A shift in attitude

Submitted by Niki Moore

Taking a broad snapshot of South Africa at the moment, there are many government policies or attitudes that appear wrong and short-sighted. Yet, when these are criticised by a (white) person, the response usually is that the criticiser is being racist. And the invariable response to that is: “You must stop playing the race card!” But — I respectfully submit — have you ever stopped to think that the person who plays the “race card” has a point?

In my daily experience I still see enormous racism from whites towards blacks. The attitude seems to be: “I know I am going to be frustrated or disappointed by this encounter with someone of another colour, and therefore I am going to be rude and objectionable right from the start.”

I see this in the way the book-borrowers in my upmarket suburb condescendingly address the black librarian, the way that my neighbours speak to their domestic staff (when I remonstrated with one for calling her gardener and maid “boy” and “girl” respectively, she replied that she had been brought up that way. I don’t see that as an excuse.)

I see it in the way that white employers speak denigratingly of their black employees (often in their hearing!), of the way ordinary citizens speak of their black municipal officials, like policemen or traffic cops — referring to them as “baboons” or such like. I also see it when white employers are disrespectful towards their black employer, especially when this person has been parachuted in through affirmative action or employment equity. Instead of being respectfully supportive, these employees actively work to isolate and undermine their boss. In the last 15 years in the workplace I have come across exceptionally incompetent whites and exceptionally competent blacks. But we tend to excuse white incompetence and focus on black incompetence.

I remember when SABC-TV first started and technicians and producers alike were still learning this new medium (I worked for the SABC then). We made the most appalling stuff-ups and the public were extremely unforgiving. But we learned and progressed and began to turn out good work. So why can’t we accept someone who has been told to grow into a job, why do we work towards their failure and then rejoice in it?

How can anyone learn, improve or adapt when they meet this kind of passive resistance?

We whites have double standards. We long for the “good old days”, conveniently forgetting that those days were based on authoritarianism, corruption and mismanagement — the brunt of which was borne by the “previously disadvantaged”. But we get apoplectic about current corruption and mismanagement. Not that I am excusing the current situation, but we must not glorify the past as some “golden age” — it wasn’t.

There were many things seriously wrong with South Africa before 1994, we just tend to forget them because we can now conveniently blame them on the post-1994 government.

We whites have to make a fundamental shift in attitude — we are not a First-World country on the way down, we are a Third-World country on the way up. If you can begin to think like that, then a lot of things fall into place and you suddenly start to feel very differently about South Africa.

I am not suggesting for one minute that I am a Pollyanna who just looks on the bright side — I am fully aware of the current shortcomings of the ruling party and hope along with everyone else that they will get a hiding at the polls. I am keenly aware of the challenges of crime and grime, corruption and mismanagement, and the application of short-sighted and racist policies. Oh, and I get involved. I join the community crime forum, I support the ratepayers association, I manage an environmental forum, I mentor journalism students. All of these things, instead of being a drag and a time-waster, are tremendously fulfilling and (amazingly) a lot of fun. It is about working together to change the country for the good. I don’t know about all the ex-South Africans who let us know smugly about their wonderful lives in their new country: but can THEY put “nation-building” on their CV?

So — I have decided to change my thinking and embrace all South Africans as fellow travellers along this road. I make a point of talking to people of all races, colours and creeds and looking for the humanity in all of them (yes, even taxi drivers!). The amazing discovery is that all people — black, coloured and Indian — all have pretty much the same dreams and goals as I do. I have discovered that we, as whites, are unconsciously angry about the fact that we have lost our “superiority” and therefore take every problem as proof that “the blacks can’t govern”.

So, I have changed my attitude. When I encounter any person, but especially one who speaks a different language or who is from a different race, I treat this person as if I expect them to give me the very best. And, you know what? I usually get it!

Moore is a journalist