Some black youths in Johannesburg are so disillusioned with politics they say they would prefer having a white rather than a black president running South Africa.
They are considering whether to vote in the June 2 election and, if they do, whether they should vote for a party which has a white person at the top of its list. Many of them, though, are too young to remember the hardships black people faced under white apartheid presidents. But they say a solution to their problems today is to have a white person in charge of their destiny.
Nicholas Ngoma (17) says whites are honest and straightforward. “I believe whites have more knowledge on almost everything than blacks. Look at countries governed by whites and contrast them with African countries. I believe that African countries were better run under colonialism.
“Tribalism and nepotism are the norm today in South Africa, but during white governance qualification was the norm. Whites think for the interests of everybody, whereas we blacks think for our families. “Besides educational qualifications, I think that whites are more brainy than us. Even when they choose careers, they do not go there for money but for the love of the job. Look at tennis players like Andre Agassi and the like, they started the thing at about age five.”
Referring to the Johannesburg Art Foundation where he is studying, Ngoma says: “I am here because of white people. I will also be attending tennis lessons at Ellis Park stadium, take extra English lessons at Barnato High and I am attending church. And all these I do because of whites.
“It is not because I criticise blacks, but believe me, if you can see my relatives you will not agree that they are mine. They are selfish and self-centred. They need me when I am OK. My mother died when I was doing standard five and since then I never attended school. Instead of helping me find school, my uncle said he would not let children who do not go to school to enter his house.”
After the death of his mother, Ngoma briefly stayed with his grandmother, who is the same age as President Nelson Mandela. He then lived on the streets until he was rescued by Street Wise, a shelter for homeless children in Bertrams, Johannesburg. The person at the organisation most responsible for finding him a home and sending him to school is white.
Asked why he thinks a white president will do a better job, Ngoma says: “I hear people talking about African countries and their problems. I’m not a good reader but if I was, I could read you the stories of African governments and contrast the stories with those of other countries overseas.
“Look at the things that are produced by whites, such as cellphones and computers. We blacks always follow whites. Even the Bible is written by whites and we blacks just follow. You will never see a white person following our culture and traditions. “I will not have any problem with a white president for South Africa. If he has experience and does not apply apartheid, then I’m OK.”
Mapaseka Mbatha (19) says many youths do not care about the colour of the next president, that it is not important to them that he is black. “It will not make a difference to me so long as he or she fulfils the promises. I will not mind a white president, as long as it is a president not only for whites,” says Mbatha.
Bennet Mpehle (19), a business management student at a Parktown college, says that since South Africa has had a black president, crime has become “horrible”. “You can see what is going on in Hillbrow and Yeoville, it is foreigners everywhere because Mandela is begging friendship from them.
“I think whites are sort of strict. Our teachers are whites and students respect them. Whites like order and know how to rule and lead. I will be very happy if we have a white president. People tend to respect the white colour. Not to say blacks cannot lead, but we take advantage of blacks.
“Whites keep promises. Do you think this school will be like this if we had a black principal? We are just new in this building but see what the whites have done. We have new computer classes and extra classes being built, not because the whites have money but because they can fund-raise and have a vision. Go to a black school with a black principal and you will see the difference.” Says Mpehle: “I am not a racist, I am colour-blind. It’s all what you can do, not what you are.”