they acquire exceptional skill with weapons and in horsemanship, give them a country which is eminently suited to the tactics of the huntsman, the marksman, and the rider. Then, finally, put a finer temper upon their military qualities by a dour fatalistic Old Testament religion and an ardent and consuming patriotism. Combine all these qualities and all these impulses in one individual, and you have the modern Boer–the most formidable antagonist who ever crossed the path of Imperial Britain.”
Oh please Leon, spare me the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s comment. How corny. Now you’ve put me off my breakfast.
And to the Consulting engineer. Go and check your history boet. It all started going wrong for us when we white folks stood together.
That’s the biggest mistake Afrikaners ever made.
Afrikaners have two options - make as fully a contribution as possible in the current set up and hope it kind of works. (The jury is still out on this option).
Or organise a volkstaat that IS NOT BASED ON RACE and includes black and brown Afrikaners. That wat we also get to keep Habana
Sorry about your breakfast boet (at 4 in the afternoon!), but “Africa isn’t for sissy’s” - as the saying goes.
Obviously you don’t get my point - ask someone to explain it to you.
Who are you blaming for our problems? The Afrikaner or the “Whites” - not exactly the same grouping, boet.
I find it interesting that ALL other groupings of people, like the chinese, germans, jews, etc., etc. can live amongst themselves with their own schools, etc. but the moment the Afrikaner wants to claim the same rights, he is blamed for his “laager mentality”.
The problem is that the Afrikaner has been his own worst enemy.
Boere betrayed Boere during the ABO. Piet de Wet became a Hanskakie while his brother, Chrisjan de Wet fought to the bitter end.
Although the British used the turncoats, they made their peace with the Bittereinders.
No one trust a traitor.
It is significant that Zuma displays a positive attitude towards Afrikaners that remains true to themselves, not turning like Mbeki to the modern day Hanskakies.
As this post is in response to an article that dealt with Zuma’s visit to the Jewish community, I include the following snippet:
Most Jews fought on the British side (about 3500) during the ABO while about 350 fought on the Boer side.
Great patriots, those Boerejode!
Whites will not be standing alone, remember that colourds are only considered as “comrades” during election time, and most of them consider their situation today to be worse than it was during apartheid, colourds DO NOT COUNT as AA, they DO NOT QUALIFY you for BEE standings, as they are NOT considered as being Previously Dis-advantaged.
As for the army, they are a joke, remember that the old SADF was one of the most respected and feared fighting forces in the world, today they cannot even manage peace roles in Lesotho without lossing men, a place which 20 years ago would not have even lasted 2 days, and many of the whites where members of this fighting force, are where trained by it.
The GREAT ANC, has disbanned most of the top fighting regiments in the SADF and left their members out in the cold, whos side do you think they will take, the members of units like 31 Battalion (the bushman tracker unit), left to rot by the ANC,
32 Battalion (buffalo Unit) the MOST feared fighting force in the world, these men where the most fierce bunch of men you would ever want to meet, and often the enemy would run just from hearing that they were in the area or on the way, (the same enemy that today makes up most of your socalled great SANDF) where are they now? left to rot, disbanned, unable to get work (as most of them only knew one trade, WAR), their promised land has become nothing more than hell on earth. Must I remind you that these are BLACK men, do you think for one moment they will support the people that took away their dignity, their homes and their livlyhood?
So you see my dear fool, you and the ANC had better hope that things never do get to the stage where war becomes a reality, for the whites will NOT be standing alone, there are many who have even MORE reason to hate the ANC than even whites do.
I hope that that day never comes to our great land, it will be a sad day indeed, to see our nation ripped apart like that. As for will win who knows but who ever does what will they have left to rule over?
I have been a soldier and I have seen war’s true face, its not something to hope for or to want, its a sad thing and something I wish to never see again.
I am Coloured and I don’t think I was better off during Apartheid. You certainly do not speak for me or any Coloured person I know. Stop lumping us all together and assuming you know how we all think. I am so sick and tired of people who make blithe assumptions about Coloureds when they know sweet fanny f**k-all.
Consulting Engineer on March 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Consulting Engineer
Eish you’re trying so hard to put things
in perspective but to me the majority has
already made up their minds so I am still trying
to figure out why there should be a Volkstaat
because the term ‘Volk’ has not been defined
so it could be the ‘volk’ that worked on racists
owned farms,it could be the common people.
I am getting confused here man, in my younger
days I did volkspele (folk-games) cant imagine
my Indian neighbour doing that.
I shouldn’t stray here man but ‘volkspele’ was
a strictly controlled affair, all neat and tidy
at arms length.
Now Wessel van Rensburg wants a Volkstaat for
all Afrikaans speaking people.Do you think they
will be able to do volkspele??
Afrikaners should be ashamed about allot of things, amonsgt these things are the way they treated coloureds. Many coloureds would not want to associate with white Afrikaners, and I can’t blame them.
However a strange phenomena is happening in places like London. English white South Africa are moving into the surrounds of Wibledon. And miles away in the East of the City in working class areas like Leytonestone, who do you find? Coloureds and Afrikaners. They don’t mix much mind you, have not seen much evidence of that, but it seems they like to live together. And they watch rugby together.
Cool down, yes I think one should allow volkspele in a Volkstaat (its hard I know, but one has to be accommodating to all types), under the condition that there’s none of the controlling, and the bpm must be in excess of 100.
Go to Mitchells plain one day and walk around there and speak to the colourds, then go to Delft and do the same, then go over to Mannenburg, and after you have been there tell me the colourds are happy, and satisfied, I HAVE done this, I have many colourd friends and still have to meet one who thinks the new SA is great, or who likes the ANC.
If the colourd are so happy and dislike whites so much (as you implied) that they make up the majourity of Helen Zille’s supporters? Its time for you to move out of your world of luxury and mingle with your people, and I garentee you that you will soon find out that your views are way off the mark, I know because I work, and socialise with them every day.
So you’re using the “some of my best friends are Coloured” defence. Interesting.
I’m still recovering from my laughter at your assumption that I live a life of privilege and luxury. I wish I did! My goodness, you should see my bank balance and how I live and you would know that luxury is just a word in my vocabulary and not a way of life.
I grew up in Steenberg (not exactly in the lap of luxury) in a small council house with no running hot water. We counted ourselves lucky that we had an inside toilet. I also have family and friends in Mitchell’s Plain and in other areas on the Cape Flats - would you like a list? I think I have a fair idea of the situation that many Coloureds find themselves in.
You assumed that I implied Coloureds disliked White people. I never said that anywhere. I don’t dislike White people. I have White friends and colleagues too and I like them very much (just using your example). Most Coloured people I know don’t dislike White people either though many of them disapprove of some of the behaviour of White people. I doubt your many Coloured friends and colleagues would tell you much about that because Coloured people tend to keep their thoughts on White people amongst their own, at least in my experience they do.
But for now I can rest easy in the knowledge that Coloured people have such a dedicated spokesperson in you. Add Cool Down as our second representative and we really have nothing to worry about any more.
Don’t forget all the white liberals who consider themselves spokespersons for all non-whites every time THEY feel non-whites may in some way be offended.
With all their jumping up and down in indignation, I wonder how a Black or Coloured can ever get a word in. The self flagellation of these liberal whites and guilt about their own whiteness leads to bizarre behaviour, which they take out on other whites. I wonder if they remove all the mirrors from their house?
If MANY Coloureds disapprove of the behaviour of White people, many Whites disapprove of SOME of the behaviour of SOME Coloured people, which to me would mean gangs, drinking to excess etc. But in general, I find that Coloureds and Whites get along, from the army to sport to children’s activities, these 2 groups in general have the least cultural differences. Social class however also plays a role.
Although this may be a gross generalisation, I do find a very significant difference between Cape Coloureds and those in the eastern Cape and Transvaal, no offence intended, its just my view based on my experiences.
Consulting Engineer on March 15th, 2008 at 10:33 am
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By trade a criminal attorney he is now a politcal commentator and journalist full time.
"Traps Report" on the Richmark Sentinel is probably the largest news aggregator in the world. That includes Google, Huffington Post and Drudge.
If you click on the links of the Traps Report you should be up to date on all the latest news worldwide as well as local.
He is a director of the firm Turnbull and Associates.
He was born in Johannesburg and attended HA Jack and Highlands North High Schools. He married Robyn in 1984 (Mrs Traps, aka "the government") and has three sons (who all look suspiciously like her ex-boss).
He was a counsellor on the JCCI for a year around 1992.
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The South African public are inundated by calls for crimes to be overlooked, forgiven or -- in some cases -- not to be considered crimes at all. Unsur...
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Traps, you are right my man. As much as I am on the receiving end most of the time, I find it abhorrant to discriminate against the Afrikaners because it is senseless. There has never been a single racist who has ever been able to advance a coherent argument to me that tells me that Afrikaners are the bad guys.
I love real folksy conversations with ordinary people. I have always been astounded and amazed about how African folklore, customs and culture (right down to homegrown cures for ailments) are so very similar to Afrikaner equivalents of the same. So what is the noise about? We are joined at the hip; we are African brothers whether we want to acknowledge it or not.
We are South African, dammit, and we rock ALL OF US.
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