As a black South African, I am tired of bearing a tacit responsibility to make white South Africans feel at home. What disturbs me the most is the victim mentality that is proliferating white South Africans. Here is my advice: put your South Africanness before you whiteness!
This is my starting premise:
White South Africans, born in South Africa, are South African! This is irrespective of your genealogy. Many white South African are “Europeans” only by the colour of their skin. They share no intimate connection with Europe.
My second premise is thus:
Whiteness is not a crime. There is no stigma associated with being ‘white in South Africa’. In fact, white people have an INHERENT, unqualified right to exercise and practice their culture. They have an INHERENT entitlement to associate themselves with any culture of their cherry-picking.
What is unpleasant is that we, right-thinking black South Africans, find ourselves bearing a tacit responsibility to make White South Africans feel welcome in South Africa. This happens when senseless imbeciles like JM harangue about ‘shedding blood for land’.
This raises to important points!
Firstly, blacks bear no sole responsibility for other senseless blacks.
White South Africa! You need to know this: we take no responsibility for JM. We take no responsibility for his simple-mindedness. Often, we are just as shocked as you are. There isn’t a conspiracy, inside and outside of politics, to get rid of white South Africans. This is no fantasy of ours.
I assure you that simplemindedness is not an implication of black culture. This goes for other blacks who cheat on their wives, rape, kill, rob and and and. We do not know them, and we despise them like you do. We mourn with you when you lose a loved-one to such criminality and you should mourn with us!
White South Africans must take equal responsibility for JM (and his likes). His display of incredible inanity is an embarrassment to all South Africans, not just blacks! To think we understand him simply because we share his skin pigment is pure racism. JM is yours too, white South Africa!
Secondly, get over your guilt!
Whenever apartheid comes up in conversation, a majority of white South Africans become rather uncomfortable. “Oh, not apartheid again!” Yes apartheid. Apartheid will remain a thorny issue for three reasons.
First, many generations of white South Africans refuse to admit that they benefited from apartheid. Young or old, you benefited from apartheid. You inherited a life crafted for you through a criminal system.
Second, many craftsmen of apartheid refused to apologize for apartheid; while many of their black counterparts who committed criminal acts, during apartheid, begged for forgiveness for the sake of reconciliation. Many years later, prominent white leaders like De Klerk openly defend apartheid on moral substance. It is that arrogance which causes apartheid to linger at the doorway like a stubborn frog!
Last, many white South Africans are exceptionally hypocritical in their criticism of affirmative action and redistribution of land. The starting premise should be to admit that all this policies are necessary, and to criticize their design and implementation. To dismiss altogether is the same foolhardiness that pervades the likes of Malema.
All this being said, not all South Africans are guilty of this. And most right-thinking black South Africans hold no grudges against white South Africans.
To Conclude
I know many white South Africans who are truly South African and AFRICAN. They immerse themselves in the life of a South African, and in the politics and culture of our Great Nation. They take pride in cross-cultural experiences and they are genuine in their criticisms of government.
They criticize government without looking over their shoulder. They have no uncontrollable temptation to shout, ‘it is these damn kaffirs’.
I also know a few white South Africans who are constantly threatening to Pack for Perth (and Canada). Please, by all means, pack your bags and go. We are building a nation and you should not overestimate your value in our ability to make progress.
Lastly, if you are white and you fear Melama, fear him because he is crazy and not because he is black. We have a phrase for that; it is “Swart Gevaar”. He will not drive you out of your homeland. If he tries, the laws and the international community will protect you. Not because you are white, but because you are damn human!
Brad, France
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