Racism not SA's problem, stupidity is

2012-01-31 12:46

It dawned on me recently that South Africans aren’t racist. You’re all just stupid. And when I say you, I mean the agitators, amnesiac freedom fighters and befuddled hangers-on-to-the-past (that includes light-skinned and dark-skinned South Africans).

The greatest threat to the future of this country isn’t racism, because racism doesn’t exist amongst normal South Africans. Say what you like about it that, but that is my gun and I’m sticking to it. Racism is a word for stupid people who don’t know any better.

Stupidity. That is the real problem. That is the ill that will eventually sink this fine nation.

South Africans who want to live in the past? Stupid. Other South Africans who continually blame the past instead of moving forward? Stupid. Finger-pointing, name-calling, Twitter spats? Stupider and stupider.

People who use a knife to get toast out of the toaster? Inconceivably Stupid.

Marching to freedom

Let’s look closer at a little situation that occurred in Cape Town last weekend. Some disgruntled (rightly or wrongly, who knows in these days of fiery rhetoric and little substance) locals planned a march to an open area of land and an alleged playground of the wealthy (white, naturally) elite, the Rondebosch Common.

These clowns were asked to be at a meeting to discuss their grievances. They arrived 30 minutes late (see, stupid) and so their right to protest was denied.

Still, some arrived and were summarily dispatched by water cannons (I made a special effort to attend, because I do love me some protesters getting doused with coloured water by high-powered water cannons).

What does this all achieve? Absolutely nothing other than to rouse to life the drippy bletherings of the ANC’s Chief Minister of Stupid, Tony Ehrenreich. And what does he want to do? Why, he wants to “integrate” the area. (In fact, the direct quote from the paper was, “It is time for the city to be truly integrated. Areas such as Rondebosch and Pinelands must be integrated.”).

Now, due to his mutterings in the past (“we’re coming for you Constantia, oh yes we are” – or something to that effect), some white readers might think that Tony, Tony, Tony is somewhat racist. Not racist, just stupid.

Limp Limpopo

Let’s take a quick break from Rondebosch and visit the Limpopo Province. The entire area is bankrupt. The hospitals are asking patients to bring their own food. The schools have no teaching materials, and places in need of food aid are in such dire straits (calling Elvis) that organisations donating food are being turned away because there is no one present to ably distribute the food.

Say it with me, now. How does one bankrupt an entire province? Stupidity.

And back to Rondebosch.

My mate Tony seems like a good enough guy, and maybe he gets misquoted in the papers (heaven knows, I wouldn’t trust any of the print dailies to get a quote right), but come on Tony, stop being stupid.

If by “integrated” you mean South Africans of all shapes, sizes and accents (let’s get rid of the colours for once, hey) living together peacefully, then maybe you should actually visit the Rondebosch Common and its surrounding areas.

Just in my street alone I have an Indian couple, three black students next door, an Englishman, a lesbian couple that recently got married (so trendy right now) and so on. If you’d care to inspect the Common, you’ll notice that every type of South African imaginable can be spotted there. Not just your enemies of the state, Tony, the dreaded “elites”, but everyone.

Though, if by “integrated” you mean plonking a ramshackle collection of houses in any open area, then you’re just being stupid. Alleged calls by your pals to occupy golf courses? Plain stupid.

Ja, it gets attention for a day or two, but it’s not going to solve anything, and you know that. Why waste your energy on being stupid. Be constructive.

And you’re not out the woods, either, grumbling ordinary South Africans of all denominations. Don’t be stupid. Don’t take the easy way out and point fingers and apportion blame. That’s what the stupid people do.

Be clever. It’ll save our country.

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