As a Chinese South African born and bred pre-994 I was appalled to hear the comments made by our Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana and the comments made by NaFcoc.
The Chinese community had successfully transformed itself into a merchant and trading group within South African society and could not be regarded as disadvantaged in the same way as blacks.
I find these comments to be obtuse, narrow-minded and inaccurate in their portrayal of Chinese South Africans. What the minister and NaFcoc fail to realise is that the Chinese South African population is tiny and our voice is small but we still had a voice against Apartheid.
It seems that they have missed the point of the legislation all together by focusing on how Chinese businesses treat employees. The fact is that the "local" Chinese population probably doesn't even own these businesses and they are owned by Chinese immigrants who came here after1994.
Forgotten
The Minister and NaFcoc seem to have forgotten that BEE was put in place to correct the wrongs of the past by uplifting the capability of those who were not given equal opportunity under apartheid.
Or the more sinister viewpoint is that the Minister and NaFcoc do not wish to recognise Chinese South Africans because of an unwillingness to share the pie. BEE has been criticised for not achieving its goals as the benefits of BEE don't seem to be filtering down fast enough to all to the masses who live in poverty and instead only benefits the few.
Perhaps the Minister and NaFcoc are more concerned with protecting their own self interests and this is why they oppose the High Court ruling and have made such statements.
For me the important issue of receiving BEE status is the recognition that it implies. It recognises that Chinese South Africans were victims under apartheid and did not have the same opportunity that white South Africans had.
The passing of the legislation is a milestone as it recognises our situation during the Apartheid years and gives us a sense of identity that was missing post apartheid. In the Post Apartheid years we have been marginalised, we were not black enough to be considered black and were considered white. Yet we are not white nor wished to be classified as such if that means our status under apartheid is to be ignored or to go unrecognised.
Like many other Chinese South Africans, my parents and I were born in South Africa, my grandparents lived here most of their lives and we all lived under the shadow of apartheid along with every other "non-white". We never got to vote pre-1994. My parents were subject to pass laws and when they wanted to own business they had to register the business with a white partner. When they bought their house they had to get written consent from neighbours stating that the neighbours had no objections.
In my own experience I have been victimised by apartheid-inspired racism, one memorable incident occurred in the early 80s during a school outing. The bus driver of one of the busses instructed our teacher to place all the "non whites" on a separate bus to that of the white children. The Chinese students were part of this grouping.
As an eleven-year-old these events stay with you and shape you. So when the ANC's Minister makes sweeping generalised comments, I am fearful. I am fearful and angered that there is a mood of unwelcome, that we are being told that we do not belong here.
This milestone represents an opportunity to retain the skills and knowledge of Chinese South Africans and to encourage our youth to make a life in South Africa and to help build a nation. Instead the comments and sentiment are more likely to encourage immigration.
Where the BEE ruling should be providing hope, the comments of Minister Mdladlana and those of NaFcoc only serve to undermine the good work that has been done. My hope is that the comments made are in isolation and are not a shared sentiment of Government.
If this viewpoint of intolerance and unwelcome is a common theme, then it's not hard to envisage the slippery slope.
Get published on News24 by sending your article, story or column to us
See who has had a say on News24.
Disclaimer: News24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.
- News24
Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.