Black hope, white fear: The South African government is inadvertently involved in prolonging skepticism against its abilities by its acts of commission or omission

It is logical to me that in any country, where a majority has been denied opportunity in the past because of the myth of racial superiority, there will be a time where some costs have to be born in correcting the injustices of the past. Such costs will normally be incurred by those who are innocent of the perpetration of that injustices but incur it they must, for that is the consequence of history. As Karl Heinrich Marx  once said:

"Men make their own history, but they do make it just as they please, they do not make it under circumstances chosen by themselves but under circumstances encountered, given and transmitted from the past. The tradition of all dead generations weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living."

The tradition of apartheid shall weigh heavily on our brain  so shall the social, economic and emotional costs of the process the new South African government must put into motion in order to move our society to normality. Apartheid was and remains a crime against humanity and cannot be swept under the carpet through the common response of those who cry that they are innocent of the past and therefore should not bear the consequences of it, intended or not

The innocent multitudes of black Africans born after colonialism still bear the costs of the past in that their parents were not able to live their lives to their full potential and thereby adequately provide for their children. This of course adversely affected a chance of the so called "born frees" to start off life at the same level as some of their previously advantaged peers. They have born the negative consequences of a system in which they played no part: that is the nature of history.  

During a process of change people will be promoted or appointed to their level of incompetence as we have seen, but at what cost?

In my opinion the time has come to expose those who re compromising black hope and fuelling white fear. Their actions fuel and affirm skepticism and racial profiling. The black African is therefore inadvertently involved in prolonging skepticism against his ability to govern by his acts of commission or omission.

It is time we see an accountable and transparent government with less arrogance and more humility which accepts that it has failed in some instances and won in others. A government that admits that it does not have all the solutions and accepts the participation of its entire people in creating a new society can only help to neutralize the racial skepticism and bigotry evident in our society. A government that must accept that not all who are in positions of authority are there for the cause no matter how enthusiastic they may appear as the bearers of the salvation of the masses.

In my opinion each day confirms that most have not learnt from the Zimbabwe experiment. White folk in South Africa are justified in their fear and skepticism of the ability of this government to manage corruption. Black folk like me continue to be disappointed because our expectations are dealt a blow each time we hear of the questions arising whenever large contracts are awarded by the government typically followed by silence at the top.

It puts much anxiety into me that maybe the costs we must bare are just too much.

Vince Musewe is an economist he is promoting new thinking about Africa under the topic "New African Minds" and you may read his philosophies about change by going to vincemusewe.blogspot.com or email him on [email protected]

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