Zuma meets Jewish community while Afrikaners meet prejudice

Why is it that we tend to look at the components rather than the whole when assessing South Africa? Isolate the negatives and aggregate them into a false reality that, looking forward, will translate into a bleak future without any prospects of redemption.

Jacob Zuma’s meeting with the Jewish community was not only a success but also just the tonic that we needed. Of course there were those who found him boring and others who were not inspired by Msholozi’s views, but that does not detract from the fact that JZ, our president in waiting and, by extension, representing the ANC, showed by his visit that the community is regarded as being of value to South Africa.

This will mean much to the community, particularly in light of Jews from overseas expressing concerns at the plight of the locals and encouraging them to join them in their countries. In addition, South African Jews have had the benefit of seeing the ANC president and discussing the things that concern them.

I believe that JZ would do himself and the country a great service if he and other ANC leaders met as many communities as possible during this time of transition. It really does dispel a lot of uncertainty while building bridges for the future.

If you read reports on the meeting, it seems as if this bobba from Gallo Manor could have stayed home and played bridge, that yenta from Woodmead missed her personal trainer to hear this waffle, and of course Uncle Maven from Wendywood thought it wasn’t bad but he’s heard far better speakers in his time.

Point is that the chief rabbi and the community know that JZ made them feel special enough to warrant address and discussion.

My real concern relates to the Afrikaner community.

When the killings near Swartruggens first arose, I termed the attacks racist, because that is what they were, and I set out why it was necessary to see them as such. The same applies to what transpired at the University of the Free State — I let those geniuses have it with both barrels. Just scroll down the articles on my home page and you’ll understand that pulling punches is something of which I will never be accused.

There are many other incidents that relate to the Afrikaans community, just as there is a Forum of Black Journalists that expels whites, BEE and affirmative action, which are racist issues that relate to the black community.

These incidents are hardly surprising considering that we are a country barely 14 years out of apartheid. Lest we forget, such incidents affect all communities the world over. Maybe not to this degree in some cases, and less so in others, but every country has its problems. By way of example, we don’t have students blowing away their fellow students in the way that the US does, or putting rape videos on YouTube, and we don’t have people blowing themselves up on a regular basis.

Yet each time we see an incident relating to the Afrikaans community, it is set out in the overseas and local press as some sort of racist conspiracy from the entire group.

Leave aside the fact that all the leading Afrikaans groups slammed the UFS video as unacceptable behaviour and focus on the following:

Nelson Mandela’s response when he walked out on to Newlands to open the World Cup in 1995;

Loftus Versfeld’s response to Bryan Habana; and

Every cricket ground where Makhaya Ntini bowls.

Those are spontaneous reactions by huge crowds of which at least half are Afrikaans-speaking South Africans. Why is it that unfortunate incidents in isolation are taken as representative of the group while these gatherings, which clearly demonstrate positive outpourings of emotion, are largely ignored when assessing them as a group?

It’s tens of thousands going about their business without any signs of racism and bigotry as opposed to isolated incidents that occur in communities the world over.

Of course the Afrikaans community is going to feel pressurised and uncomfortable so soon after apartheid. There is no doubt that some will long for separatism or even federalism as a result of fears that, if truth be told, most South Africans are feeling right now — crime, as well as financial and political insecurity.

Yet if you read the guys who come on to Thought Leader, Afrikaans newspapers, the Blue Bulls website and AfriForum, then you’ll appreciate that in the overwhelming majority of cases they are expressing points that are of concern to them, without threats and in a logical manner.

Like all communities they are in transition and concerned about finding their rightful place in the new South Africa. Like all of us they do not appreciate those people whose conduct embarrasses their community.

It is time for the media to stop creating unnecessary hatred towards a wonderful community by playing the man, not the ball. Where there are incidents such as Swartruggens and the UFS, then have a go, and set out why the behaviour in question is a disgrace and why it needs attention.

But FFS, spare me the “Afrikaners are coming”-type garbage I’m reading at present. It is not only inappropriate but can only retard our drive towards transformation. Remember, for every aberration one community has committed there is in all likelihood a matching example from another out there. Generalisations will only cause resentment and detract from the point you are trying to make.

Let’s all try to deal with these incidents in isolation and treasure the whole — try to build a rainbow nation through the clouds that seem to colour our judgement.