In response to http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Dear-White-South-Africa-Enough-Hypocrisy-20121017
As a white South African, I am tired of bearing a tacit responsibility to make black South Africans feel they have carte blanche in South African society. What disturbs me most is the entitlement mentality that is proliferating black South Africans. Here is my advice: put your South Africanness before you blackness!
This is my starting premise:
Black South Africans, born in South Africa, are South African! This is irrespective of your genealogy. Many black South African are “African” only by the colour of their skin. They share no intimate connection with Africa.
My second premise is thus:
Blackness is not a crime. There is no stigma associated with being ‘black in South Africa’. In fact, black 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 choice without the fear of being labeled ‘coconut’ by the uneducated masses.
What is unpleasant is that we, correct-thinking white South Africans, find ourselves bearing a tacit responsibility to make black South Africans feel we are people holding everyone back in their quest for ‘Economic Freedom’. This happens when senseless imbeciles like JZ,JM, et al harangue about ‘evils of white capitalism’. The masses have been made unachievable promises by incompetent corrupt individuals and now there is a desperate need to find a scape goat, enter the ‘white boogey man’.
This raises important points!
Firstly, whites bear no sole responsibility for global economic conditions. We are struggling as much as everyone else to make ends meet. We try get through this by working harder, not by bringing the economy to its knees because some fat cat in a red t-shirt told me I am worth a 1200% increase regardless of the reality and if I don’t get it I should hack my working colleagues to death.
Black South Africa! You need to know this: we take responsibility for Apartheid, which is why there was a referendum to change. We cannot take responsibility for it being constantly used as an excuse for simple-mindedness in current South Africa. There isn’t a conspiracy, inside and outside of politics, to bring back Apartheid (just because we highlight the massive ineptitude of a government). This is no fantasy of ours.
I assure you that bringing back the past is not an implication of white culture. This goes for other whites who oppress, hate, kill, rob and and and. We do not associate with them, and we despise them like you do. If we didn’t the FFP/AWB would be more than just a fringe element in South Africa. We mourn with you when you lose a loved-one to such criminality and you should mourn with us!
Black South Africans must take responsibility for government corruption (and their likes). Their display of incredible inanity is an embarrassment to all South Africans, not just Whites! To think we don’t understand and cannot voice our concerns, simply because we don’t share your skin pigment is pure racism. Building South Africa is yours too, black South Africa!
Secondly, get over your Entitlement!
Whenever Land and AA/EE come up in conversation, a majority of black South Africans become rather antagonistic. “Hand everything over now and Voetsek!” Yes. Land and AA will remain a thorny issue for these reasons.
First, many of black South Africans refuse to admit that there is a growing crisis within all sectors because skills and experience is no longer “required”. Young or old, you benefit from AA/EE. You inherit a life crafted for you through an imperfect and short sighted system, that justifies race based policies under the guise of righting the wrongs of the past. While this policy is in place black South Africans who achieve success off their own hard work will be doubted and labeled as tokens even by other blacks. But most importantly South Africa will be held back in the global picture.
Second, many supporters of ANC refuse to recognize their comrades failings; while many of their black counterparts commit criminal acts, during their cadre deployment and are allowed by black South Africans to get away with this because of the romanticized notion that they alone led them to the promised land. Year after year, prominent black leaders openly defend corruption with no moral substance “You did it for 350 years, it is now our turn”. It is that arrogance and stubbornness which causes issues to linger at the doorway like a stubborn frog!
Last, many black South Africans are vocal in their calls for redistribution of land. The starting premise should be to admit that the ANC government has lied about this policy and how much land is in black hands, and to criticize why traditional leaders have been given the right to be land barons at the expense of their people. To dismiss altogether that there are not many black land owners and that in fact the majority of land is in governments and communal hands is to go the route of Zim. On the bright side of this in a few years you can star in a CNN special on food aid and mass starvation in South Africa.
All this being said, not all South Africans are guilty of this. And most correct-thinking white South Africans hold no grudges against black South Africans.
To Conclude
I know many black South Africans who are truly South 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’s Apartheids fault’.
I also know a few black South Africans who are constantly threatening to take what is ours by force. Please, by all means, go for it. We are tired of your constant veiled threats; you take advantage of the system and think because we are tolerant that we are weak and helpless. Your arrogance offends me.
Lastly, if you are Black and you fear Apartheids return, fear it because of what it did to this country and not because it is white. We have a phrase for that; it is “living in the past”. It will not return to drive you to your ‘homeland’. If ‘they’ try, the laws and the international community will protect you. Not because you are black, but because you are damn human!
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