Sowetan

Money from stokvels could have long helped establish black bank

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There is no such thing as a “racist economy”.

Nothing in the constituti­on bars anyone from participat­ing in the economy on the basis of race. Having structured the monetary system which drives the economy, whites are more astute at playing the economics game.

They are fully aware that the main responsibi­lity in economic participat­ion is to earn, not just “to have”.

In the minds of blacks, you must have so that you can consume. Mostly hard work is concealed as the necessary driving force. Anything goes in order “to have”.

Bribery, fraud, corruption and theft, do not matter. If they enable consumptio­n, why not? Creativity, innovation and imaginatio­n have been destroyed with “tenderpreu­nership” among blacks in the new SA.

A white person starts a business to create an asset with massive value and capacity to generate worthwhile income on a sustained basis. Growth is of paramount importance.

A black person’s objective is to buy a Mercedes-Benz or BMW soon after starting a business and hardly any other ambition beyond. Participat­ion of the majority as consumers in the economy is hugely responsibl­e for the great successes of white business. The fact that they now erect shopping complexes in townships goes to show that whites have identified a lucrative market.

If blacks did the right thing, they’d recognise the flow of billions from the townships to white business and strategise on how to reverse it.

It would take contributi­ons of just one calender year of all stokvels combined to provide capital for establishi­ng a bank and with each member a shareholde­r.

If you consider money donated to charismati­c churches and money collected by trade unions, it is clear that there is an ocean of funds that could be directed positively to blacks to participat­e in the production economy. Sadly the mindset is so warped. There is no trust among themselves. The problem is the mindset of black people. You do not use your buying power to enhance the economic and strength of others, then turn back say those others exclude you from the economy, when nothing but your attitude stops you from using such buying power within yourself, to strengthen your own economic wellbeing.

Steve Biko pointed out long ago at this mindset as the greatest impediment to black progress. Marginalis­ation of their own people of substance has placed black people at the bottom rung of human developmen­t. And they resort to scapegoati­ng and referencin­g whites as holding them back.

Dr Kenosi Mosalakae

Houghton

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