There are people who are making a meal out of the race card. we all know that racism benefitted white people in SA. That if you are you are privilege. equally it does not mean that whites brought misery to African people, this narrative is misguided and wrong. Memela is spot on the dispernsation is about the class system more than race. people are more discriminated because they are poor and vulnerable than their race.
On Wed, Sep 9, 2015 at 7:47 AM, VC <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > [image: New Age2.png] > > > > > > *We need real insights in this new SA* > > > > *The black middle class have no new vision, they only harp on the > indignities of racism* > > > > > > *Sandile Memela, The New Age, 9 September 2015* > > > > I managed to source the two presentations made at the Ruth First Memorial > Lecture at Wits recently to see for myself if they had anything new to say > that would not have been raised by Steve Biko in 1968. This is 2015. We > need new insights and perspectives. > > > > There were no earth-shattering revelations except for predictable and > monotonous accusations levelled at white people and racism. > > > > We need to find a new language to grapple with the patriarchal capitalist > economic system. I would have gone to the lecture if I thought these young, > gifted and talented women would give us something intellectually > stimulating, deeper and better. > > > > I found that instead of dwelling on the disappearance or complications of > black identity and unity and the emergence of the post-black age, that are > the results of much sought-after nation building and social cohesion, Ruth > First Fellows Panashe Chigumadzi and Sisonke Msimang delivered > presentations that aimed at bolstering impotent black confidence. The > thrust of their presentations were full of blacker-than-thou sentiments. > > > > For me, this revealed black failure to deal head on with the untransformed > patriarchal capitalist economic system. This is what is at the root of > black pain and suffering. Racism, just like poverty and unemployment, are > just consequences. We have to deal with the root causes and not the effects. > > > > The patriarchal economic system that black people have become part of will > not deliver justice and equality. It is based on selfishness, greed and > presenting oneself as “Number One”. > > > > Malcolm X said expecting capitalism to deliver justice and equality is > like “expecting a chicken to lay a duck egg”. It isn’t possible. > > > > The black middle class has become part of the system that the black > nation, if it exists, fought against. In the face of this, the offspring of > the black middle class have no new insights to offer except to point out > the indignities that alleged whiteness and its racism impose on blacks > irrespective of their class. > > > > There can only be progress in terms of combatting racism when the black > middle class is willing to admit its complicity with an unjust economic > system and talks honestly about its conduct and attitude to the poor and > marginalised. It is not any different to white behaviour. > > > > The coming of age children of the black middle class are angry, frustrated > and disaffiliating from white society because of rejection and black guilt. > They are neither combating patrimonial capitalism nor its consequent > inequality and injustice. > > > > Let it be clear that they are fighting for their right to be treated as > truly equal to white people. White still equals good. Their biggest gripe > is that white friends are abandoning their flimsy friendships to scurry > into the privilege, security and comfort offered by the economic system. > This leaves a bitter anger in those who have been condemned as so-called > coconuts – blacks who are white inside. > > > > This abandonment has compelled them to look for reasons why they are > suddenly left on their own and the only motive they can come up with is > skin colour, that they are black. > > > > But, as Steve Biko said, being “black is not a matter of skin colour but a > reflection of a mental attitude”. In fact, anyone can be black if they so > choose and are, in principle, committed to economic justice and social > equality for the poor and marginalised, irrespective of their skin colour. > Racism from poor working whites is laughable. They, too, are victims of the > economic system. > > > > There is an urgent need for the new intelligentsia like Panashe and > Sisonke to have a frank talk about where the black middle class comes from > and the purpose it was created for. It was conceived to be a buffer zone > between those who wield economic power and the poor and marginalised. > > > > When we obsess about race and attempt to promote white blame and guilt at > the expense of self-critical examination of the role of the black middle > class in economic injustice, we are settling for less when these times call > for more. Black people are afraid to have a frank talk about class because > it will expose and shatter the myth of African unity. > > > > Class debates make it apparent that blacks or Africans are neither a > homogeneous group nor as united as they claim to be. > > > > • * Sandile Memela* is a writer, journalist and media executive at > SARS. He writes in his personal capacity. > > > > > > *From: > http://tnaepaper.co.za/DRIVE/main%20edition/09092015/epaperpdf/18.pdf > <http://tnaepaper.co.za/DRIVE/main%20edition/09092015/epaperpdf/18.pdf>* > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 12224 (20150909) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > -- > -- > You are subscribed. This footer can help you. > Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to > this message. > You can visit the group WEB SITE at > http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery > options, pages, files and membership. > To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] > . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to > put anything in the message part. 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