After 15 years of evading the demon of tribalism, we the minorities of South Africa have been shamed for our parochial outlook and ethnic enclaves by the new Pick n Pay advert. In line with their new branding, Pick n Pay has released new television adverts which drive the message that Pick n Pay is “inspired by you”.
However, while the Khumalos represent all of the African customers of Pick n Pay, the Indo-Aryan, Tamil, Muslim, English and Afrikaans customers, who are collectively perhaps less than 25% of the population are represented by no less than 5 different groups (families) which inspire Pick n Pay.
Indeed, Pick n Pay’s advertising people probably thought that “leaving out the Jews” would be a good way to demonstrate political correctness in the new South Africa, and because every hypersensitive minority needs to be placated, the plan to mention each of the minority groups individually was endorsed.
Why is there the need for Indian people to make such a big tamashe about the difference between North (the Gujerati Patels) and South Indians (the Telegu Naidoos)? And for that matter between Indian people of the Hindu, Christian and Muslim faiths?
Why is there the need for white people to make such a big issue about the difference between English and Afrikaans, why must we continue to deny that the majority of Afrikaners are actually coloured people from the Cape? And what about the other white people who aren’t English or Afrikaans?
Can’t Pick n Pay just be inspired by a new South African family that is multicultural and diverse within itself? Why must we propagate these stereotypes of genetic purity? And yet more than 20 ethnic African languages and peoples are represented by the Khumalo clan(s). So the African people have overcome the demon of tribalism but the minorities are still trapped within the mental prison of ethnic discrimination.
After all, large supermarkets have to make sure that they’re not offending their customers, and if their customers are likely to be offended because Pick n Pay insinuates that all Indian people provide similar inspiration in equal considerations, then Pick n Pay must single out each group and thank them for the inspiration that they provide.
Well at least that’s what it looks like and though it may be that Pick n Pay is attempting to use their adverts to condition South Africans to embrace the diversity and the multicultural plural reality of our lives, the fact is that the advert doesn’t quite hit that mark, instead leaving us with the notion that the tribal lines remain drawn and are beyond removal.
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