ECHOES OF ANNIHILATION

Written 13th June 2012

Like most white South Africans, I have been listening with growing alarm and apprehension to the escalating racially antagonistic rhetoric targeting whites on pubic media - especially 702 - and cannot help but think of probable resonances with conversations on the radio at around this time 80 years ago in Germany, leading up to Kristallnacht.

The most notable difference between Germany then and SA now is that once the dust settled after the war, the Jews had the promised land to go to while white South Africans don’t have any Plan-B life-line whatsoever.

The most notable similarity was how historical facts in Germany and Europe were distorted to suit the agendas of Hitler and the Nazis prior to Kristallnacht, and are currently being distorted in SA, for populist reasons.

Hitler needed a scape-goat and a capital pool; the Jews provided both: they had money and Hitler managed to place blame on them for selling Germany out at the Treaty of Versailles following WW1. The Jews became a rich and easy target ripe for the pickings, and propaganda and spin managed to get almost the entire German nation to forget sanity and see things his way - and we know how that turned out...

It is tragic to see how ‘the rainbow nation’ has deteriorated since 1994 when most believed we were heading for great things after the miracle of peaceful transition to democracy, but it is not really that surprising. And now, twenty-four years later racial tension in South Africa is literally once again on a knife edge, with what appears to be swelling numbers of black South Africans becoming increasingly vocal advocating violence.

It seems very few from all sides are interested in the truth of history, preferring contrived distortions which have shifted the focus from reconciliation to a hunger for retribution and compensation on the one side and either fight or flight mentality on the other..

The sad thing is most of those shouting their mouths off for blood and conflict were either very young or not even born during apartheid. What they know, they have heard from vitriolic mouths intent not on empowering, but almost un-ashamedly on self enrichment or nationalistic agendas.

The fact is South Africa has been independent for more than 24 years. How can it be possible that such a small minority, penalized in the work-place and handicapped at just about every touch-point in modern society, still be seen as the culprits and cause of current turbulence twenty years later? Furthermore, it is said that whites ‘still have the money’ and are not of Africa. I have a few problems with these opinions:

Firstly, white South Africans were not here when the problems - initiated by European colonialism - started. White middle and lower classes, just like their black brothers, were exploited to feed the fires of colonial enrichment and empowerment, and bled our country of its wealth. It was for from this perspective, when the masses wanted to pull down the stature of Rhodes, I personally had no objections. Rhodes was not a South African; he was a British subject and rampant, heartless colonialist - catalyzing both the Oppenheimer and Anglo American dynasties which both took their money and ran for offshore hills when they saw the tides turning ...interesting how they sidestepped the brown matter - especially looking at the Oppenheimer’s latest airport debacle. Same tactics, different day...

Secondly, the populist consensus is whites are responsible for all and must pay, and the wealth must be redistributed. Fair enough - but whites have paid! White South Africans were instrumental in the change to democracy, firstly initiated ironically enough by the Nationalist Party in freeing Mandela and unbanning the ANC in 1990, and then supported by the vast majority of whites in a referendum in 1992. Since 1994, whites have been relegated to the back of the food chain by BEE. Literally every person in existence should be chosen ahead of a healthy white male when it comes to the job market. And despite socially elite rich whites (most of whom have taken assets offshore a long time ago) still having a lot of wealth, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that most white middle class citizens have been pulled down a peg or ten, and like me, are now struggling to survive in a system once again skewed by racial discrimination and oppression, just the flip side.

Then onto the subject of whites still having the money. Of course the majority of poverty stricken are still black - there are more than 10 blacks to every white; obviously the majority would still be black and will be for generations to come irrespective who rules or comes into power. But I wonder on the true headcount of rich blacks and middle class blacks. Stats on these demographics do not seem available or reliable, but one need only travel the highways during rush hour on any weekday morning or afternoon to see who is driving the big German sedans nowadays. This is the true reflection of how the land lies. Propaganda is just that, and we should open our eyes to reality before believing agenda driven spin.

Thirdly, the issues have mutated from redressing the wrongs of the past to exploitation and enrichment. The previously disadvantaged seem to care less about the injustices of the past, and more about getting their pound of white plundered flesh. This is dangerous, and I find it almost inconceivable that state, business and media, populated with supposedly educated and ‘insightful’ individuals, could suffer such factual amnesia as to actually propagate such dangerous inflammatory misconceptions.

And while discussing issues of compensation for previously disadvantaged, it would have been much easier had it not been for the plundering of state by both politicians and business moguls, including both our previous and current presidents; one in public sector and one in private (remember Lonmin?). Could one just imagine what could have been done with all the money these scoundrels have stolen from public coffers? And this is the very reason for the racially antagonistic rhetoric bombarding all of us every day.  As long as different races are at each others’ throats, it shifts attention from the core issues which are the exploitation of all by the rich and powerful, and the growing divide between rich and poor.

I cannot believe the State (and media) have allowed the Zuma saga to be viewed as a racial issue. He was a scoundrel ripping off all, and the poor suffered most. And now there are those out to buffer him simply because he is black? Let some white guy screw up like he did and threaten my country’s peace and prosperity, I will be the first to call for the law to jump on his bones. Why should I protect a crook simply because he is my ethic group or my religion? Ludicrous.

The big culprits here are no doubt the politicians and the media, both playing up to populism for different reasons, but still both for reasons underpinned by dishonourable financial objectives: the ruling party wants to stay in power, other parties want to get into power, and radio stations want listenership, to entice the advertising spend. And meanwhile, the poor and still disadvantaged remain the trump card to be exploited and abused, supposedly for honourable reasons, but as clear as day, the truth is very different.

The poor cannot solve the scourge of poverty, and racial antagonism can never result in unity and harmony. And as long as the media allows the power players to carry on with their dastardly shenanigans (borrowed from Cyril who probably borrowed from Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines), the truth will remain buried in distorted mud, the country will continue bleeding, and our esteemed leaders of both business and state, along with their lawyers, will continue laughing all the way to the bank.