Southern Write - Contrarian commentary on issues African and global.

Somewhat justifiable euphoria has swept South Africa over the last six weeks. The national mood has lifted, cynics have been silenced, races have come together in joyful celebration and there is a sincere hope across the social spectrum that this event may have provided a watershed moment which has buried the baleful past and will launch the country in a new and more promising direction. This, if it were to happen, would be a staggering achievement and silence the cynics who insist it was a brief panacea and a colossal waste of tax-payers money in a country that presents with a miserably impoverished majority but now we have to wait and see.

It is never easy to separate politics and sport but because South Africa will forever be branded the land of ‘Apartheid’ this was the perfect venue to loudly and visibly rally against racism. Most matches were preceded by a solemn unravelling of anti-racism banners and captains, with massive audiences looking on approvingly, were asked to publicly denounce the practice. This campaign is difficult to fault but one has to ask who the finger of racism is being pointed at.

One of the honoured guests looking on in mild amusement was Robert Mugabe. He and his ZANU PF party persistently and perniciously proclaim their very reason for retaining political power is to dispossess and destroy their ‘‘white’’ countrymen and to this end they have been successful. His regime has provided the world with a stunning example of how racism at its malevolent can wreck havoc with an economy, destroy a country and impoverish millions.

Also looking on was Mugabe’s close ally and Mozambique’s president Armando Guebuza.  Another ‘Freedom-Fighter’ billionaire, his moniker is ‘Mr. 24/20’, in recognition of his major claim to political fame which was the expulsion of the ‘white’ Portuguese from their homeland following the accession of the FRELIMO government to power following the colonial withdrawal in 1975. Those whites who did not move fast enough ended up in his concentration camps where many died. Also very much in the political power-play at that time was Mrs. Graca Machel (now Mandela) who, along with her famous husband basked in the glow of an adoring world when she appeared at the final game. Her husband, it should also be noted, notwithstanding his achievements, has never found the voice to openly criticise the Zimbabwean president and this is a notable omission given that Mugabe must lay valid claim to being contemporary Africa’s most racist leader.

And of course there is Jacob Zuma and the South African ANC. The South African president became famous for his ‘Bring Me My Machine Gun’ song which never failed to excite the crowds as he exhorted them to remember with pride the days of ‘struggle’ and the visiting of violence upon ‘whites’. Julius Malema, the ANC youth leader must have also taken in the spectacle with a smirk; he has built his constituency on his ‘Kill the Boer’ rant for which he belatedly received a slap on the wrist but no meaningful penalty. He remains at his post and will doubtless return to the political stage with the same message as and when required to do so by his political masters.

The sad fact is one must conclude that the FIFA anti-racist campaign, conducted under the auspices of the South African government, offers little real hope because it is based once again on a lie;  that the usual suspects; the ‘whites’, are the only culprits, and the blacks; the only victims. So as much as one would like to think there has been a signal event and a new and more balanced dawn beckons this looks unlikely and soon we will back to business as usual.

• Posted on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
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