It’s no great surprise that 16 or so years into the ‘new’ South Africa our national obsession with race still persists – and that when it comes to the ballot box race (along with struggle history) still matters. Race clearly informs the mud-slinging over the choice of the DA’s new black hope, Lindiwe Mazibuko. Is that a fair description? I think it is – if you look at the way she has been marketed and presented to the voting public by the DA. Think back to the election poster, and consider the argument that her election as parliamentary leader will help to free the DA from its image as a party that is closely associated with ‘white’ interests and the preservation of the status quo. The argument, which seems to be self-evident, is that if the DA is to grow, then it must appeal to more black South Africans. And the inference is that Mazibuko is the leader who will enable the DA to do these things. She commented after her win: “We are plotting our trajectory rapidly. This will make us a viable alternative to the ANC going forward.” She may well be a young, capable, intelligent, hard-working member of the DA– but this doesn’t explain her rapid rise through the ranks, or why she was preferred to other young, talented, hard-working MPs.
If she was selected partly or largely on the basis of her hoped-for appeal to black voters, and if we are to escape from our racial past, it seems reasonable to ask whether skin colour alone is a sufficient qualification. It should be obvious that, however powerful a signifier skin colour may have been, it is not credible or appropriate to judge a person’s electoral appeal simply on this basis. The electorate is not that stupid.
It was Verwoerd’s race-based thinking that sought to make skin colour the signifier of identity, culture and personal worth. To think that skin pigmentation can be the basis of any meaningful judgement about a person is to perpetuate that malign legacy. ‘Blackness’ was given memorable definition in this country by Steve Biko, one of the founders of Black Consciousness. In asserting the positive value of ‘blackness’ as an identity forged by the common experience of oppression, he was not falling into the Verwoerdian trap. He insisted that ‘being black is not a matter of pigmentation – being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.’ He provided an inclusive definition of ‘blackness’, and recognised that some black people actually aspired to ‘whiteness’ (he referred to such people as ‘non-whites’). Having a dark skin does not automatically make one an agent of transformation. Isn’t this both a matter of common sense and common observation?
In the new South Africa the material circumstances of some black people have changed. They may have grown up in a middle-class suburb; they may have received a privileged education in private schools or former Model-C schools, or they may have been educated outside the country. There is nothing wrong with this – but how appropriate would it be for these people to claim that they represent the interests of those who grow up in the townships or informal settlements, and who experience deprivation and poverty and frightening levels of crime. (It is a matter of fact that the material circumstances of many black people have not changed very much since the apartheid era.) Claims based purely on skin pigmentation are not credible, because they imply that class, education and cultural experience do not matter. This is why some commentators remark on Mazibuko’s accent, ask how fluent she is in isiZulu, and ask how at home she feels in a township. Some commentators (even some within the DA) ask whether her selection is not a case of ‘window-dressing’.
It is unfortunate (and may seem unfair) for Mazibuko to be subjected to this kind of critique – but it is not surprising or inappropriate – and it is not ‘Verwoerdian’. It goes with the territory; it is part of the process of political contestation in our fledgling democracy. Responses from DA leaders simply expose the sensitivity of these issues within the DA.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Fugard in Obs
It’s not every day that you can walk down the road and see a classic Fugard play being performed in a local church hall – and have Fugard himself conduct a Q and A session with the audience after the show! Fugard complimented the cast very warmly, saying the play was ‘written for them’.
Since productions that are a bit off the beaten track don’t seem to attract the attention of theatre critics, I would like to thank Caroline Calburn of TAAC for bringing this production to Obs. The cast – Bo Petersen, Malefane Mosuhli and Jeroen Kranenberg – gave performances of great integrity and conviction. And thanks to award-winning director Kim Kerfoot for bringing all this together. It made for a memorable evening. Unfortunately the run is due to end on Saturday, so some theatre-goers may miss out.
Finally, thanks to the Methodist Church in Observatory for making their hall available to the Theatre Arts Admin Collective, who in spite of running on a shoestring have managed to host some excellent plays. Without a venue, there would be no play. And by the way, Observatory is also now home to the Magnet Theatre, situated in Lower Main Road.
Since productions that are a bit off the beaten track don’t seem to attract the attention of theatre critics, I would like to thank Caroline Calburn of TAAC for bringing this production to Obs. The cast – Bo Petersen, Malefane Mosuhli and Jeroen Kranenberg – gave performances of great integrity and conviction. And thanks to award-winning director Kim Kerfoot for bringing all this together. It made for a memorable evening. Unfortunately the run is due to end on Saturday, so some theatre-goers may miss out.
Finally, thanks to the Methodist Church in Observatory for making their hall available to the Theatre Arts Admin Collective, who in spite of running on a shoestring have managed to host some excellent plays. Without a venue, there would be no play. And by the way, Observatory is also now home to the Magnet Theatre, situated in Lower Main Road.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
JM Coetzee in Texas
Isn’t it rather dismaying to learn that our (are we right to think of him as ‘our’?) foremost writer has sold his literary papers to the University of Texas in Austin?
Of course, Coetzee is free to choose what to do with his papers, and of course he belongs to the world, not just to South Africa, and yes, he did receive a doctorate from the U of Texas in 1965 – so this is not a criticism, just an expression of regret.
Whatever he has achieved in the world of letters, whatever awards he has won, Coetzee’s South African experience remains foundational. For better or for worse, South Africa (and more specifically the Western Cape) has made him the person and the writer that he is. His unique mode of oppositional writing was forged in the South African crucible. This is not to deny the influence of wider intellectual currents, and this is not to say that his writing must be viewed through an exclusively South African lens. But one does feel a sense of loss.
In the Harry Ransom Research Centre Coetzee will be rubbing shoulders with some very illustrious writers. And it will be very convenient for American and European scholars to have him on their doorstep, so to speak. And no doubt NELM would not have been able to compete with the $1.5 paid by the U of Texas. But one can’t help thinking that international scholars might have benefited from making the trek to the small, parochial Eastern Cape town of Grahamstown to study Coetzee’s manuscripts in some place less alien than Austin, Texas. (One can learn a lot about South Africa in Grahamstown, if one keeps one’s eyes open.) What a shot in the arm it would have been, for NELM, and for South African scholars and post-graduate students, to have these documents located more proximately.
Coetzee may well have had a relationship with the University of Texas, but for the thirty most productive and important years of his working life (as a writer and academic) he was employed by the University of Cape Town, which must have provided him with some kind of intellectual and creative space.
Clearly Coetzee had every right to make the choice he made. But one cannot help but wonder what it was that tipped the scales in favour of Austin, Texas.
Of course, Coetzee is free to choose what to do with his papers, and of course he belongs to the world, not just to South Africa, and yes, he did receive a doctorate from the U of Texas in 1965 – so this is not a criticism, just an expression of regret.
Whatever he has achieved in the world of letters, whatever awards he has won, Coetzee’s South African experience remains foundational. For better or for worse, South Africa (and more specifically the Western Cape) has made him the person and the writer that he is. His unique mode of oppositional writing was forged in the South African crucible. This is not to deny the influence of wider intellectual currents, and this is not to say that his writing must be viewed through an exclusively South African lens. But one does feel a sense of loss.
In the Harry Ransom Research Centre Coetzee will be rubbing shoulders with some very illustrious writers. And it will be very convenient for American and European scholars to have him on their doorstep, so to speak. And no doubt NELM would not have been able to compete with the $1.5 paid by the U of Texas. But one can’t help thinking that international scholars might have benefited from making the trek to the small, parochial Eastern Cape town of Grahamstown to study Coetzee’s manuscripts in some place less alien than Austin, Texas. (One can learn a lot about South Africa in Grahamstown, if one keeps one’s eyes open.) What a shot in the arm it would have been, for NELM, and for South African scholars and post-graduate students, to have these documents located more proximately.
Coetzee may well have had a relationship with the University of Texas, but for the thirty most productive and important years of his working life (as a writer and academic) he was employed by the University of Cape Town, which must have provided him with some kind of intellectual and creative space.
Clearly Coetzee had every right to make the choice he made. But one cannot help but wonder what it was that tipped the scales in favour of Austin, Texas.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
MOUNTAIN MADNESS – OR TOURISTS, SAFETY AND TABLE MOUNTAIN?
Congratulations to the Cape Times for publicising the recent attack on Obs resident Ian Mackie (he was stabbed while cycling on the mountain near Rhodes Memorial). Congratulations to Ian Mackie for his willingness to publicise this in the press (otherwise we wouldn’t know about it). And congratulations to the MEC for Community Safety for belatedly coming to the party and offering to coordinate ‘a round table discussion’ with the relevant role players. One hopes that this is not just a PR exercise, with one eye on the forthcoming municipal elections. And one hopes that he will keep us informed of progress (if any). And one hopes that TMNP’s head of (in)security, Hilton Blumeris, will be redeployed following his egregious comments – to the effect that security on the mountain is ‘adequate’, and that ‘police will report statistics’. Perhaps he should talk to the car guard at Rhodes Memorial, Thumba Modesta, whose remarks were spot on: ‘Muggings will continue until the place is monitored.’
Let us not lose sight, however, of the underlying problem, which is that TMNP ‘cannot’ divulge statistics re. crime on the mountain, and SAPS (whose duty this should be) will not. The well-known ‘moratorium’ on the release of crime statistics explains this strange state of affairs. One would have thought that in a democracy, where the government and public officials can (or should) be held to account, the police (or the relevant Ministry) would feel obliged to provide the public with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding their personal safety. Apparently not. Must we wait until a tourist is killed on the mountain before anyone takes this issue seriously? Or must we rely on the efforts of civil society groups, like the Table Mountain Safety Action Group?
This leaves one in a bizarre situation: when I am asked by a visitor to Cape Town whether it is safe to walk on the mountain, I can only answer, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know how many crimes are committed on the mountain, or what the most dangerous spots are, or whether the situation is getting better or worse.’ I can only advise them (if they want to take the risk) to leave valuables behind, walk in a large group and arm themselves with stout sticks (for self-defence). Oh, and they should avoid the most popular tourist routes, as these will probably be targeted by criminals. Perhaps Cape Town Tourism should put out an advisory to this effect? It’s ironic, isn’t it. It seems we are able to put on a virtually crime-free World Cup, but we lack the capacity or the will to secure a few well-known ‘hot spots’ on Table Mountain!
A final request: could the Cape Times also publish an article featuring safety on the trains run by Metrorail (and subsidised by the taxpayer). The same questions could be asked. How safe is it to travel by train? What steps are being taken to protect commuters, and how effective are these? How many muggings, or assaults, take place on average every month? (One can predict, of course, that this is information that neither Metrorail nor SAPS will divulge.)
Let us not lose sight, however, of the underlying problem, which is that TMNP ‘cannot’ divulge statistics re. crime on the mountain, and SAPS (whose duty this should be) will not. The well-known ‘moratorium’ on the release of crime statistics explains this strange state of affairs. One would have thought that in a democracy, where the government and public officials can (or should) be held to account, the police (or the relevant Ministry) would feel obliged to provide the public with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding their personal safety. Apparently not. Must we wait until a tourist is killed on the mountain before anyone takes this issue seriously? Or must we rely on the efforts of civil society groups, like the Table Mountain Safety Action Group?
This leaves one in a bizarre situation: when I am asked by a visitor to Cape Town whether it is safe to walk on the mountain, I can only answer, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know how many crimes are committed on the mountain, or what the most dangerous spots are, or whether the situation is getting better or worse.’ I can only advise them (if they want to take the risk) to leave valuables behind, walk in a large group and arm themselves with stout sticks (for self-defence). Oh, and they should avoid the most popular tourist routes, as these will probably be targeted by criminals. Perhaps Cape Town Tourism should put out an advisory to this effect? It’s ironic, isn’t it. It seems we are able to put on a virtually crime-free World Cup, but we lack the capacity or the will to secure a few well-known ‘hot spots’ on Table Mountain!
A final request: could the Cape Times also publish an article featuring safety on the trains run by Metrorail (and subsidised by the taxpayer). The same questions could be asked. How safe is it to travel by train? What steps are being taken to protect commuters, and how effective are these? How many muggings, or assaults, take place on average every month? (One can predict, of course, that this is information that neither Metrorail nor SAPS will divulge.)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Rebound therapy for 2011
After 2010 we are all in need of rebounding – hence this light-hearted blog.
What are some of the things we are rebounding from?
• The success of the World Cup. It was wonderful while it lasted – but can we find a new national project to refocus our energies? Some suggestions: the education system; the criminal justice system; the health care system.
• We all need to rebound from the antics of Julius Malema (‘bloody agent’).
• COPE needs to rebound from itself – or simply go into liquidation! An awesome lesson on how to self-destruct.
• The DA needs to rebound from the Makhaza toilet saga and the ‘battle of Hangberg’. It also needs to rebound from its ‘victory in Gugulethu’ (Ward 44 - most of the voters actually live in Heideveld) and face political reality.
• The ANC needs to rebound from the politics of self-enrichment and recall Trevor Manuel’s advice to return to its roots and ‘become part of people’s lives’.
• Trevor Manuel needs to rebound from his ‘redeployment’ and become more relevant within the ANC.
• The ANC must rebound from the legacy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ and stop giving comfort to a brutal dictator and his corrupt and ruthless ruling clique (You know who I mean!).
• The Proteas must rebound from their defeat in the second test and realize that a world cup is staring them in the face.
• The Springboks must rebound from their embarrassing Super 14 campaign, find a coach, and realize that the world cup is staring them in the face.
• We all need to rebound from the effects of climate change and the mismanagement of our water resources – before we run out or drinkable water.
I’ll stop there. My own personal rebound strategy? Rebound therapy in the form of a mini-trampoline. According to one website it can work wonders: ‘It not only makes you fit, tones your body and assists with weight loss, but when done properly, it is one of the most effective ways to boost your lymphatic system, detoxify your body and boost your immune system.’ And it’s a lot cheaper than a personal trainer. And you can do it in the comfort and privacy of your own patch of garden.
Disclaimer: this fitness tip for 2011 is offered free of charge, but I accept no liability for possible injury!
What are some of the things we are rebounding from?
• The success of the World Cup. It was wonderful while it lasted – but can we find a new national project to refocus our energies? Some suggestions: the education system; the criminal justice system; the health care system.
• We all need to rebound from the antics of Julius Malema (‘bloody agent’).
• COPE needs to rebound from itself – or simply go into liquidation! An awesome lesson on how to self-destruct.
• The DA needs to rebound from the Makhaza toilet saga and the ‘battle of Hangberg’. It also needs to rebound from its ‘victory in Gugulethu’ (Ward 44 - most of the voters actually live in Heideveld) and face political reality.
• The ANC needs to rebound from the politics of self-enrichment and recall Trevor Manuel’s advice to return to its roots and ‘become part of people’s lives’.
• Trevor Manuel needs to rebound from his ‘redeployment’ and become more relevant within the ANC.
• The ANC must rebound from the legacy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ and stop giving comfort to a brutal dictator and his corrupt and ruthless ruling clique (You know who I mean!).
• The Proteas must rebound from their defeat in the second test and realize that a world cup is staring them in the face.
• The Springboks must rebound from their embarrassing Super 14 campaign, find a coach, and realize that the world cup is staring them in the face.
• We all need to rebound from the effects of climate change and the mismanagement of our water resources – before we run out or drinkable water.
I’ll stop there. My own personal rebound strategy? Rebound therapy in the form of a mini-trampoline. According to one website it can work wonders: ‘It not only makes you fit, tones your body and assists with weight loss, but when done properly, it is one of the most effective ways to boost your lymphatic system, detoxify your body and boost your immune system.’ And it’s a lot cheaper than a personal trainer. And you can do it in the comfort and privacy of your own patch of garden.
Disclaimer: this fitness tip for 2011 is offered free of charge, but I accept no liability for possible injury!
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