by Hannes Wessels
On the surface, if one surveys the societal landscape of South Africa, one would probably be correct in concluding that, from a racial point of view, the country is now more polarised than ever. This is deeply regrettable, particularly at a time when division almost certainly spells doom and unity provides the best platform for recovery.
However, as a white African who has lived his entire life on this continent, I think this disturbing picture may be somewhat illusory. Support for this view comes immediately to mind from the rugby field where we were recently witness to South Africans of all ethnicities, religions and races coming together so spontaneously and fervently to support and celebrate the Springbok victory at the World Cup. It seems racial animus dissipated in the face of success. Underlining this groundswell of unity was the fact that the populace at large were convinced that the group they were supporting was the best team South Africa could muster; the captain was the best man to lead them on field and the coach was the best man to manage the process. Very few blacks, apart from meddlesome politicians, were troubled by the fact that Rassie Erasmus was white and very few whites resented the fact that Siya Kolisi was black. All believed selection on merit had trumped race and the country rejoiced.
Throughout my life, in every endeavour I have ever been associated with, whether at work or at play, I have interacted pleasurably and successfully at all levels with black people and so have all my white compatriots. All of us have encountered black people of exceptional quality at all levels and celebrated it. In almost every situation we have found ways to minimise our differences and amplify our commonality by understanding our mutual limitations, accepting them, and progressing with relationships bolstered by respect for one another. With these basic fundamentals in place, relationships flourish and so does success in the workplace. Without them, failure inevitably follows .
A fine example of this, on a larger scale, lies in the true story of the development of Rhodesia, rather than the jaundiced one presented by a dishonest media and it is in fact, an excellent example of highly effective and productive inter-racial endeavour.
The unprecedented speed with which the country was constructed would have been impossible without the vast pool of skilled black labour and expertise that was needed to overcome the complex challenges that needed to be addressed. The whites provided the capital, vision and the cohesion but most of the work was done by blacks who learned fast and soon became adept at handling difficult tasks. Engineers on the roads that were built, marveled at the incredible skills of the grader-drivers and heavy equipment operators who contributed the enormous energy and commitment that brought some of these tasks to fruition in record time.
Few know it, but in the building of the bridge over the Zambezi at Chirundu, (which was funded in part by that other nasty capitalist, Alfred Beit,) the engineers in charge had to entice skilled black artisans from the mines to the north and south who then held higher positions than many of the whites who did not have the credentials to rise above positions as general labourers.
The story of the white-owned farms in Zimbabwe is a more recent example of inter-racial success. While many believe success came easy to these farmers because they owned all ‘the best land’ (absolute rubbish), that’s very far from the truth. The fact is, many white farmers failed on the land, prior to the invasions, because they did not manage to establish the synergy across the racial divide required for success leading to disgruntlement, apathy and low productivity. But, most succeeded in doing this and they developed highly productive inter-racial relationships that led to the rise of blacks throughout the commercial farming sector rising to well rewarded management positions and everyone involved on these farms improving the quality of their lives.
With the arrival of Robert Mugabe, he, in time set about trying to destroy this fruitful and happy union with strident racially motivated invective and then with threats. But no matter what he said or did, the bonds that tied white and black to one another, were too strong and he failed. He was well aware of his own failures and of the government he led, and he was incensed by being daily witness to a multi-racial success story that provided such vibrant and obvious proof that his racist diatribes were misplaced and untrue. The farmers’ success and his gross incompetence was too much for him to bear and he had to be rid of a very obvious and embarrassing divergence. He saw the greatest threat to his regime in the strong political and community bonds that developed between the white farmers and the moderate black middle-class. When all other efforts had failed, he sent in his murderous mobs and destroyed them.
In many ways, a similar history and current situation pertains today in South Africa, not only on the farms but right across a private sector that continues to drive the country forward and offers hope. But the future is gloomy.
Unfortunately, all hope seems to disappear at the political level, which follows the Zimbabwe model of race-based selection of people and an utterly contemptuous approach to the importance of a person’s qualifications, acumen and ability to perform, with patronage and party loyalty being the order of the day. This leaves the country with a bloated, dysfunctional bureaucracy, led by incompetent politicians which is bankrupting the country simply because it is racist in its composition and merit is inconsequential.
In the face of real prospects of the country imploding, we can expect no real change, because the culprits are unaccountable thanks in no small part, to a political system which itself has no regard for merit in meeting the qualification to vote. Those who once called for a qualified franchise as a means to electing more capable and effective politicians were drummed out of office a long time ago. Unfortunately, they are being proven right and we will all suffer the ugly consequences.
The moral of the story is success is inevitable when selection is based on merit and failure is certain when based on race. What a pity, Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi can’t bring their magic to the political arena.
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AnnE on 29. February 2020 at 19:36
Good posting Ann. I really said “How things have got to this stage beats me” with tongue-in-cheek. I do have a pretty good idea, I believe, what drives the liberal agenda. Most liberals are useful idiots unknowingly serving a greater (albeit very evil) purpose. The NWO is no conspiracy theory as you correctly state. The following is an extract from an article written in The New Times in August, 1976. It is the only document I have ever read which refers to Rhodesia in the context of the NWO. Unfortunately the link now seems to be defunct. I do have the full article but it is too long to post here.
http://www.untoldtales.net/behind-the-international-war-against-rhodesia.htm
BEHIND THE INTERNATIONAL WAR AGAINST RHODESIA
THE NEW TIMES AUGUST, 1976
It is no secret that Dr. Kissinger wants to establish a “New World Order.”
He has said so himself. And he also sees central control of the world’s
resources, including food, along with a world financial monopoly, as
essential for the building of the “New World Order”. He also believes that
it is possible to work together with the Communists to achieve the ultimate
goal. The Rockefellers and other Wall Street international financiers hold
the same view, which is why they have over half a century financed massive
economic blood transfusions to the Communists. This ensures that the
Communist threat is maintained so that the peoples of what is left of the
Free World can be stampeded progressively into surrendering more of their
liberties and rights.
Howzit Ang. You don’t seem to be listening to anything I say so herewith a piece written by an American friend who lives in South Carolina. This is an accomplished fellow, has done well in life, has travelled a lot and has been to South Africa and Zimbabwe and trust me he is no fool.
“I didn’t vote for President Trump during the 2016 primary because some of his history toyed with some liberal ideas. Now that he has a record of extraordinary accomplishments in the face of withering persecution from the media and the DemonicRATS, I believe he is the greatest president since George Washington; even surpassing Ronald Regan.
In my Bible study group several of the leaders bragged that they didn’t vote for either Hitlery or Trump because neither measured up to their high moral standards. My answer was simple. I voted for a commander-in-chief, not for a pastor-in-chief. It is fact now that he has done more for Evangelicals and true Christian values than any president in history.
We finally have a president operating as a Conservative and beating the viscious opposition at every turn. Conservatives have rallied behind him as he is the only president to fight for Conservative ideals and ideas since Regan.”
I agree.
You see Ang, I fail to understand exactly what it is Trump has done to qualify, in your eyes, as ‘Blight of Planet Earth’ and a ‘Monster.’ Could you please furnish us with some details? I am dying to know.
Many thanks indeed.
Awesome interpretation.
Most normal people round about now are absolutely sick to death of this white, liberal-inspired, totally destructive and incessant mantra of ‘racism’ being shoved down their throats, ‘racist’, this, ‘racism’ that and ‘racialist’ the other. So successful have western social engineers been at disseminating the garbage of ‘racism’ as ‘one of the greatest evils of all time’ makes one think it is some recent 20th century phenomenon, yet it has been around in all its forms since man first trod the earth and will be continue to be practiced by every race on the planet to a greater or lesser degree until Doomsday, in spite of the pontifications of those who claim they want to ‘eradicate’ it. Social engineers working for the political elite have done their job so well by feeding the ‘racism’ card into every facet of life, including primary and secondary school education, that the future seems bleak in places like South Africa where black nationalists and politicians use it to great advantage to further their agendas of enrichment, power and control. Again, normal people have also noticed that a ‘racist attack’ can only happen if it is white on black but apparently ‘racism’ falls away if the attack is black on white. How things have got to this stage beats me. Accusations of ‘racism’ levelled at an individual anywhere in the world has the potential to destroy him/her even if false but notice how genuinely immoral acts like transgenderism, homosexuality, pedophilia, etc do not seem to be too much of a problem and I see there is even a ‘pedophile friendly’ city in Canada where judges are lenient on child sex offenders. Check out the internet. Yes, I know, we see a lot of coverage on the MSM about child sex molesters, etc, but the fact remains that more and more perverts are speaking out about their ‘right’ to choose their sexual orientation. But I am digressing, so back to the gist of the main article. What a tragedy indeed it has been to watch countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa imploding while we listen to white fools from western countries still shrieking on and on about white racism in Africa although, because Africa is now ‘free’ we don’t hear too much on the MSM any longer, but I still hear reports from friends and relatives visiting and living in the UK (and other western countries) drawing fire from from ignorant people due to the fact that they are white and live in Africa. Apparently the only criteria in Africa to qualify to be accused of being a ‘racist’ is to be clad in a white skin. One of the reasons I support Trump is his dynamic, and so far very successful counter attack on the previous liberal, appeasing, gun-hating, (etc, etc, etc, etc) administrations who were perpetuating the highly destructive ‘race’ rhetoric. I pray to God Trump gets re-elected.
Given what has occurred via trump during the past 3 1/2 years,a second term for the ‘Blight of Planet Earth’, a second term for the Monster would be the biggest disaster ever faced
6.3 million jobs created, unemployment at a 50 year low, 1.2 million black jobs created, 3% wage growth, economic boom, record stock market levels, ISIS eradicated. Biggest disaster ever faced? Don’t think so. Abrasive and unpalatable to the liberal minority, yes, but mainstream America will give him a landslide victory in November.
Referring to the word ‘racism: “How things have got to this stage beats me.”
One observation I have made in answer to this, is more than ironic – its a self-created tragedy by the white race itself.
The white western world largely fell for, and went along with, the slandering of White africans as ‘racists’. Oh how easy it was so many miles away, sitting in their safe little abodes as armchair critics, to self-reighteously denigrade us white Rhodesians and South Africans with the socially engineered term ‘racists!’.
Those of us who went to Britain, Europe, NZ, Australia etc. were soon labeled as ‘those racists!’ Doesn’t the ego love to be morally superior!
Meanwhile, unbeknowns to these sanctimonious white liberals, each year their own nations were quietly being flooded with non-whites from Africa, Carribbean, Asia, Middle East.
Today, for these holier-than-thou liberals the writing is on the wall in their own backyard. They are fast becoming white minorities in their own ethnic-European nations. But here’s the rub –
They dare NOT resist or complain because NOW the term ‘racist’ is being aimed like a weapon directly at those that do.
Isn’t it absurdly ridiculous how a few letters of the alphabet (just 6 in fact –
r, a, c, i, s, t,) is all that is required to achieve an invasion and conquering of any white nation on earth today? No need for guns, sanctions or nuclear weapon wars – just a little bit of labeling.
The white race worldwide needs to get wise to this cultural Marxist strategy that was created by the FRANKFURT SCHOOL to collapse the white civilizations in order to then enforce communism as required by the international money power for their New World Order. If anyone thinks this is a ‘conspiracy theory’ (again weaponised words) Rockefeller himself in his biography admitted he and his are working toward a One World government. Check it out.
Once again you have hit the nail on the head Hannes. Thank you.
The empowerment of the black folk through agriculture was a great success story of the Rhodesian days and even up to the mid-90s. Farmers in Mashonaland competed with each other to get the best agricultural workers.
Mugabe could not stand the existence of a black middle class, for, from within those ranks political opposition was sure to emerge. His seizure of the white owned farms killed two birds with one stone. The majority of the nation’s capable people have fled leaving behind a weakened population that cannot find the critical mass to mount an effective opposition. The farms are idle, whilst the political elite plunder the mineral wealth.
Of the current regime, the depth of criminality with which Zimbabwe is run, must be highlighted.
A heartfelt article, Hannes. Things could have been so different in Rhodesia and SA.
May I draw your attention to ‘Reclaiming Rhodesia’?
http://reclaimingrhodesia.com/
Sadly, you are so right – again. Having worked in industry for 35 years, and having been involved in supplying to the printing industry for the last 25 years, I have witnessed the devastation that the racist legislation known as B-BBEE has caused. Incompetence is the order of the day with the “Peter Principle” being proven over and over. There is NO sunset clause on the legislation – in fact the politicians see fit to strengthen the already fearsome requirements, by inspections and fines. There can be no way the FDI initiative by Ramaphosa will work with this legislation in place.
Requiescat in Pace, South Africa
Rachel Kolisi is a friend of mine and often the couple will uplift difficult political situations and demonstrate how people from all walks of life in SA can work together to achieve great things.If you know who Adam Kok was – he founded the first democracy here – this band of diverse friends like to describe themselves as a brigade like Adams.
Excellent article but oh so sad