All citizens, especially whites, must read Malala’s book

AS A WHITE middle-aged South African citizen, I would like to make a contribution to the necessary discussion on racism.

Reading a recently published book called We Have Now Begun Our Descent by Justice Malala, I thought, why have I bought it?

Well, it was to look for support of my views on problems facing our country, like poor economic performance, skills shortages due to poor education, public and private sector corruption, government non-delivery due to inefficiency, bloated bureaucracies, etcetera.

I was rewarded to find that a fellow South African, on the other side of the race divide, agrees with many of my views on the issues and reasons for them. His understanding is deeper than mine, so I have derived additional benefit. I was also happy to find that his envisaged solutions are similar to mine.

What I really want to share, though, is Malala’s short chapter dealing with the race issue, which has struck me to the core. It caused me to stop in my tracks and to have a whole new look at myself, as I have never given proper thought to what it really means to be a black South African living in South Africa, preand post-1994. In particular, the daily experiencing of attitudes of white superiority, especially the subtle, non-intentional kinds that are perhaps even more insulting.

It makes me ashamed for glossing over the gross insult to fellow people, by imagining that I “know” what black South Africans of all ages experience in interacting with so many people of other race groups, and especially white people.

So, I believe the book is a non-negotiable, must-read for all South Africans who are not black African. While reading it a middleaged white male who was sitting at a nearby table asked me what it was about. I told him, and assuming he was the “same” as me, he started on the same old conversation of the problems besetting the country, crime, corruption, economic stagnation, and so on.

While much of what he said held a lot of truth, I responded that we white people needed to have a hard and honest look at ourselves, at our racial attitudes, and what our contribution has been and, more important should be, to the challenges facing our country, beyond the usual “I pay my taxes”.

I said there is much more we should be doing, especially in assisting with and extending the participation of black people in the economy, and that the white dominated private sector also has to do so much more.

I could see in his expression and response, even though polite, a refusal to acknowledge that he should take on any of this responsibility, let alone look introspectively at himself. I felt an unwillingness to entertain that he may be a part of the problem.

We parted ways amicably, and I hoped to myself he would think a bit, and perhaps read about a black fellow South African’s life experiences, and then maybe think again and re-evaluate his views and beliefs.

Looking at reasons for this denialism, one stands out: not wanting to have feelings of discomfort and guilt, so closing doors to a fuller understanding of the deep damage caused by racial discrimination.

So, rather than facing up, it’s easier to either point fingers back again about “reverse” racism, or say such things as “the past is the past, let’s rather focus ahead”, not realising or accepting that so much of the past is still socially and economically bedevilling us today.

As white South Africans, many of us need to think, and think again, about our attitudes, and what our responsibilities need to be, to genuinely contribute to a shared inter-racial coexistence, based on mutual person-to-person respect.

This will also apply to people of other races, where stereotypes also exist, but my concern is with reluctant fellow white South Africans.

A KRUGER

Glen Hills