White matrics are our black future

Now that we know that 230 000 African matric students failed last year, we can sit down to have a decent conversation about what is wrong with them.
The fact that it is white and so-called Indian students who achieved straight As has serious implications for the leadership of this country in the next 10 years or more.

If we are to be fair and reward merit, the 2009 matric results tell us that white and Indian students deserve to be the future leaders of this country in the next decade or so.

But will this be allowed?

A few days ago I had a conversation with my niece, Nomfundo, about the matric results.

She is a second-year science student at Wits university who obtained one distinction at a private school. She does not believe that whites possess more intelligence than Africans.

“It is not that whites are smarter. The fact of the matter is that African students are just lazy and uninspired. They lack focus, discipline and determination. Anything else is just an excuse,” said Nomfundo.

It is a fact that in the post-liberation period African students in matric hold the record for the worst performers.

If you look at the faces of the smiling and happy pupils who have obtained more that six distinctions in matric this year, they are mostly white.

Of course, that tells us something not about who has superior intelligence but who is willing to work, work and work hard even if they go to parties.
Nomfundo told me that during her high school days, what struck her was what African students obsess with.

“African students seem to be interested in hair, designer labels, parties and, of course, booze.”

“It is no excuse that their parents are more interested in being BEE multimillionaires who do not monitor their school work,” she said.

Of course, this is a generalisation, which makes the innocent suffer but one needs to visit malls, festivals, night clubs and other places of entertainment to find out which direction African students channel their youthful energies.

The reality of the situation is that white pupils are too small a minority for them to dominate the matric results.

It is time that hard questions are put to our African post-liberation society: for how long are Africans going to depend on affirmative action and government tenders to make headway in life?

Of course, it is a justifiable government policy to demand that tertiary institutions give preferential treatment to African students when enrolling.

But who deserves the opportunity more? A white student or a time-wasting African student with low marks?

I would be wary to answer quickly, without any reservation and with the deepest conviction of my heart and soul, that the opportunity should go to an African student.

It is time that the African nation re-examines the under-performance of African students at matric level and beyond.

Since 1994 African students like Nomfundo have been given the same equal opportunities as their white counterparts.

They now have the power to choose to be great super-achievers or mediocre talent.

Their parents and government continue to sacrifice huge amounts of money for them to attend the best white schools under the best conditions.

The excuse of racism, victimisation and blaming white teachers and principals for their poor performance no longer holds.

Fundamentally, African students are products of their socio-economic circumstances.

Their matric results have very little to do with their genes or the ability to do better.

It is time Africans accept that they are raising uninspired students who are encouraged to rely on false affirmative action.

In fact, African pupils have internalised a culture of entitlement that overemphasises skin colour, material worship and political connection over merit.
This marks the beginning of the end of African rule and self-determination as ultimate power, knowledge and intelligence will always rest with whites.
If we want a better future for our youth, it is time we critically examined their performance in matric as that will determine the quality of leadership for the country.

But the present youth are failing themselves and the country.