Radicalism in Post Apartheid S.A

Radicalism in S.A

Radicalism in Post Apartheid S.A and It's "Destructive" Outlets

Any rebel, or for the sake of contextual cohesiveness, radical needs a counter force. To direct his/her energies towards, an "evil" that must be expunged, an infidel, a grave terror. This nemesis becomes a cause to rebel against, to fight off to the bitter, toothless end, where resources can be and must be depleted for "the extinguishing of this inferno, that scorches our soles to the very marching of It's demise".

In post apartheid South Africa or P.A.S.A for those abbreviation inclined, "radicalist" seems a term given, almost exclusively to those who push for economic freedom, and considering the connotations, mentioned above this term evokes images of an unruly, firebrand people.

To speak of economic freedom includes racial equality and land redistribution as a representative fact of that equality, which unavoidably leads us to the issue of race, as it is predominantly the black majority that face such issues.

Radical than seems a term that can be hanged solely on the neck of black people, because their plight is seen as one that is an act of radicalism, I.e an activity of the disenfranchised black youth.

In writing this I don't just seek to make one aware of the negative connotations of this word but, link too, "radicalism" as an "activity" in solving a predominantly black problem and the deliberate acts of destruction and civil disobedience around, "black areas", which many so called observers attribute it broadly to "radicalism".

The issue of economic freedom and It's above mentioned subsidiaries, racial equality etc, is an issue that is highly adversarial, as history can attest, S.A's wealth, the means to this economic freedom Is securely in white hands. This becomes, "The cause" behind which these "radicals" must rally.

Economic slavery or economic servitude becomes the infidel and as a consequence, those who exclusively hold onto the tray of the country's wealth - the whites are seen as the devils who proliferate this state of servitude.

It takes a few people, in our case even one to identify a cause the troops must rally against, and as the troop swells in numbers, it becomes increasingly difficult to control or purposefully direct this mass, towards the steps that will lead them to the envisioned change.

It is in this difficulty, that there is a problem. For as hard as the masses push, the vice grip on comfort and privilege locks in harder, the general wealth of white South Africans.

And so ordinary black South Africans are faced with a "system" that is adamantly locking in an unjust status quo, and are faced with the eventuality of an energy depleted body, with none of the envisaged change.

Thus a sense of failure falls onto black South Africans, acts of short but highly explosive aggression are shown to elements susceptible to it, and so we have abuse in townships(although not exclusive to this reason). Drug abuse and domestic abuse. Which can be linked, to a sentiment of frustration.

This is not in anyway saying, whites are solely responsible for black peoples condition in current South Africa. How can they, if we have had a "black" government for 17 years ?

The current government is, as Andile Mngxitama once said, " is managing white interests ". As I do not believe that we blacks are ignorant of this, I have come to this conclusion:

As we realise that our struggle for economic freedom, is essentially against those who hold on to our lands economic super abundance I.e whites, pointing out that a few blacks (certainly fewer than whites ) also have this, "wealth" robs the masses of a definitive and clearly pre defined enemy, this would cut the masses of their energies and the struggle would be lost pre maturely to the battle. So such admissions are put at the most backward parts of our brain.

And so, when this unsavory truth bares its head, the black masses realise that truthfully, they are alone, that they are , "The rise of the 4th World".

Alone, angry and without hope, theirs can only be a destructive outlet.

This seems to be the story of radicalism in post apartheid S.A. A story of the South African black 4th World. A people frustrated.