I started my day out quite happily this morning. Central Texas had a great snow day yesterday, everything seemed so fresh and clean outside when I dropped the kids off at school.
I was ready to take on the day and have a good one… until I saw a news report on Fin24.com…
It is a report on the appointment of a new CEO by SAA (South African Airways). The report talks about how the former CEO, Khaya Ngqula, was fired by the SAA Board after allegations of corruption emerged. Chris Smyth was then appointed acting-CEO until a suitable replacement could be found. Now came the announcement that Siza Mzimela has been appointed as SAA’s new CEO.
Now one could quite legitimately ask, what’s the big deal? One person got fired. Another person was appointed as a temporary replacement, and then a third person was appointed person as a permanent replacement.
The thing that struck me though was that the person who was fired was a black person, the temporary replacement was a white person, and the permanent replacement was a black person. I was wondering why the white person wasn’t good enough to be permanently appointed. Afterall, he was good enough to be temporarily appointed.
Then I remembered… this is BEE (black economic empowerment) South Africa we’re talking about. Black people are supposed to get the top jobs. That’s what black economic empowerment is all about.
Yes, apartheid and its racist policies are long gone. It has been replaced by a new set of racially-based policies. These new policies are of course not racist in nature. No, they are merely supposed to “address the injustices of the past”. This is apparently not reverse-racism at all.
(If you think I am kidding about people being excluded from certain positions only because of their race, a friend of mine recently told me about how he can’t get fulltime employment at a big TV company in South Africa because they have a specific policy that prohibits hiring white males! That’s a double-whammy… racism and sexism!)
Now I’m wondering: When will the day come where all South Africans, regardless of race or sex, will have an equal shot at jobs and other opportunities? There were the apartheid-years where white people were favored. Now South Africa is in its 16th year where black people are favored. Will there ever be a time where race is not a primary issue?
Maybe I shouldn’t worry about this. At least I live in the US and my kids won’t be subjected to this stuff!
It is sickening and disgusting and sad to say the very least – having 2 children still in South Africa – I know that it is that bad, if not worse. Furthermore the corruption is deep, dark and terrible – they will do their best and their damdest to "Drive the white man into the sea" that is what they want and will do everything in their power to reach that end.. Can I mention that this also applies to white women… My daughter has had a Municipal job for 9 years and has been slowly slowly demoted and the most stupid, uneducated black ladies have taken over her positions, and, each time she must teach them and do the work in a back room whilst they get increases – Nee wat – dont talk to me about it,, se maar niks en kuier nog lekker..
Sorry, but I don't think that things are going to change. The black man gets the position, but the white man ends up doing the job.
Yes, a real sad situation. Adele, you are exactly correct. It is just a matter of time before there will be no one to organize and do forward projections. They are just patching and making temporary repairs. Indigenous people of Africa certainly do not have this ability.
Besides who pays taxes and electric bills?
Each time I go and visit Africa there are more people wandering around in the cities. The infrastructure and power grid are in ruins, schooling is a mess. It’s is place where no mun no fun is the order of the day.
This is alarming to say the least, but totally expected. I read a article in the New York Times about how the ANC wanted to take over South Africa and squeeze every drop out of the white man. I read this over 30 years ago. I of course dismissed it. The Afrikaner was in full control and the country was literally a jewel in Africa. South Africa ran like a finely tuned Swiss watch.
Although an American, I have experienced reverse discrimination personally. After returning home from our long war in South East Asia, I was told everywhere that they were not hiring white men. All I want was a job, but during my time in the military America had changed and companies and governments now courted the minorities. Being a white man in the 1970's & '80's was not what it was 10-15 years earlier. In my current career I have had to deal with reverse discrimination for 33+ years and the end is not in sight. I have watched as people were promoted based on race and not ability. Yet the trend continues simply because no one will admit openly the truth. They would rather try to clean up a mess created by someone not qualified, than admit that they made a decision based on race and not ability.
Redressing history's alleged wrongs by creating another wrong doesn't make it right. Marginalizing white South Africans is not only wrong, but is destroying the very fabric of what makes South Africa unique among all African nations. Without the knowledge of the white minority and their attendant skills, South Africa will decline to the point of economic stagnation.
Corruption seems to be endemic to black Africans and in many ways is also mirrored by elected black American officials. I could comment on this further, but one notes the similarity between Africa & American cities with predominant black American populations. One can come to their own conclusions, I do not need to connect the dots.
The true tragedy in all of this is that now the world turns a blind eye to the corruption and the marginalization of an entire people based on race, and America gives U.S. foreign aid to operate a government that is way out of control. Eventually the party will end, and what is truly sad is that it never had to be this way at all..
I think this is a simplistic view of BEE. I think there are deeper issues here that many white South Africans don't seem to understand. Many white South Africans so often don't connect the dots between Apartheid and the current conditions in South Africa. BEE and various other affirmative action programs are not primarily supposed to hire the most qualified person… as strange as that sounds. NO, they are primarily designed to equalize the damage that Apartheid did to South Africa. It is immature to think that people whom were denied education and freedom by oppressive white systems should be able to come in and take over as if there were no consequences of Apartheid… and its even more bizarre that white folks would call this equalizing; reverse racism. While in many instances it may feel this way, it is critical in allowing the historically oppressed 90% to come out of poverty. The whole country must feel the consequences of what Apartheid sowed. Apartheid was a deep systemic social sin. And like any sin, you reap what you sow… and wow, white South Africans are feeling it.
It seems to me that your statement that BEE is "designed to equalize the damage", and that "the whole country must feel the consequences" really means that the damage must be spread equally to all racial groups. This means that more damage must be created to ensure that all groups are equally damaged.
The result of the process of equalizing damage? White people have been leaving the country in droves and the country has been losing valuable skills and experience, as evidenced in the concern about the so-called "brain drain". So now the country loses a second time.
You black resists don’t know what your talking about. ALL the infrastructure that SA uses to stay one of the richest countries in Africa was built and maintained by White people from Apartheid. All that success was because of apartheid and the sweat of white Afrikaners you just took it from them in a complex co-op organized by the mining magnates’ in London. When will you thank apartheid for protecting you from the communists, British imperialists and for building what was safe and secure country?
Wow man, you really have it in for the whites, don't you?
There is a saying "An eye for an eye and everybody ends up blind…"
That is what is happening in South Africa at the moment. The Black people has been hurt, now they want to hurt all the white people.
I grew up in Apartheid South Africa… I lived in Mmabatho (Bophuthatswana home state).
My mother was a teacher at a multi racial school and was there because she was a very good teacher and not because of her colour. Many times we ate pap because a teacher does not earn all that much. I finished school in 1994. When it all changed.
My mother lost her job. Because she was white and could not get a "Golden handshake" because of the ANC and the "Home lands" politics.
So, I could not go and study.
What did I benefit from apartheid? NOTHING!!!
Now, you are saying "And like any sin, you reap what you sow… and wow, white South Africans are feeling it."
Please tell me what did I sow? What part did I play in Apartheid? Show me which black people I oppressed? I did not even vote for the part that oppressed these people!!!
But, I will tell you what is happening at the moment!
I can not get a job because I am a white male and I am uneducated to top it all.
So, I'm trying to start my own business in tourism.
Wow, there are many semi-, quasi- and parastatal organs that helps SME (small and medium enterprises) and young entrepreneurs… if they are black!!!
I have seen how my peers excel in their business. They get great opportunities and there are so many options for them… because they are black!!!
My business is not going anywhere… because I am not black!!!
The other day I saw a great opportunity to get at least one step higher… I approached the company and asked if I can quote for the job.
Even though the company has a problem with their current supplier, even though I could have done it at a better rate, even though I would have given them better & personal service they said no. I am not black.
Now, Ali G, please tell me what I did to deserve this.
Ali G, please tell me what I sowed to reap this.
Ali G, tell me what I should tell my wife and child when I can not provide for them, when they are "feeling it" as you put it. What do I tell my baby girl?
Sorry baby, you can not go to study because you are white…
Eish, that sounds like something a black man said to his daughter. "Sorry baby, you are black"
There is not equalizing in this! Some politicians are getting very rich because of BBEEE and the majority of black people are still as poor as they were 20 years ago!
What is happening at the moment is there is a growing resentment in young white people.
I'm not a racist and have some very good black friends…
but, I can tell you this… the more people tell me I can not do business because I am white the more I get angry and start to hate the system… which is put in place by black people!
How long do you think I can take it before I become a racist?
An eye for an eye is not the solution!
The big rich whites does not feel BBEEE. They don't care!
The majority of the black population don't feel BBEEE…
Why are we continuing with a system that is against our constitution???
I will stay with my statement that you cannot correct an injustice by creating another injustice. Two wrongs do not make a right and never will.
You cannot turn the history books back and rewrite anything. It stands as is. What you can do is make sure that "all" are fully engaged in the collective rebuilding of a nation.
Marginalizing any ethnic group for any reason only undermines a nation. You cannot justify reverse discrimination and call it equalizing.
South Africa is on the same road that all other African nations are on or arrived at. That of abject poverty. All this equalizing does is bring the whole population to the point to where no one has anything. It is equalized to the lowest common denominator. Meanwhile those lucky enough to be at the top of the economic food chain can claim that all is well, while they skim off the top of what ever foreign aide they may ask for. This will eventually put them in the unenviable position of being the object of their oppositions attention, setting them up to fall to the level of poverty that they so eagerly embraced while at the top. No one stays on top forever. Politics by its nature is cyclical and what goes up will eventually go down.
The only thing that will compensate is foreign investment and continual moderate rise in a nation's GDP. You must have productivity, not welfare to spread a nations largess.
As is stands now most of South African foreign aide comes from the industrialized nations and these are populated with people who are of the same make up as the Afrikaner. That of people northern Europe. More investment could be had if South Africa realized this single fact.
Their contribution and productivity, and knowledge is a known fact. Marginalizing them in no way helps the South African rebuilding process. A banker does not invest where productivity is low and welfare is high, it simply is not good business. This only leaves one other option, foreign aid which most industrialized nations look at as simply a lost cause.
The most intelligent was to achieve the goal of rebuilding South African lies in cooperation with the white minority, inclusion and sharing of knowledge in business. As it stands South Africa is losing the very people that can make rebuilding a success. They are leaving and the nations that take them in are gaining at the same rate the South Africa loses.
The result is that eventually no one will be left to run South Africa, except the black majority which as of this date has shown that it is woefully no up to the task. When the last white South Africa has departed for a nation that wants him and acknowledges his contribution to that nation, the reality will sink in, and when they look around South Africa, the star of Africa will be no more than a beggar nation looking for handouts. They will have gone from a African tribal nation, to a industrialized nation, and back to a tribal nation and the world will just pass them by. Eventually, the money for investments will find a new home, a place where there is return of investment. Tourism will drop off as the crime waves escalate because no investment means no employment.
Sadly at this point in time, I see no light in any of this. I do believe that the "equalizing" will continue unabated and whites will continue to leave taking the most valuable commodity a nation has, its brain trust and the nations they immigrate to will fully utilize what South Africa does not want, simply because of petty vindictiveness for passed historical injustices. This is a game that no one wins and a nation loses simply because it cannot find a way to forgive. How sad is that.
It is true what you all say, I am a white male currently living in South Africa and I see firsthand how this BEE movement is destroying this country. If you brake the word BEE down it says “Black economic empowerment” the part that states “…empowerment” indicates that it is not equalization but domination, for the definition of power is “The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority.”. And that is what it is about, control, and they try to justify it as equalization. If you are judged in any way based on your racial status it is racism, just because the government says that it is not racial discrimination doesn’t mean that it is not .
I do not support apartheid and what it stood for, I do not mind if a black man is appointed ahead of me because he is better educated, skilled or something to that affect, because that is equilibrium. A interesting point always comes up when debating about BEE, it is the fact that black people were oppressed and not given a chance of education during the apartheid era and they throw this in the white man’s face quite often, but they do have the chance, they have it now at this very moment and they do not use it. A school was built no more than two years ago to primarily promote the education of the black youth, and that is completely fine, it is a very good thing for this country if the youth is educated but this is not what happened, the school was burned to the ground.
It is sad to say that this country is following the same trend as Angola, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, white people were driven out, the economy collapsed, crime rates escalated to a point of genocides, food shortages, the world withdrew and said you are not worth our time.
In this instance we can see that it will unfortunately never change as the African does not want to change.
Reading this I as a white “Afrikaner” “Dutch Speaking” South African, I would like to point what Apartheid was all about. As a child I grow up during the Apartheid time. When graduating in 1993, three years after Mandela walked out of prison, the world was shown the new South Africa.
Apartheid was created by the minority White Afrikaners for the reason that they had to protect their culture, language and infrastructure. In return they created home states, similar to the reserves the Americans created for the Indians. In turn the Apartheid government built schools, universities, collages, shopping malls, homes, hospitals, police stations, every thing a first world country would have. What did they do? They, the oppressed blacks, burned the schools, malls and everything the whites built for them. That (protection of their culture) is the reason why the Afrikaners started the Apartheid era.
South Africa had the best infrastructure in the world. Did you know that we had the most advanced power stations in the world before 1994? Out of 64 power stations only 21 are now operational in South Africa. The reason why this happened was after 1994, when the whites handed South Africa over on a silver platter, all white engineers were replaced by black BEE engineers. Need I say more. Now we borrowed billions of dollars to build an another power station and guess what? The new BEE government took 500 million dollars for their own use. Yep 265 government members each received new SUVs!
An article on News24 that contributes to this debate: White professionals' numbers plummet in South Africa http://www.fin24.com/Economy/White-professionals-…
I want to amend the statement of the 64 power stations, it's 64 turbines.
We as whites cant do anything, we the whites gave this country to blacks on a platinum tray.
And now we quarrel amongst our selves, each group leader claiming to be the next savior of whites.
Yet that is the major problem that we cant stand together, too many groups and political parties.
If we want to end BEE than as whites we got to work together, we will never get SA back, but we can make things easier for us.
There is no time limit in the South African constitution on the BEE clause. Will the wrongs of apartheid still be relevant in 50 years, or will it simply be racism enshrined in the constitution? What about in 100 years. If not then, then why now? The United States had affirmative action to protect it's black minority and I believe that was struck down as unconstitutional because it failed to respect the "all men are created equal" preamble. True democracy is about protecting the rights of the minority, not those of the majority. That's abuse of the basic democratic principle.
This debate may carry on forever.
The black and white people are brain washed. The whole worlds focus are on the whites of SA. Because the world is expecting something,something that is planned already in the apartheid era through secret societies and those societies stil work in the anc and in all the other countries governments(USA-example 9/11 and what about H.A.A.R.P creating global warming and mass destruction,like floods and strange weather,Japan?). They let the white people think that they can’t stand together,they get it right through religion(churches) how many of you fight when you talk to each other about your religion. That is what satan wants. By the way Jesus Christ is the only Almighty God every other religion leads to sun worship(how many of you know that the intelegence of the sun is 666,thats satan. spiritualism is demonism) Can the normal black people on the ground do anything about whats PLANNED on in the GOVERMENT? NO! During apartheid could the normal white people do anything about what was planned in the government? NO. See simple,its the people in secret society giving orders in secrecy that we will never see on the news.(im curious at what grade in freemasonry mnr. Zuma is at the moment) now we know who their god is it is satan,who is satan,he is the god of destruction and hatred. The anc is starting a war and guess who will finnish it people?
The roots and bones of africa or the massive military group that the ANC trained all over africa for years for this war to wipe out the whites?
No!! The people who fight without guns,but with their God in front of them, that is Jesus Christ people. The whole world will then believe in Jesus Christ because He is using the Afrikaner nation and other nations to prove to the world that He is the King of kings. Wait and see how the world is changing,the new world order,this is the darkest idea ever on this earth. Good luck people.
The South African government was dominated by a minority of whites who used laws to disenfranchise the black majority under a policy of strict racial separation
Bantu Education was far inferior (inferior facilities, teachers, and with inferior textbooks) between 1953 and 1996 this widened the gaps in educational opportunities for different racial groups. Two of the architects of Bantu education, Dr. W.M. Eiselen and Dr. Hendrik F. Verwoerd, had studied in Germany and had adopted many elements of National Socialist (Nazi) philosophy
Today corporate South Africa is still predominantly owned by the majority whites who practice Eurocentric approaches still no true humanity is experienced in South Africa
"DID ANY WHITE PERSON STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH"
Biko, Why was it necessary for a white government that you claim to have hated blacks to build any schools for blacks? Why didn`t you build your own schools if the Bantu educational system was so inferior. Blacks had the chance to develop their own countries under the homeland system. Give the Afrikaner that chance and you will have one of the strongest countries in the world, without building them anything.
Biko, you are right.
The Bantu Education System, the Groups Area Act, the Morality Act, these were all from the pit of hell. And a white South African I am glad it is gone.
Yes. Many whites stood up against apartheid!!!
Google "White heroes of the Anti-apartheid struggle" and you will see there were many white people against oppression.
Why are white people now being oppressed? There is no system in place to say "this person did not oppress" or "this person did not benefit from apartheid."
No, whites are bad.
@ Biko
The South African government is currently dominated by a minority of blacks who use laws to disenfranchise the majority poor and minority races under a policy of financial racial segregation using a multitude of techniques including inferior education which as it stands is far inferior to world standards (inferior facilities, teachers, and with inferior textbooks) from 1996 to present. This educational blunder destroys all opportunities for all racial groups
You Biko are a fine example of the current education system Every website needs its semi-literate trolls
“DID ANY WHITE PERSON STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
Is Joe Slovo, Jeremy Cronin, Hellen Zille (who has more Aparteid credentials than the ANCYL combined) black?.
The question now stands:
“WHAT BLACK PERSON CAN STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?”
I loved reading this whole debate. I am a white female business owner in South Africa. The reason for this is that I could not find a job since I left college in 1994 as BEE was in place. I have been forced to start my own business. I have now 40 people in my employ (that would not have jobs if I did not start this company) 95% of my staff is black or coloured (previously disadvantaged is a word they love throwing around) As one of the manufacturers and suppliers to the corporate industry we now have to adhere to and get BBEEE ratings. I have spent the last two months more time on filling in these forms and getting them copies of my employee records and ledger accounts etc.
Going through this process is a whole nightmare. In stead of being out there and attanding to my business to ensure my staff has work to do, I have to spend so much time on this. And at the end of it, if my BBEEE rating is not good enough the corporate sector they might not buy from me. What does this mean……. another 40 families will not have an income……
I have only one question: like Bernie said: WHEN IS IT ENOUGH????
This whole racial issue affects all of us on a daily basis. Now we cant date white guys because thier parents wont approve of us black girls??
This BEE policies is sick,im coloured(being benefited by The policy) i think race of a person should not be considered,i think it should be ilegal to consider race of a person and hand him/her a job or tender cause of that. Its sad how white people is being treated by THIS REGIME ,i pray that america or nato intervene here.and end this.all should be treated equally and then and only then we could be great as the USA ..bt now i hate the government if there is a war i would be in the front line …
The problem with the blacks in South Africa is they want instant gratification. They want everything but arent prepared to work for it. So they introduce BEE which allows them to be at the top, while the white (demoted) people below them do their job.
Unfortunately what they dont seem to understand, is that by doing this, they are just driving more and more white people away, leaving only blacks to run the businesses, which is fine in theory, but the fact that white people are doing their jobs means that they are not educated enough to do the jobs themselves. So when all the whites are gone, South Africa is going to be the new Zimbabwe. All the blacks will have their lovely positions and houses etc they always wanted, but now they need to maintain it all and keep it running 100%.
I’d love to be a fly on the wall when that happens. Then they going to see how stupid they really were
I as a south african do not see how this combats the injustice of apartheid , I mean apartheid is a specific race being superior than others. What my country needs is equal job opportunities and jobs being acquired with qualification,skill and experience and not race or skin colour