I refer to the above very interesting article.
I refer to the above very interesting article.
The following occurred to me.
When the government of South Africa runs out of excuses for non-delivery, which is the price one pays for corruption and a bloated government, you can be sure that there exists an ideal scapegoat who will receive the blame.
Like Robert Mugabe, who blamed his failures on white farmers in an endeavour to prevent his disgruntled, poor and often hungry supporters from supporting the opposition MDC. But for the farm invasions which he initiated, the MDC would likely have come to power. Instead, the people followed their liberator once more, only to find that, after the farmers had fled, food shortages and economic collapse followed.
Hitler did the same thing by blaming the Jews for Germany's woes.
What the ANC is doing now is just a trial run. They know that they will win this election. The real thing will come when they fear losing power. However, the methods the ANC are using to remain in power are of major concern. Telling voters that they stand to lose their social grants if they don't vote for the government is a ploy to profit from the fact that many voters do not understand the difference between the State on the one hand, and the political party in power. Many voters believe that they have the ANC, and not the taxpayers, to thank for their social grants.
Like Robert Mugabe, who blamed his failures on white farmers in an endeavour to prevent his disgruntled, poor and often hungry supporters from supporting the opposition MDC. But for the farm invasions which he initiated, the MDC would likely have come to power. Instead, the people followed their liberator once more, only to find that, after the farmers had fled, food shortages and economic collapse followed.
Hitler did the same thing by blaming the Jews for Germany's woes.
What the ANC is doing now is just a trial run. They know that they will win this election. The real thing will come when they fear losing power. However, the methods the ANC are using to remain in power are of major concern. Telling voters that they stand to lose their social grants if they don't vote for the government is a ploy to profit from the fact that many voters do not understand the difference between the State on the one hand, and the political party in power. Many voters believe that they have the ANC, and not the taxpayers, to thank for their social grants.
More disturbingly, the ANC has been known to suggest that if the Opposition DA were to come into power, the white Madam in charge of that party would reinstate apartheid. Whilst the majority of educated voters aren't fooled, the ANC's failure to address the education backlog in the country means that a significant number of voters do fall for these arguments.
And if you think that I am suggesting that only black or poorly educated people fall victim to these sorts of tactics, you would be sadly wrong. The people in Germany who followed Hitler were supposedly civilised, supposedly educated , supposedly Christian, and certainly white. Look how easily they fell for his racist propaganda - and this in the 20th Century not in middle ages or during the inquisition.
The Xenophobic killings and attacks on foreign black refugees which took place a few years ago in this country was shocking enough on its own. But it is even more chilling if one considers that that this might have been a trial run. I
Consider this. If mobs can turn on, kill and rob successful local refugees from other parts of Africa on the pretext that they are stealing jobs and opportunities from locals, just imagine what could be achieved by directing even greater angry mobs against people are said to be responsible for apartheid and who will be accused of continuing to benefit from it.
The opposition parties are all hoping for a close election. I wonder whether they should be careful about that for which they ask. It could just be the spark the powder keg has been waiting for.
I found it amusing when, during the 2000 US Presidential election, the results were stalled because of disputes and constant recounts in Florida.
Robert Mugabe then made a public and highly generous offer to send Zimbabwean Election Monitors to assist the Americans. You have to hand it to him, it was a once in a life time opportunity for him, and he did not let it go begging.
He was, of course, having his little revenge for the US & Britain's insistence on having foreign election monitors to monitor his so-called "free and fair" elections. Needless to say such monitors were not permitted. But like minded monitors from ...wait for it, South Africa, were indeed permitted.
Yes, it was funny, but ultimately the joke was on him. That US election was quite peaceful (despite the nation being armed to the teeth) and when the US Supreme Court finally spoke, the entire nation accepted the decision and went about their business.
This differs slightly from the obligatory genocide which has often preceded and followed close elections on this continent.
In September 1989, I participated in the Democratic march to the City Hall led by Bishop Tutu and many other UDF activists. The apartheid regime was crumbling and I looked forward to the new, non-racial and democratic South Africa which would replace it.
Today, that dream seems further removed than ever. This is not the SA of people like Mandela, Tutu and Biko, Jay Naidu, and Trevor Manuel,.
South Africa today is becoming a highly polarised society which seems more divided than ever. The ideal of entering politics to serve the needs of the people, and the respect for excellence, for the rule of law, for justice and for a truly non-racist society are all being steadily eroded as those whose incompetence is exceeded only by their greed steadily gain a steely grip on the levers of power. There is a price to pay for such greed, corruption and incompetence, and it far exceeds the forty billion rands of taxpayers money which is wasted each year.
I often wondered about why the Jews in Germany did not leave when surely they could see the signs of the horror which awaited them. But one forgets that they were not just Jews, they were also Germans. And to be fair, could the Jews in Germany really be blamed for believing that their fellow Germans were too civilised and too Christian to fall for Hitler's anti-Semitic arguments. Many Jews must have believed that the anti-Semitic wave in Germany would be of short duration and that common sense would prevail.
In Zimbabwe, about a third of the country now lives and works in SA. Most are not here by choice and would love to return home. Their numbers are divided between the political and the economic refugees.
More and more white South Africans are starting to experience a sense of unease about their future in this country. IF the 2009 Xenophobic attacks on African refugees in South Africa had been restricted to one area, this could have been passed off as an aberration which was untypical. Instead these attacks spread to cities across South Africa like wild fire, and many refugees were attacked or killed, and many Somalis had their business looted. The international community were horrified and FIFA even considered moving the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament to another country.
We have a government which spent Billions on arms instead of addressing the inequities of apartheid. The masses are growing tired of ANC promises of a better life and violent protests against the government are growing increasingly common. As the cost of corruption and the cost of appointing one's friends and political allies to top jobs instead of using excellence as a criterion continues to increase, the government's ability to address the people's needs will continue to decline. It's a time bomb! But unlike Germany, and Zimbabwe, the warning signs here are anything but subtle.
In such a political climate, one requires political leaders of vision who will resist the temptation to use racially inflammatory language and who will refuse to exploit racial divisions to win elections. And though apartheid was an evil, some twenty years have passed since the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. However tempting it may be for the government cast all the blame for the poverty and inequity in SA at the doors of apartheid and however attempting it is to remind people of the evils which the white minority government admittedly perpetrated, it is also time for the government to take responsibility for the twenty years it has been in power since then.
Constantly reminding people that they are all victims of apartheid does little to encourage people or to empower people to take responsibility for their own lives. Secondly, instead of empowering people, constantly reinforcing the victim mentality amongst the previously disadvantaged serves to fuel the sort of resentment which can easily spill over into violence. Also, constantly relying upon past injustice does little for national unity. Constantly referring to the past also emphasis white people in terms of that which happened in the past instead of facilitating a non racial society.
Germans will know what I am talking about. At some point, one has to move away from associating Germans today with those from the past who were Nazi's. Whilst no German wishes to deny the Nazi's crimes, they also do not wish to be associated with or defined by that party or their deeds.
However expedient it may be for the ANC to try to maintain power by resorting to the politics of division, one hopes that they will realise that in the end, if the resentment generated ends up in violence, there will be no winners and many losers.
I can only hope that the old guard of the ANC will somehow find a way to start a new struggle to reclaim the legacy left to this wonderful country by Nelson Mandela.
And may the Good Lord also see it fit to keep Bishop Tutu with us for a while longer. He gave us hope in the dark days of apartheid. And like in the old days where he spoke out against the injustices of apartheid, he continues to challenge the injustices, the corruption and the excesses of the new South African government.
Although I'm tempted to leave South Africa, I will not do so as long as there are brave people like Bishop Tutu around. Fortunately, despite everything I have written above, thousand of South Africans have turned their backs on the politics of race. Thousands of us also refuse to allow ourselves to be defined by our historical roles as victims or as oppressors. More and more people are refusing to permit the government to rely upon apartheid as an excuse for the nepotism, the increasing corruption and the mismanagement which affects service delivery across the country now.
The recent and highly controversial toll gate project in Gauteng is a case in point. It is apposed by unions, workers and by various opposition parties. Whether we choose to be united and empowered by that which we have in common and by our common future, or whether we allow ourselves to be divided and to remain victims of our past will determine whether this county can become a prosperous peaceful success, or whether it will instead become deeply divided, violent and poverty-stricken waste land.
And if you think that I am suggesting that only black or poorly educated people fall victim to these sorts of tactics, you would be sadly wrong. The people in Germany who followed Hitler were supposedly civilised, supposedly educated , supposedly Christian, and certainly white. Look how easily they fell for his racist propaganda - and this in the 20th Century not in middle ages or during the inquisition.
The Xenophobic killings and attacks on foreign black refugees which took place a few years ago in this country was shocking enough on its own. But it is even more chilling if one considers that that this might have been a trial run. I
Consider this. If mobs can turn on, kill and rob successful local refugees from other parts of Africa on the pretext that they are stealing jobs and opportunities from locals, just imagine what could be achieved by directing even greater angry mobs against people are said to be responsible for apartheid and who will be accused of continuing to benefit from it.
The opposition parties are all hoping for a close election. I wonder whether they should be careful about that for which they ask. It could just be the spark the powder keg has been waiting for.
I found it amusing when, during the 2000 US Presidential election, the results were stalled because of disputes and constant recounts in Florida.
Robert Mugabe then made a public and highly generous offer to send Zimbabwean Election Monitors to assist the Americans. You have to hand it to him, it was a once in a life time opportunity for him, and he did not let it go begging.
He was, of course, having his little revenge for the US & Britain's insistence on having foreign election monitors to monitor his so-called "free and fair" elections. Needless to say such monitors were not permitted. But like minded monitors from ...wait for it, South Africa, were indeed permitted.
Yes, it was funny, but ultimately the joke was on him. That US election was quite peaceful (despite the nation being armed to the teeth) and when the US Supreme Court finally spoke, the entire nation accepted the decision and went about their business.
This differs slightly from the obligatory genocide which has often preceded and followed close elections on this continent.
In September 1989, I participated in the Democratic march to the City Hall led by Bishop Tutu and many other UDF activists. The apartheid regime was crumbling and I looked forward to the new, non-racial and democratic South Africa which would replace it.
Today, that dream seems further removed than ever. This is not the SA of people like Mandela, Tutu and Biko, Jay Naidu, and Trevor Manuel,.
South Africa today is becoming a highly polarised society which seems more divided than ever. The ideal of entering politics to serve the needs of the people, and the respect for excellence, for the rule of law, for justice and for a truly non-racist society are all being steadily eroded as those whose incompetence is exceeded only by their greed steadily gain a steely grip on the levers of power. There is a price to pay for such greed, corruption and incompetence, and it far exceeds the forty billion rands of taxpayers money which is wasted each year.
I often wondered about why the Jews in Germany did not leave when surely they could see the signs of the horror which awaited them. But one forgets that they were not just Jews, they were also Germans. And to be fair, could the Jews in Germany really be blamed for believing that their fellow Germans were too civilised and too Christian to fall for Hitler's anti-Semitic arguments. Many Jews must have believed that the anti-Semitic wave in Germany would be of short duration and that common sense would prevail.
In Zimbabwe, about a third of the country now lives and works in SA. Most are not here by choice and would love to return home. Their numbers are divided between the political and the economic refugees.
More and more white South Africans are starting to experience a sense of unease about their future in this country. IF the 2009 Xenophobic attacks on African refugees in South Africa had been restricted to one area, this could have been passed off as an aberration which was untypical. Instead these attacks spread to cities across South Africa like wild fire, and many refugees were attacked or killed, and many Somalis had their business looted. The international community were horrified and FIFA even considered moving the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament to another country.
We have a government which spent Billions on arms instead of addressing the inequities of apartheid. The masses are growing tired of ANC promises of a better life and violent protests against the government are growing increasingly common. As the cost of corruption and the cost of appointing one's friends and political allies to top jobs instead of using excellence as a criterion continues to increase, the government's ability to address the people's needs will continue to decline. It's a time bomb! But unlike Germany, and Zimbabwe, the warning signs here are anything but subtle.
In such a political climate, one requires political leaders of vision who will resist the temptation to use racially inflammatory language and who will refuse to exploit racial divisions to win elections. And though apartheid was an evil, some twenty years have passed since the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. However tempting it may be for the government cast all the blame for the poverty and inequity in SA at the doors of apartheid and however attempting it is to remind people of the evils which the white minority government admittedly perpetrated, it is also time for the government to take responsibility for the twenty years it has been in power since then.
Constantly reminding people that they are all victims of apartheid does little to encourage people or to empower people to take responsibility for their own lives. Secondly, instead of empowering people, constantly reinforcing the victim mentality amongst the previously disadvantaged serves to fuel the sort of resentment which can easily spill over into violence. Also, constantly relying upon past injustice does little for national unity. Constantly referring to the past also emphasis white people in terms of that which happened in the past instead of facilitating a non racial society.
Germans will know what I am talking about. At some point, one has to move away from associating Germans today with those from the past who were Nazi's. Whilst no German wishes to deny the Nazi's crimes, they also do not wish to be associated with or defined by that party or their deeds.
However expedient it may be for the ANC to try to maintain power by resorting to the politics of division, one hopes that they will realise that in the end, if the resentment generated ends up in violence, there will be no winners and many losers.
I can only hope that the old guard of the ANC will somehow find a way to start a new struggle to reclaim the legacy left to this wonderful country by Nelson Mandela.
And may the Good Lord also see it fit to keep Bishop Tutu with us for a while longer. He gave us hope in the dark days of apartheid. And like in the old days where he spoke out against the injustices of apartheid, he continues to challenge the injustices, the corruption and the excesses of the new South African government.
Although I'm tempted to leave South Africa, I will not do so as long as there are brave people like Bishop Tutu around. Fortunately, despite everything I have written above, thousand of South Africans have turned their backs on the politics of race. Thousands of us also refuse to allow ourselves to be defined by our historical roles as victims or as oppressors. More and more people are refusing to permit the government to rely upon apartheid as an excuse for the nepotism, the increasing corruption and the mismanagement which affects service delivery across the country now.
The recent and highly controversial toll gate project in Gauteng is a case in point. It is apposed by unions, workers and by various opposition parties. Whether we choose to be united and empowered by that which we have in common and by our common future, or whether we allow ourselves to be divided and to remain victims of our past will determine whether this county can become a prosperous peaceful success, or whether it will instead become deeply divided, violent and poverty-stricken waste land.
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