We’re missing the point

“IT WOULD not be correct if, as we seek to construct a new society, the ultimate ambition of black professionals is to mimic white elite lifestyles, believing that being accepted to the colonial courtyard of privilege constitutes the essence of economic transformation,” said Joel Netshitenzhe, the ANC strategist.

I hear people talking about radical economic transformation but, for the first time, I heard someone speak to my heart.

I have been confused about what people aim to achieve with the dream of “radical economic transformation”. Sadly, and more often than not, I haven’t found their convictions appealing.

The political fraternity is preaching the narrative of economic transformation.

It may not be clearly articulated, but it has always seemed wrong and unconvincing since the words “radical”, “economic” and “transformation” became a threesome.

The word “radical” means affecting the nature of something. But we seem to be mimicking white elite lifestyle (to borrow the words of Netshitenzhe). When blacks talk about transformation, the subliminal message is to emulate the white elites that monopolise our economy.

I sat in a room of young people, 95% of us were black, gifted, educated professionals on Wednesday at the Young Professionals Association (YPA) meeting to discuss economic transformation for social change. We were dressed to the nines. It was inspiring to no less than 30 black professionals leading successful lives.

We believe radical transformation is about making the educated black child rich. We believe that because we can speak the colonial language English eloquently and write it meticulously, we deserve a stake in our economy.

Hold your horses. We have been marginalised and sidelined for too long. Even under a black government, we haven’t seen changes to our economy that will result in fastpaced social change.

Like many other gatherings of the same nature, I am yet to see or hear how we plan to access or expose a child who lives in my home village Pankop to this kind of thinking.

I am yet to hear a school of thought that talks passionately about the poor, black child who became a success and went back to the poverty-stricken place they came from to inspire hope and show others that there is life beyond the situation they find themselves in.

The YPA is a good vehicle to drive social change through economic transfor mation. However, it was more a case of : “How do we use these opportunities for ourselves?”

In all honesty, it’s a selfish approach.

We can do more. The YPA can be a platform that serves the poorest of the poor if we focus on others (those who really lack) rather than on enlarging our territory.

We are no different to those who promote white-monopoly capital.

We won’t achieve social change if we are secretly aspiring to be blessers of the next generation. Our job is to redirect our goals and live them out.

Just like Ntate Netshitenzhe, I would like to borrow a quote from Steve Biko: “The great powers of the world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial and military look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa – giving the world a more human face.”

Let us give a human face to a world that is consumed by capitalism and has little or no regard for social welfare.

Kabelo Chabalala is the founder of the Young Men Movement. @ KabeloJay, kabelo03chabalala@ gmail.com.