Build our own

Why is this world that we live in so angry? Why has identity politics become the norm? What is wrong with me that I don’t get it? 

I’ve lived on this planet for close on 43 years now and it is hard to remember a time where we were so intolerant or hateful of the other primarily because they weren’t one of our own. I find myself having to think and write about this more often nowadays. It absolutely boggles my mind.

I was recently sent a clip of one of our young politicians giving a speech at a rally that I found rather disturbing, he called for the murder of humans because they belong to a certain race group and recruiting an ‘army’ to carry this out! What age are we living in?! Sure my parents did not suffer the ills of apartheid when they were growing up, they had to deal with the aftermath of colonialism in Ghana and when I was growing up the ensuing coups with people jostling for position. The family then had a famine to contend with along with the weak economic state of Ghana, the situation was so bad that apartheid South Africa was seemed a better option. But they were fortunate in that the system they had to endure, didn’t break the family unit during their time, the same can’t be said of our forefathers who were taken on slave ships to lands afar… But that isn’t the reason for this message

The other day I was catching up on my news on social media and what kept popping up was a very rare meeting between Dr. Johann Rupert (JR) and Given Mkhari a talk show host on Power FM. From what I know, JR is a very private person and such public appearances are as rare as hen’s teeth so it was refreshing to see an open engagement with the man. I was quite taken by one of his introductory statements which was something like ‘we should stop shouting at one another and start speaking to each other’. Another thing he said that earned him the ire of the masses is that a lot of the interviewer’s ‘generation’ spend their time and money at Sands and Taboo and buy BMWs and that we consume now and pay later. When asked about land expropriation without compensation, he conceded that it was an emotive topic but he was very strong on the point that the country will never be able to move forward unless there is redress in the current situation especially around property.

I sat through over 2 hours of the interview and yes the man has made an obscene amount of money, perhaps initially in an environment that only allowed for certain amount of people to prosper, but from what he said his family came from humble beginnings and thanks to the determination of his parents, duly supported by the environment in which they found themselves, they were able to build something where others of similar determination and ability could not. Is this their fault? This environment prevailed equally for others similar to him, but you don’t have 5 million gazillionaires now do you? Surely this must mean that the man’s family did something extra right, no?

Why are people so annoyed with the man, was it because of the way he presented himself or how he delivered what he said? I hope it is not because he is wealthy because if I am not mistaken Mr. Motsepe is wealthier than he is. It is fair to say that the man owes no one anything, yes he wasn’t being altruistic in his pursuit of wealth, but as a result of his family’s endeavours, today we have some pretty remarkable institutions such as RMB, what was Rembrandt/Rothmans, the beginnings of Discovery, Mediclinic, Business Partners, Leopard Creek, Wine farms, Sports Science Institute, Laureus Sport for Good Foundation amongst others, I mean let’s even go as far as breaking it down to products we consume daily like Rainbow Chicken, KFC, Piemans Pies, Selati Sugar, Rama, Flora, Mabela, Yum Yum, Hunters, Savana, JC Le Roux, Oude Meester, Amarula, Bobtail, Dogmor, FNB, Discovery, Dark Fibre Africa, Yona ke Yona…YFM itself, Dr. Rupert’s group has a hand in it. That is pretty far reaching if you ask me. Now these institutions have so many jobs attached to it that means income for people, taxes for government and sure plenty millions for the Rupert family, but so what right?!

A lot of the time a lot of people say I really simplify things, and I do and it really does make my existence on this sometimes unsavoury planet more palatable. I don’t know the man, I have had a few encounters with him at his lovely event at the L’Ormains Queens Plate, but no more than a hi and thanks for hosting me, so he could be the biggest douche out there or even Mother Theresa incarnate. But is he a racist based on his discourse on that given day? I will say no. Even if he overtly went out and said that you darker people spend far too much on cars and popping bottles instead of saving and building…is it an untruth? Many of my mates say the same thing. Had say a Patrice Motsepe said the same thing would we show him disrespect?

I understand that because of where we have come from, watching a successful individual of a lighter shade stand on a podium and telling us what’s up is quite annoying, but I personally know of some guys that his group funded in the early 2000’s that squandered this investment on R-type Jaguars etc. this was a great opportunity for some young people to create something lasting whilst plugged into a great network of influential people, but they chose otherwise and that company didn’t last too long. Sure it is just one example, and it isn’t indicative of the sum of us.

This note I write may earn me the wrath/pity of my contemporaries but it’s ok. The way I see it is that the landscape was skewed in the favour of very few in this land, and his family made the best of it, I guess in a similar way Dr. Motlana and Mr. Richard Maponya (granted they aren’t on JR’s level of wealth) chose to use their circumstances to build and create. We cannot change the past, but we can definitely remember it and hope to never return it, but right now the scales are in favour of the formerly disenfranchised, those that want to build something. I have a few mates that have got some great ideas and are working hard to build and it fills me with such glee. We have a good few incentives available as well as codes that try and redress the imbalances of the past. I for one fail to see how insulting a man whose family toiled, sure on the backs of others, will help us build our nation going forward so we can address the current landscape of poverty and unemployment. I am sure that Mr. Motsepe, Sexwale, Ramaphosa may have built some of his wealth on the backs of these same people. If I may also add, in this day and age it is common place for you to know people, presidents, chairpersons, ceo’s, heads of procurement, etc. that result in you to meeting companies/individuals that you would otherwise not have had access to and this provides you an opportunity to do a BEE deal here, procure this mega project there and in the end prosper. These opportunities are not available to just everyone, so should I who do not have that opportunity insult you or hold you in contempt because the landscape was tipped in your favour or rather say well done for taking your opportunity?

JR has done his bit, he has created more jobs than I ever have, he has paid more taxes than I ever have, built more businesses than I ever have, many with less have chosen not to be here, but here he is, of course it must be good for him. I’m may not necessarily going to applaud the man, but I will don my hat to what he has achieved, because not many have achieved what he has done. If I had an opportunity to engage the man and his ilk to see how I too can achieve I would gladly take up the opportunity and hopefully learn. No rich person who believes they have worked hard for their keep, will easily give it away and why should they? Perhaps they will help you, who show an equal determination, to get yours and that is how it should be right?

Now let me bring it back to current day South Africa, I struggle to correlate how the existence of one grouping of people is a hinderance on my ability to prosper. To me it’s similar to the anger some people feel when a rather determined person, who has walked all the way from Somalia and decided to set up a thriving business on some street corner in Langa. I mean I’ve lived here for the longest time, that street corner has been here forever, yet when some other person comes and creates something that is prospering we want to destroy both the person and the enterprise? Does that mean we will create something that will serve the people in it’s place? Not always the case right… so why not learn, refine and deploy your own?

The time is not now now, but RIGHT NOW tis our time to create own ______