Real issue at play is class

EVERYDAY racism seems to have become a norm in our country.

Whenever we have high-profile incidents such as the utterances of Judge Mabel Jansen or the “waitress” incident, compliments of Ntokozo Qwabe, we have a media frenzy. Opportunistic political parties then play every angle to their advantage.

The debate about “whiteness” and what this means together with “return the land” are currently dominating public discourse.

Despite this, these terms have yet to be clearly understood or defined. Is “whiteness” a skin colour or a metaphor for privilege?

Is “return the land” redistributing land and, if so, whose land – vacant land, government land – or is the idea to take the land from the whites? After all, they stole it from the blacks, or so it is understood, or maybe misunderstood?

Perhaps “return the land” means redistribution of resources and wealth. Why is it that after 22 years of black rule, we have not been able to achieve social and economic transformation?

The above issues are red herrings in the sense that the real issue has little to do with “whiteness”, but everything to do with the establishment of a system of crony capitalism.

“Whiteness” as a metaphor now includes the black political elite and their cadres, children, spouses, uncles and aunts who have been given business by virtue of their political connections.

Crony capitalism and the frantic scramble for wealth by the black political elite is busily destroying our country.

This scramble for wealth has derailed the social and economic project. Crony capitalism has also sowed the seeds for plutocracy, and if not stopped, we will see a firmly established plutocratic government in South Africa in due course.

We have in reality moved away from colour. It is all about class.

Yes, whites by the very nature of apartheid are much better off, but had this government not strayed from the social project, the previously disadvantaged would by now be at a higher level of sophistication and empowerment.

Hence, if I look at Cyril Ramaphosa, I see “whiteness”. If I look at Julius Malema, I see “whiteness”.

Should the EFF come to power tomorrow, they will slip nicely into the system of crony capitalism. After all, the ANC fitted quite nicely into the system that was first established by the apartheid National Party government.

In fact, the ANC improved on it and took it to another level. It is therefore critical we understand the real issues at play in order to change the system.

The populace is being misled, and voting in another party might well just change the face, but not the system.

What we need is political and social reform. This will, in turn, lead to economic reform. It is hard to believe that after 22 years of black rule we are in some respects worse off than under apartheid. The education system, unemployment, youth skills and inequality are all issues.

As a country we need to unite in our diversity. We need to vote in a government that will change the system. A government that will shut the door on crony capitalism. A government that will not be seduced by Western neo-liberal policies. A government that will make social transformation the highest priority.

If we are going to transform our society we are going to have to do things differently, and make some hard decisions. Decisions such as integration, the land issue, reforming education, coming down hard on crime, moving people closer to their places of work, public transport, dealing with the drugs scourge, unemployment, #FeesMustFall, developing small business enterprises and economic transformation.

We are running out of time fast, and if we don’t effect change soon, it is likely we will become a failed state. MADINY DARRIES Pinelands