NEWS

Viva F(r)eedom Day! - What Freedom?

As South Afrikans celebrate (d) a charade called Freedom Day on April 27 commentators were unanimous that the state of the nation suggested that this country is a leader in social inequality. Brazil has got nothing on us. The gap between the haves and have-nots is just so wide that it would take Moses’ miracle to pave a way through it.

Under apartheid there were wealthy whites who were the backbone of the economy. They were the beneficiaries of various intervention including Smuts’ project to address The Poor White Problem and job reservation for those who served their country in the armed forces.

Whites owned farms, industries, the Mint, the Reserve Bank and ran everything, from the politics, bureaucracy to the securocracy.

At the same time there were blacks who owned businesses in townships and villages. Some were beneficiaries of the racially named Bantu Investment Company which gave loans to black entrepreneurs. The difference was that the black entrepreneurs then lived amongst the poor – so they were a stone throw away from everyone who would be hungry and want to ask for leftovers. The tycoons, as they were called, would have postal private bags where everyone in their area of jurisdiction received their mail – for free.

The gap was not visible because black owned trading stores sold groceries on credit to the poor. The apartheid government paid old age pension once every two months to blacks but the tycoons had patience. Now it is paid monthly and black money sharks lack such patience with our gogos.

Those black entrepreneurs had tens of thousands but still believed in community.

Fast-forward to 2010. The majority of whites are still wealthy as it is reflected by the top 100 JSE companies and the Satrix 40. Apartheid’s ugly hidden secret – poor whites have finally surfaced and demand attention. Maybe those are the ones who never joined the Broerderbond, served in the military or were just plain imbeciles. Poverty has finally shed its racial cloak.

However the new wealthy blacks do not have thousands but tens of millions – at best billions. They are now on the covers of Forbes magazine. Most of them don’t own anything – the BEE shares were bought on credit and will start accruing once the partner brings government business and profits are declared. Their houses and their cars are owned by banks. They claim to own mines while what they own are the labourers only.

Then we have lifestyle entrepreneurs who detest poor people and live as far from them as possible. He only comes to the township or village when he’s bought a new German sedan. He does nothing for the community – let alone donate a computer for the school he went to. Another hallmark of this new breed is who they are doing business with; they are all doing business with government and leave the whites to run corporate South Africa and supply services to it - undisturbed.

COSATU’s Patrick Craven alluded to this gap in the media early this week. The gap between the haves and have-nots is wide because the new rich black now lives with rich whites – not as a community. Solidarity was silent this time around.

And Freedom Day to the one still stuck in the township and village, whose role models used to be black tycoons whose business has since been rendered null by the Indian/Pakistani entrepreneur and the proliferation of malls; means nothing. They never celebrated April 27 this week and they will not do it next year. Until they are free from poverty.

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PERSPECTIVE

THIRTEEN YEARS LATER - HOW IS ADOLESCENSE TREATING SOUTH AFRIKA?

Today marks the 13th year that South Africans will be celebrating a milestone in a history filled with pain and trauma. A history filled with brothers and sisters who left home and never to be seen again. A history made up of old bones dug from unmarked graves all over the world to afford martyrs a decent burial. It will be a celebration of the final destination in a journey undertaken since 1652 when Dromedaries, Reiger and Goedehoop anchored at the Cape Point and robbed this Southern tip of Africa of its innocense. That is the year Africa was repeatedly raped and impregnated, and thus Afrika du Sud was born. April 27, 1994 marked the restoration of this country's dignity and the confirmation of its sanity. One wonders why is this country still holding on to a bastard name when it had a name before being christened Afrika du Sud or Suid Afrika.

Some people say tomorrow presents to every South African thirteen reasons to be happy and fly the multi-coloured flag high in memory of those who had to offer the ultimate sacrifice inorder to bring about a new dispensation. There are those who say the day ushered in a new form of oppression. Word on the streets is that oppression has not ended, it's just that the oppressor has changed and De la Rey is an Afrikaner gimmick.

Reasons are being given by different people that the boers offered jobs in their government based on race and affiliation to die Nasionale Party and Broederbond. Observers say that since 1994 the country is experiencing a serious 'Zanunisation' of the public sector. Almost all senior government and parastatal positions, and in some cases even juniour are only given to members of the African National Congress. The situation has resulted in people joining the ANC simply to access either government employment, tenders or immunity on the part of the authorities when they later practise corruption. No wonder some high ranking ANC officials were surprised that the Scorpions could arrest them as well if they squander public funds

Kasiekulture can not factually tell if allegations of patronage have base apart from that since 1994 it has become a political reality that the ANC has split into factions. And a closer study of those factions reveal that none of them is driven by the need to give A Better Life for All to 45 million South Africans but personal economic benefits.

Since 1994 comrades are given government work to build low-cost houses and roads but all that is seen is unfinished work while they continue to get away with it and secure more contracts.
Since 1994 male teachers have gone on the rampage having sex with female learners while the South African Democratic Union which was vocal pre-'94 has suddenly lost its voice against its own members.
Since 1994 we have seen a bourgeouning black middle class that relies on credit to finance their lifestyles.
Since 1994 we have seen massive unemployment and exodus of skilled labour to empower first world countries.
Since 1994 we have witnessed police becoming more and more incompetent with prisoners escaping and dockets exchanged for cash. We have also seen suspects killed in holding cells without anyone being called to account.
Since 1994 we have seen a six percent economic growth that is not translated into more people becoming wealthy but a small clique that has become billionaires while the majority starve.
Since 1994 we have seen Black Economic Empowerment and formerly good comrades being compromised by money

Also since 1994 we have seen clinics being built by government and free basic health care given to children up to the age of 14. We have seen schools built and education being offered for free to those who can not afford it.
We have seen more subsidised housing (RDP) being offered to families who have never owned a home all their lives.
We have seen a decentralisation of services like Home Affairs, police, tax services and even government itself.

Maybe there are reasons to celebrate. Those who are 13 years this year obviously should do so without questioning. That's because nobody promised them anything they couldn't deliver. However for those who are far too old, who have lived in the old apartheid four roomed houses since 1960 and who still live there, and who can't help but wonder what's wrong with RDP houses built post'94 that continue to crumble, they've cause for concern.

Today is that, a day to reflect on promises made and broken. It's a day that politicians, especially ANC comrades from all levels should sit back and ask themselves, 'what have I done for my community lately'.