Can’t we all be classified as ‘South African’?

NO DOUBT this letter will not be printed, but I will say what I feel.

My great grandfather, John Liddell, was chief engineer at De Beers, having moved from Australia in the latter part of the 1800s. My grandparents were British, my mother’s side were Dutch.

They all worked and paid for whatever property they purchased, like myself. At 77, I have never had anything given to me free; I worked for it.

We are regularly told that we stole the land, that everything colonial must go.

This is an insult to my forefathers, who were good hard-working people.

What about the benefits of colonialism? Can this not be mentioned, ever?

I never saw any of my grandparents, nor parents ill treat anyone, and I have not either.

They helped where they could, as I have done, and as so many white people do.

Yet we are insulted daily. Where, pray, do we belong? Where do our children and grandchildren belong? They are all born in South Africa.

So many blacks have migrated to Europe, America and elsewhere.

Do they get told that they stole the land there when they buy houses?

No, they get equal opportunity when looking for work.

Here we are still labelled as “black”, “coloured”, “Indian” and “white”. Is this democracy?

The only time we will ever have a peace-loving nation is if everyone is classed as “South African” only, and where the best person gets the job and the best person gets the position in sport, business or politics, no matter who you are.

This is about looking forward, not backward.