The trial of John Tengo Jabavu for (mis)representing African opinion

Friends asked me to attend a day-long talk shop by some of the country’s opinion-leaders at some white university the other day. I did not have to think hard before I answered with a resounding: “I am not particularly interested!”

They were quiet for a minute before they answered: “This is so surprising.”

I guess they must have mistaken me for one of those over-celebrated opinion-leaders.

You see, I have long broken ranks with the media, so to speak. I will do so, again, this time at least.

Far too many of us have chosen to pretend that there are no racist black African commentators in this country. I am talking about high-profile black African opinion makers who have internalised racist prejudice and stereotypes.

Thus it is no surprise that no one has come forward to plead guilty for John Tengo Jabavu and his modern-day heirs for abusing the false power and influence of the media, especially print, to undermine the self-determination of black people.

In fact, John Tengo Jabavu is one ghost who should be exhumed from his grave to stand trial for his crimes of misrepresenting black opinion.

But what I know and have seen is that black African racist writing that is over-loaded with self-hate is a celebrated thing in the new South Africa, especially in mainstream right-wing newspapers. If truth be told, the prerequisite to be a prominent opinion-leader in print is to assume a permanent attack-dog mode characterised by conservative anti-government sentiments.

Far too many people rejoice in the name of so-called “independent, courageous and free” black African columnists doing the dirty job for their patriarchal, white, know-all, male bosses who determine the news agenda and dominate the talk-shop industry.

In fact, they have become the toast of the cocktail circuit.

“African democracy depends on these fellows,” they tell us.

It sounds like their handlers have become so drunk with political myopia that they think the media, especially print, have a magic-bullet effect on society so that nobody can think outside the thumb-suck paradigms and bile spewed by these handful of media-created opinion-leaders.

You must understand that I don’t know what I am talking about here because it has been a long time since I have indulged in far-into-the-night hard drinking sessions with frustrated hacks who rejoice in waiting for the first pages of an anti-government lead story to come off the printing presses.

But I have observed that the handful of self-appointed freedom-of-expression advocates consider these heirs of John Tengo Jabavu’s mantle to be some of the most prolific, gifted writers and deep analysts in the South African political scene today.

Hey, wena, these people are held in high regard. But for what, I ask?

We know that despite years of a single-minded and monotonous campaign against presidential hopeful Jacob Zuma, for instance, these brilliant writers have exposed themselves to be totally out of kilter with grassroots political passion or what South Africa, especially in the ANC’s ghetto branches, thinks.

In fact, Zuma himself was the one to point out how these brilliant fellows are “out of sync with the society” in which they exist.

Of course, his accurate and factually correct observation is not going to sway their handlers who are satisfied with not getting much intelligence from the handpicked opinion-leaders’ observations. No Humpty Dumpty heads are going to roll, yet.

Instead, they continue in their scratched record mode: “These black public intellectuals are free, independent and courageous.” And their handlers are very, very, very happy to bury their heads in the sand.

Yet it seems their writing is the predictable, monotonous and manufactured content that tramples on the political establishment’s integrity and dignity simply because of skin colour, nose shape, hair texture and indigenous accents. The political leaders are incessantly assaulted, most of the time, simply because of who they are, what they look like or where they come from.

You do not need to read these brilliant columnists like a junkie to see that what they write about, mostly, is nothing else but muck that is intended to blemish the integrity of what is considered a bungling black government (sic) and thus undermine its credibility.

You see, if you are a good and self-seeking black African journalist who wants to get into history books for being “independent, courageous and free” — like the pioneering John Tengo Jabavu — you simply channel all your focus and energies into doing what is expected by those who pay you.

You buy into all this thumb-suck magic-bullet-effect theory that misleads some opinion-leaders to think they are indispensable. This espouses the nonsensical notion that some know-all journalists handpicked by white gods are intuitively connected to the truth. Look, there is no such thing.

These brilliant fellows are “independent, courageous and free”, they say.

Well, you cannot take it away from them. Some have an unimaginable twist of phrase despite the fact that English is, in fact, their fourth language. It’s definitely not a mother tongue. There are some, too, who drive around in the latest sedans from Germany, for instance, that they do not own. This is part of the false VIP package. In their wardrobes you may find a tuxedo or some designer black suit to attend invitation-only functions where they are fawned over. They believe fine feathers make fine birds. And, of course, they may eat in the best restaurants without paying a cent because they are dined by capitalist honchos. Food is the best way to their minds.

They attend lavish, exclusive suburban parties where they get loads of free drinks from liquor-company sponsors. They need the drink to sleep peacefully. The cherry on top is plenty of niggardly sycophants and other hangers-on who make them feel that African democracy would be shattered with their opinions.

Look, this description is of John Tengo Jabavu heirs who live like well-paid movie stars for doing nothing but insulting the integrity of black political leadership. Some of their two-faced friends whisper that they are foolish not to know that in the black African community there is something wrong with you if capitalist bosses love you too much.

But I must confess, I am glad that we do not have too many of these parasite-like beings who seem to epitomise the incestuous relationship between the right-wing political agenda and the conservative press. I will always refuse to go if they were to hold more day-long talk shops where they discuss their self-importance. In fact, the experience is like putting a frog into boiling water.

But in this country we seem to like over-celebrated, right-wing-inspired, black African conservatives who are cold, lucid and rational in their expression of four-centuries-old racism. Is it not true that John Tengo Jabavu is a celebrated pioneer of so-called African journalism? Ask Sol Plaatje.

I must admit that the writings of some black African opinion-leaders do illuminate their passionate self-hate tinged with low regard for Africans, especially those in the upper political echelons.

I understand why those who care for this type indulge them.

Nobody is allowed to spit on the face of these media-created gods of black opinion. They have become their own white sacred cows.

Well, I am not going to commit blasphemy and be the first one to take them on.

I am a bitter racist, myself, some say.

In fact, I have had far too many of the opinion-leaders’ sycophantic fans come up to me and condemn me for “sour grapes”. They always roar, like New Age political lions: “You are jealous and angry that you have long reached your sell-by.”

Well … if it is a good thing to be a black African “thought leader” who promotes racist stereotypes and prejudices through your writing, who desires to preserve white monopoly of the wealth and land and become over-celebrated as a result, so be it. This is freedom of expression, they say.

But then, they had asked me if I was interested to attend a talk shop where these black Africans were having a field day.

“I am not particularly interested,” was my reply.

I do not mean to be economical with the truth. It would not be healthy for my soul, heart and mind.

I mean, for those who admire and celebrate the current opinion-leaders, especially in print, we have to understand their incomprehension of our reality, their right-wing sympathy and political insanity.

After all, they are no threat to the system. In fact, they know what to write and what not to write. The economy has to grow and someone has got to go smiling all the way to the bank.

But some of us, especially me, will fail to attend an invitation-only function to tap the brains of egotistic opinion-leaders.

That is why nobody is going to write a leading opinion article demanding that John Tengo Jabavu rise from the dead to apply for amnesty or presidential pardon for political crimes committed in the name of so-called African opinion-making. Do not expect it from his beloved heirs, either. Like their ancestors, their obligation is to help us prioritise buying airtime and making the next big acquisition.

However, I would not testify that these opinion-leaders have also committed crimes too numerous to mention against fellow African. They have a right to freedom of expression.

The thing is, I don’t even know if these men are for real.

But I did not attend the talk shop. So, I do not even know if what I have said is correct. You be the judge and read what they have to say!