Let’s stop playing victims of colonisation

We cannot make colonisation something that didn’t happen, writes

Susan Orpen

As usual the monster, colonialism, is viewed under the South African microscope with no contextual background. The story of man’s existence on this planet follows a repeating pattern. The stronger man conquers the weaker one and takes over his territory. It was ever thus.

European civilisation in the 15th century was burgeoning; sci- ence, architecture, the visual and written arts, weaponry, printing and, especially, navigation, created the impetus to spread out and find new space, new territory.

The Americas, China, India, Africa and Australia – virtually the whole world – was colonised by the Europeans. Not just South Africa. All tribal indigenous peoples, unable to defend their territories, fell to the invaders. This whole movement has led to the global village of today. We cannot unhappen it. And we cannot keep playing the victims here.

In his rebuttal of Zille’s tweets, Mmusi Maimane cites slavery, forced labour, displacement, violent subjugation and racial classification, industrialised exploitation and repression, all these being a price too high to pay for development. Yes, the price was too high. I am sure every soul in SA regrets it, but it happened.

The point is that it is no good continually defaulting to the victim mentality and whingeing about it. It is a waste of energy and is destroying our social structure by fuelling racism. Let us rather use our energy and indignation to prove what we can do.