Day 34 - Dear Mr. Malema (take 2)

Dear Julius

I am not a politician. Neither am I an economist and can’t hope to understand the complexities of investment and the taxation system. I’m quite simple, in fact, with some basic needs. I know, like you do, that South Africa is a melting pot of differences. I also know, like you do, though that politics and economy will mean nothing to us if South Africa is not peaceful, with a manageable crime level, a broad acceptance of other’s cultures and shared acknowledgement of our future together.

That we are different is what makes us unique. We see the past from different eyes but our children, and their children to come, are blind to it. Without our influence, without our prejudices, they would see only rainbows and opportunities in this land. Our children measure each other only by each other’s performance, only by each other’s decency. That their skin colours are different, that their hair is blond, brown or black, that their parents drive different cars only hypes their competitive spirits. They don’t see the past, they know of our history, they recognise the obvious difference in people and culture but for them it’s normal to trade humanity across it.

Julius, we live in a country full of opportunity and promise, we are embarrassed by our past but have chosen to live together for our future. We need people like you, with powerful and influential opinion to harness the energy of our people for positive use. We need people like you to guide us so that living together becomes easier, we need people like you to show humility and grace, to accept the past is exactly that, the past. And we need people like you to work with us, imagine the possibilities!

To continue to garner and encourage hatred between our races does our country no good. People I know, hang onto your every word and every action, some using your words to vindicate their decision to leave this land, others use them as a reason for highlighting our differences and some use them to persuade others not to come back, not to bring their skills and wealth back to share with others.

We cannot afford to be without good people, Mr. Malema, and I ask you to remember this when next you speak.

Next time you stand on stage and warmonger I ask you to remember the hardships experienced in other places in Africa, the wars in Rwanda, the starvation in Somalia, the pain on the people in Zimbabwe. Our country could be and should be different but even the most ardent optimist can’t help make comparisons to these far off lands. Although we won’t admit it, even the most optimistic of us will prepare an escape route because history is not on our side. We will always be different and history suggests that we, the people of this land will be persecuted for our skin colour, our tribal affiliations and our possessions, collected over generations. We know that if the genocide starts, our nation’s treasure, the farmers will be the first to leave our lands. We know that while we cheer together our nation’s sports teams, we will not stand together in times of strife. We will not help each other because the chasm between us, driven by rhetoric and difference, will be too wide to bridge. 

Mr. Malema, you stand in a privileged position. You have the ear of our countries most powerful people. You can make a difference to all our lives and I implore you to consider giving our young generations, our children and their children still to come, a chance to make good the past of this country.

We are too old now to forget. We are too old now to completely trust each other. But our future isn’t. The future of our land, of our people is intrinsically tied with our past. If we try to live in peace, if we accept the old adage of water under the bridge we will together provide for our future.

Yours truly,

Neale