'Democratic' Africa also corrupt

'Democratic' Africa also Corrupt

by Piet de Jager, Pretoria, writes:

(translated by Omar Fourie)

Waldimar Pelser (journalist and editor for Rapport) devotes the first half of his column last week to our racially fixated past. He even gives apartheid the blame for the current violent crime perpetrated by young black people. The second part he spends mostly on criticism of our current government. Why doesn’t apartheid also get the blame for this?

Corrupt, ideologically inebriated leaders in government – and everything he has against the Zuma-government – was prevalent in “democratic” African states in the days of apartheid. Just worse, because the influence of communism, through the AK47, was so much stronger. Rape, torture and robbery was a characteristic of every coup d'état or the suppression of it. And this without apartheid being close-by/involved at all.

Taking responsibility (pulling up your socks) is a sober, rational act. If we are not doing it now, white people will wonder why, when they had the opportunity/chance, they did not emigrate.

As the editor rightly remarks, there are well-meaning white people that want to apply their skills for the benefit of the country. They have always been there and that is why South Africa has an infrastructure like no other in Africa.

• Translated by Omar Fourie, 16 September 2018.