Back and forth on Rhodes
I MUST congratulate Minister Trevor Manuel on his speedy response (“Hypocrisy and bigotry”, Cape Points, August 13) to my take on the Rhodes issue.
This surely has set the benchmark for all future state responses when dealing with “Joe Public”.
Secondly, let me state that as my attempts to trace his speech were unsuccessful, I had to rely on various press reports for my information.
I was not, however, commenting on the erroneous reporting of his speech, of which I was fully aware, but the context in which he referred to Rhodes.
Typical of his “political speak”’ is his comment that he spoke of Rhodes “not in the same way or same warmth”. Does this imply that he used Rhodes as the very antithesis of Tambo, Cabral or Mandela? If that is the case then I stand by what I said.
Thirdly, Manuel claims not to know me yet proceeds to assume I have a racist agenda based on my criticism.
Well, that is nothing new coming from a paid-up member of the ANC. I am surprised he never addressed me as a counter-revolutionary, the typical knee-jerk reaction of his comrades when old “whitey” has the temerity to express an opinion.
By the way, I do apologise for calling him an “enlightened one”; I actually meant a “principled one” and it was in response to his statement on “not continuing to blame apartheid for all that is wrong in this country” and his more recent statement regarding the “civil service serving the people”. But, typically, he has chosen to construe my comments as racist.
To further inform Manuel of my background, let me state that I am what can best be described as an “old coot”, a balding, grey-haired pensioner in his twilight years who happens to have lived through the 40 “lost years” of apartheid as well as the 20 “lost years” under the ANC, with the exception of the too-few golden years we had with Madiba at the helm.
I will continue to voice my concerns in whatever medium I choose. I will also defend my way of life, my family and their future while respecting the equal rights of all others to do likewise, irrespective of their background.
I will not accept the current assault by the ANC on our freedom of speech and our right to know and will use every democratic means at my disposal to achieve that goal.
HERMAN SCHRODER Claremont