On Zimbabwe
I consider myself a fence sitter when it comes to Zimbabwe. Notwithstanding who and what the fallen hero Robert Mugabe has become, the transformation in land ownership that he has directed and overseen in Zimbabwe is truly revolutionary and could not have been achieved by any other means.
My work allows me to travel extensively in the beautiful rural hinterland of South Africa. And when I find myself staring toward the horizon, admiring the rolling hills and fertile land, I know that all this land is white-owned with only limited pockets of black-owned land.
If Mugabe should go today, the people of Zimbabwe who have claimed land can truly say they have it back, because indeed it was stolen.
In South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, land was staked and claimed through dispossession, theft and bloodshed. But, of the three, only in Zimbabwe have these transactions now been declared null and void.
Land is essential to dignity, self-respect and true empowerment. In South Africa, it is now only the first generation of black people who can casually page through the property section and consider the prospect of purchasing land and a home anywhere and in any area. But this access to the dignity of land and home ownership is open only to a minority, because of the logic (or illogic) of the market. So I applaud Zimbabwe’s mass-based land transfer.
The current trajectory of the transformation in Zimbabwe is what makes me a fence sitter.
As a South African, I must respond to rights abuses in my neighbouring country. But how?
I can find it in me to say that Mugabe must go, but I cannot rise up to say that his land reforms must be reversed. Over close to half a century the majority of Zimbabweans, much like us now in South Africa, lost their knowledge of how to work the land, sow, harvest and raise livestock. To blame Mugabe for this suffering is like blaming Fidel Castro for the suffering of the Cuban people resulting from United States-orchestrated sanctions on that country.
Morgan Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change have not convinced me yet that they will not reverse the land reforms. — Raashied Galant, Cape Town
Your paper has a penchant for playing to the gallery whenever tensions flare up in Zimbabwe (“No ‘rooftop diplomacy’ for SA”, March 16).
There is no country in Africa as pressured by the events in Zimbabwe as South Africa. When a serious question begs us as a nation to interrogate the course we could follow to assist Zimbabwe out of the mire, populist solutions are paraded. Quiet or no quiet diplomacy, a solution to Zimbabwe’s economic and political meltdown still appears remote. And Zimbabweans hold the solution to it through democratic means.
The extent to which we can assist Zimbabwe depends on what its people want of their country. Nothing more, nothing less. — Mandisi Tyumre, Cape Town
The pathetic and ineffectual policy of quiet diplomacy is as bankrupt as the policies of our government that have brought us to poverty, starvation, decline of our social fabric and economic collapse. So what is your “real” agenda South Africa, because it has nothing to do with the ordinary Zimbabwean? Is it that you want to take our businesses for nothing, or is it that you want your own man in Harare, or is it that you just have no idea what to do? We are not stupid, and once this mess is finally over we will know who our friends really were. — NO Hope, Harare
In support of free speech
Karthy Govender and the Human Rights Commission have made an important contribution to free speech in our country by finding that vigorous criticism of the Israeli state is not hate speech (“Israel: not ‘hate speech’ but free speech”, March 16).
An abiding and growing threat to free speech is the constant attempt by supporters of the Israeli state to suppress all criticism of its actions. This has long been the case in the Jewish community, in which constant attempts are made to drive out anyone who dissents from Israeli policy and action: one of the parties which brought the “hate speech” allegation is the Jewish Report, a publication that refuses to publish critical voices while feeding its readers a constant diet of deeply intolerant material. But, of late, the campaign has spilled over into the wider society.
These attempts go well beyond the vigorous expression of opinion. Journalists are regularly badgered to ignore criticism of the Israeli state, pressure is often brought to bear on media, and campaigns are launched against individuals whose opinions are not tasteful to the Israeli government’s supporters. The “hate speech” complaint was the most insidious of all, because it tried to use the values proclaimed by our Constitution to silence criticism. Fortunately, the Human Rights Commission has ensured this attempt to use the concept “hate speech” to muzzle criticism of a political authority rather than a people, race or religion has failed, and our Constitution remains a guarantor of, not an obstacle to, freedom.
It is sad that this failed attempt to silence criticism was co-authored by an icon of the fight for freedom in this country, Helen Suzman. Why she has allowed herself to be used to attack the freedom she has always championed only she will know. Most of the rest of us are, hopefully, aware of the difference between criticising states and slandering peoples, and grateful to the Human Rights Commission for coming to freedom’s aid. — Steven Friedman
Selective criticism
Binyavanga Wainaina (“On Kapuscinski’s ‘gonzo orientalism'”, March 16) draws attention to some important issues in Ryszard Kapuscinski’s writing but, in true rhetorical style, is somewhat selective with his quotations. Kapuscinksi begins The Shadow of the Sun with a preface, part of which reads: “This is therefore not a book about Africa, but rather about some people from there … The continent is too large to describe … Only with the greatest simplification, for the sake of convenience, can we say ‘Africa’. In reality, except as a geographical appellation, Africa does not exist.”
True, if his readers — whether because they are harking back to colonial notions of the ‘dark continent’, or to the simplicity of being an angry black man in the face of such colonial and post-colonial slights — ignore this caveat, then aspects of Kapuscinski’s writing can be misinterpreted. The author himself is guilty of confusing matters on occasion, but generally the context — such as his discussion on witchcraft — implicitly constrains what might otherwise seem to be gross generalisations. There are many equally famous writers, including Africans, who are much less circumspect in their generalisations (positive or negative) about “Africa”, “Africans” and “African leaders”.
Wainaina might do better to direct his righteous indignation at more deserving candidates: Paul Theroux, for instance, whose Dark Star Safari sailed across the room pursued by a string of expletives after I read the last line: “The best Africans are still bare-assed.” — Sean Muller, Cape Town
Yes, racism still exists!
I wonder why opposition parties are upset about comments by the president that racism still exists.
As a black person involved in the agriculture sector in the Western Cape I can say: Yes, racism still exists.
In the Western Cape, 99% of agri-business is owned and controlled by whites. Local markets are white-controlled, chain stores do not support black producers and access to international markets, in most cases, is through a white export agent.
And they all ask the same questions: What do you know about farming? Is someone farming for you? Do you live on the farm or in Cape Town? Is the farming still okay? Do you want to sell your farm? I wonder if they ask the same of new white farmers.
After 13 years, why should whites still dominate an important economic sector in South Africa?
The Deciduous Fruit Producers Trust, which manages a multibillion-rand industry, is almost 100% white. The few black faces on the board are for window dressing.
Window dressing is common in the industry. Many white farmers have “given” their workers shares, but in effect those shares have been paid for by government. There is no empowerment of workers.
White farmers negotiate these deals as a front and government in its wisdom, or lack thereof, finances them without asking for any guarantees of real empowerment.
It is unfortunate racism in the agri-industry is not being tackled by government. I propose that an agri-charter be legislated. It is the only way we will transform the industry. — Ismail C Motala, Farm Waveren, Wolseley
Poison
It appears the denialist agrochemical industry front CropLife mentioned in Fiona Macleod’s article “Evidence of poison” (March 9) is active around the world, creating smoke clouds around the dangers of aerial spraying.
Dr Johan Minnaar produced evidence of serious illnesses among his patients in Groblerdal, where farmers are spraying agrochemicals. Professor Leslie London states “premature puberty and other hormonal abnormalities are symptoms of contamination by pesticides containing ‘endocrine disruptors'”.
Patricia Bailey MD reported similar symptoms in Hawai after cannabis crops were sprayed with patented glyphosate “Roundup”.
“Aerial application has been shown … to drift more than 2km,” said London. Wind disperses the pesticide to outlying communities, where it collects in rainwater catchments, a source of drinking water. Ingestion of glyphosate can result in death.
Studies at Changhua Christian Hospital in Taiwan report that between 1980 and 1989, 93 cases of exposure to herbicides containing glyphosphate were treated. There were seven deaths, all of which occurred within hours of ingestion. — Trevor Wells, Farmers’ Legal Action Group-South Africa
How could you?
I read Yoon Jung Park and Tu Huynh’s right to reply (“Columns incite a new ‘yellow peril’ in SA”, March 9) and was shocked to learn that a “liberal” newspaper publishes articles such as “Hoe’s my China nou?” (January 26) and “Sleaze: strictly for ‘Chinese'” (February 23).
As a Chinese living in South Africa for more than 10 years, I am fed up with anti-Chinese slanders so prevalent in the media.
John Matshikiza’s articles are not only full of ignorance but, inadvertently or not, are incitement for racial hatred and crimes against Chinese in this country. Such irresponsibility is incredible, given the high crime rate.
I suspect that some people are still struggling psychologically with their latent racism from the past, but are too afraid to rant at the major ethnic groups, so they choose a convenient and normally silent target such as the Chinese.
My advice is this: before stirring up hatred against the Chinese, you should get to know the people; visit China, learn about its culture and become erudite with its civilisation. Only then would you have earned the right to choose to hate the Chinese. — Siu-Ah Ng
In brief
I don’t wish to become embroiled in the Arab/Israeli debate (“Israel: not ‘hate speech’ but free speech”, March 15), but I want to comment on my experience with Ronnie Kasrils. I recently wrote to him about my concerns about the alleged rendition of Khalid Rashid, and he replied at length in an honest, reasonable way. He strikes me as being a fair and decent man, so it’s no surprise to me that the Human Rights Commission “ruled” in favour of him. — WL Mason, Johannesburg
Mari Wessels asked about the University of Johannesburg’s solar panels (Letters, March 9). The German factory built to utilise this technology claims on its website (www.johanna-solar.com) that panels will start rolling off production lines in the next four to six months. It also indicates that three South African-based or owned companies as well as the government-linked Central Energy Fund are shareholders in Johanna Solar. Maybe the M&G could investigate when we can expect to start benefitting from this technology. — Albert Nel, Centurion
Please check your in-tray! I am sure you will find a leave form from Krisjan Lemmer, who has gone missing from the Dorsbuilt bar. He is probably on leave and might have “forgotten” to get back to work. It’s not so much that we miss his column (though we do), it’s that it’s his turn to pay for the next round of Klippies ‘n Coke. We suggest you give him a roasting — before making him write his column. — The Manne, Dorsbuilt