TheTroublemakerTimes

Mr Zuma

You may not remember me, sir, but I met you once, I even spent some time with you, and we shared a drink, and I sat next to you, until your entourage became to big, and I relinquished my seat to Rajbansi.

None, the less, you spent some time talking to me, with my friend, your son, Duduzani.

Despite the many demands on you at that time, you took the time, you were warm, charming and charismatic, but you probably know that already. I had been given this opportunity to sit with you, at the main table, albeit only shortly, because I have been part of that greater group of support, whose names are not known to the media, but who have provided much needed support, and advise, and mostly faith in your capacity to overcome your recent obstacles, to become what the people of this country demand, our president.

I am deeply proud of having been a small part of your battle for justice.

On my first introduction  to the high powered, and intellectual capital behind your bid for presidency, some time ago, when many people believed it was all over for you, I was told something extraordinary, by a man at the very top of that group.

He said, “its good to have a white boy like you here, very good, but don’t be mistaken, you are far from the only one.”

He told me too then, “ We will win, it’s just a matter of time.”           

He then told me something very disturbing, he said “ While white people are very important, particularly as a stabilizing force in our country, they have become, other than that, in political terms, largely irrelevant.”

I say that it is disturbing, because it is true.

He said something else though, and those words have stuck with me, he said “ Perhaps we can change that.”

Perhaps Mr Zuma, we can.

Today, because of the divisive nature of the way this political battle has been portrayed, by those in the media, who lay the crimes of the previous regime at your door, and not where they belong, many white middle class people have no idea of who you really are, or what you really want.

They fear, sir, that you will regard them as irrelevant, and worse, with contempt.

That this is not true, is irrelevant here, for what matters in politics is perception. And changing that is not going to be easy, look how much trouble you got into for being nice to Afrikaners.

But, Mr Zuma, and with respect, I know something that you don’t. I get some information that you don’t get.

And I get it, at that place where white middle class people let their hair down and talk openly of their fears.

The white, middle class, dinner party.

And I go to lots of those.

What really amazes me, sir, is the one topic that seals their fear of irrelevance, the one thing that makes them believe they have become second class citizens. The one thing, that I cannot defend and explain is why the ANC denies them their history.

After all, it’s the history of South Africa.

Its our history too.

And its being erased, without respect, as if it was irrelevant.

I speak here, of the changing of street names.

Now, no doubt everybody would agree, some streets need to be renamed, but this madness where you go to sleep in Broadway, and wake up in SWAPO, with your neighbour  in Kenneth Kaunda is intolerable.Where your history is supplanted as if it never was, to a name of someone, who nobody knows, like Problem Mkhize, or when someone whose name does not belong there like Che Guevara , replaces a decent, non-political name.

Its insulting.

Deeply so.

And divisive.

Pointless, and even, dare I say it, racist.

I know too, that this nonsense has affected even you, for you would never approve of insulting Buthelezi, by removing him from history, like your predecessor  tried to do.

The way Zulus felt then, is how many white South Africans do now.

I think, Mr Zuma, that it would be a small gesture from you, but a great act of reconciliation, if you gave us back our history.

It would say you care.

It would say you understood.

It would make a significant impact, sir.

But most of all, sir, it would send a message to white South Africans, it would tell them you take them seriously.

It will tell them, that in your Government, they will be relevant.

That would be a change.

And I happen to know, you want change.

You could start by firing Mr Sutcliffe though, that alone would go along way to reconciliation, if my dinner party guests are to be believed.