Post-apartheid racism: Our next big threat

Posted: February 27th, 2008 | By Ray Hartley | Posted in General | Tagged as , , , , , , , ,
  • 9 Comments
Current Font Size:

THE nation is in shock. The behaviour of the students of the University of the Free State, who humiliated workers in a video by making them consume their urine is beyond comprehension.
It demonstrates a level of psychopathic racism that deserves condemnation and the harshest punishment under the law.
More than that, it demonstrates that our country has returned to its primordial racist roots with a relish that casts doubt on the achievements of the last 14 years.
It would be shocking enough if this were the only incident of racism to blight our social landscape.
But it’s worse. Racism is rife in this country. There are incidents in schools and universities all the time as we frequently report in The Times.
It would be shocking enough if these were the actions of recalcitrant apartheid-era whites.
But they are not. They are the actions of our youth who began their schooling after the release of Nelson Mandela in a society which adopted racial reconciliation as its mainstay.
It is no exaggeration to say that South Africa is facing a growing crisis of race-hate.
And, it’s time it was acknowledged that black South Africans bear the brunt of this racism, despite the many complaints about “reverse discrimination” that are vociferously aired by whites.
The truth is that this vile disease of the mind, which was incubated under apartheid has gained a second wind in the post-Mandela era and is now threatening the very fabric of our society.
The university has taken strong action, which is to be commended. But the institution must go further and ask itself why its students felt that such behaviour was acceptable.
Has the campus become a true home to all South Africans, or is it still a white campus to which blacks are patronisingly invited?
We must unite against this evil before it overwhelms us once more.

Related posts:

  1. The rebirth of race in the new South Africa
  2. The way has been cleared for Jansen to tackle university racism
  3. Rugby racism: The shameful silence of white South Africans
  4. HRC ruling: At last, the end of petty racism in South Africa
  5. Skierlik: How racism lives on in South Africa

 

Comments

 

BS

February 27, 2008 at 5:01 pm

Well said. Terrifying stuff. And the only conclusion is that these born frees are brought up in racist homes and so become little racists when they leave. Small comfort.

 

Sarah Britten

February 27, 2008 at 9:43 pm

Growing crisis? I don’t know so much. I think it’s always been there, bubbling beneath the surface.

One can but hope that yobs of the ilk of that UFS bunch all bugger off to the UK.

 

ak

February 27, 2008 at 10:38 pm

Mr Hartely,
You should hardly be surprised. The contributors to these blogs have done nothing but to fuel this kind of thinking among your children. I am happy to see to you take this stand. I have noticed over the last few weeks, you have become more balanced in your comments.

You should not worry really. I would wish we could predict the future. These kids get fed by the many white people here who blog until thy kingdom come about how bad and evil the black people are.

That university should be closed, if our government was in power. Those kids should be barred from any university and jailed for ten years.

It is the children of these workers who go around committing murders and we cry very loudly.

Do not worry, this will not be the case for too long .

 

Rowan

February 27, 2008 at 11:30 pm

Although these “racist born frees are brought up in racist homes and so become little racists when they leave”…they are in the minority. They are not rainbow nation children! I hope that this heineous act will be a spark to ignite a further cohesion amongst the good people of the rainbow nation to forge a new culture devoid of such evil. We have work to do.

 

BS

February 28, 2008 at 8:28 am

I don’t know which ******* posted this website but it kinda confirms the point about the prevalence of white racism. Whoever you are, you need a life, urgently.

 

ak

February 28, 2008 at 10:39 am

BS this site just proves that there are many people who want to sink this country. This site shows you that the time to act is now. I am sure during apartheid, such hate speech was regarded as treason. If it is true that our white brothers do not subscribe to this kind of hatred, then we need to move very quickly to stop this kind of a thing.

No the site is very good to let us know the real extent of the problem. We may be preparing for peace when the war is just upon us.

I also appreciate that the web master has not erased it. We are going for hard times for sure

 

jgp

February 28, 2008 at 12:35 pm

Let me start off by saying: Hate the fact that this happend and, even worse, was video taped to brag about later!
But don’t you think declaring “war” and (could just as well have said it)kill the boer is just a little extreme?
What about the elderly woman who were tortured to death with bowling hot water? Noboby even mentioned racism in that case.

The only thing that this really proves is how this country screams “racism” with the one hand and “don’t exaggerate” with the other.

I am not saying leave this unpunished, but if I have to judge which of the above mentioned is the worst form of crime I would have to go with murder.

 

Nasdaq7

February 29, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Black South Africans expect white young people not be racist to them, yet Black South Africans are racist to white young people every time they pass them on for a job because they are the wrong race.

 

K Viljoen

March 2, 2008 at 1:56 pm

I’ll care when, South Africa’s biggest problem, the ANC, tell the world they are sorry for the 20,000 murders and 56,000 rapes that take place in a single year in the “free” South Africa and admits to the black terrorist assault on the white population and the ANC endorsed genocide taking place in South Africa today. Until then who cares about this stupid incident????

Leave a Comment





  • About

    I am Ray Hartley, the editor of The Times, South Africa, a daily newspaper which was launched in June 2007 under the Sunday Times umbrella. I'm also the editor of Times LIVE.

  • Advertising Block