Racism is a pervasive sickness here and many other places in the world. Is it a natural part of the human condition, to be accepted, or is it something which is shameful which ought to be treated as such?
Many South Africans suggest it is only white people who are racist. Some go so far as to state black people cannot be racists because of past-discrimination against them. One could mention dozens of racist remarks made by black racists recently. Just one is enough. The Parliamentary hearing concerning the disgraceful conduct of EFF MPs during the SONA address by the President, focused on six leading members of that party, led by Julius Malema and his mini-me, Floyd Shivambu.
The evidence was led by the highly respected advocate Anton Katz, SC. He is an international law and constitutional law expert. He is an Ad Hoc acting judge of the High Court and is a former UN special Rapporteur on mercenaries and human rights.
The EFF stated that they were not prepared to be persecuted by a white man. Really quite disgraceful when one recalls that Mr Malema serves on the Judicial Service Commission. How can any white person appearing before the JSC expect fair, impartial and non-racist treatment?
Of course, it is not just black South Africans who are capable of despicable conduct. Some white people have not got over their racial feelings of superiority and entitlement. Many grew up encountering black people as menial people, there to work hard and serve them. But most white South Africans have embraced the values of our Constitution promising non-racialism, non-discrimination and equality for all.
As time goes by South Africans of all colours and cultures and religions increasingly work in the same offices, meet parents of children of all races who attend schools together, see each other in places of entertainment, restaurants and everywhere else. Malevolent people pounce on every example of Racism but most of us get along very well as South Africans.
Where there are ugly racist incidents, those responsible are rightly called out and made to suffer the consequences. But it is true that there is increasing tolerance between the races. Despite this, there is language intolerance and people like the Gauteng premier, Panyaza Lesufi, seem keen always to fan the flames of anti-Afrikaans sentiment.
And what of religious intolerance? Jewish South Africans feel a wave of anti-Semitism from Muslims but certainly do not attempt to promote anti-Muslim feelings. The current Hamas/Israeli war is having a bad effect on religious tolerance. Too many people identify with the right of Hamas to hate Jews and to wipe them off the face of the earth, certainly in the Middle East. They do not believe a word of the Bible which records the presence of Jews in Bethlehem and Nazareth and Jerusalem much more than two thousand years ago.
The Jewish population was pushed out by successive colonialist conquerors and have every right to have a national home with secure borders and without fear of the hatred and loathing of people dedicated to removing them “from the river to the sea.” Palestinians have the same right as the Israelis demand for themselves and that is why enlightened opinion round the world demands a two-state solution that accommodates both. With a little more tolerance of differences and the cessation of racism and religious hatred, a solution is possible.
One prays for the pervasive sickness of racism to disappear.
Douglas Gibson is a former opposition chief whip and a former ambassador to Thailand
This article first appeared in The Star newspaper.
