Are rich blacks the new whites?

Whereas prosperous white South Africans are often denigrated by the Government and the African National Congress (ANC), the new black elite are often portrayed as an example of progress in our society. That has been a peculiar distinction for the Government and the ANC to maintain. There is now some evidence to suggest that attitudes in the ruling alliance may be shifting.

Two statements were released this week that amounted to separate critiques of the black elite. Both emanated from within the ruling alliance. If the attitudes inherent in the critiques catch on within other areas of the alliance, prosperous black South Africans should be concerned.

The first statement was released by the Young Communist League (YCL) on 1 November. The statement followed an address by the treasurer general of the ANC, Mr Mathews Phosa, wherein he denied that the State would nationalise mining companies. The YCL replied via a long statement the pertinent extracts from which read as follows:

"We are aware that Cde Phosa remains a man with substantial business interests. We know that the elite fraction in the ANC co-opted by Capital are finding it difficult to implement the Freedom Charter in its progressive form, not because it is not viable, possible and noble, but because new economic interests are entrenched amongst our leaders and Cde Phosa is not immune from these interests. We are not blind to the fact that many of our leaders are mining bosses; and nationalization and socialization of the mines will deny them opportunities to be filthy rich and to rip off the poor. ... Cde Phosa's comments or utterances feeds to his new found stature of being a golden-boy of imperial and white monopoly capital dominance of our economy. We call on Cde Phosa to remember these profound words by Mao Tse-tung, "In the great leap forward movement, some will fall by the wayside, some will become revisionists. But some will join the enemy camp". We hope these words will accord Cde Phosa an opportunity to revisit his ideological orientation and understanding or ‘join the enemy camp'."

Two days later, on 3 November, the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) called for the assets of the one-time politician, then businessman, and now human settlements minister, Mr Tokyo Sexwale, to be nationalised. Numsa was equally critical of the wealth accumulated by a number of other black businessmen saying that the union wanted the "nationalisation and eventually the socialisation" of private wealth. Numsa suggested that white people had "co-opt[ed] connected politicians to join exploiters" and that a failure to revise this problem would amount to auctioning the "revolution to the highest bidders in the market".

The two statements have the makings of an effective political campaign. It would be very easy for factions in the tripartite alliance to suggest to the poor that they are poor because their own people sold them out. They could suggest that black South Africans who have become prosperous did so by sidling up to ‘the whites'. They could also suggest that wealthy black South Africans got wealthy by ‘stealing' the assets that should belong to ‘the people'. They are therefore greedy and deserve political sanction.

In both tone and content these two political statements resemble very closely those usually reserved to describe white South Africans and their interests in the country. Wealthy whites, and even those in the middle classes, are often portrayed by the ANC as having interests that conflict directly with the aspirations of the poor.

Wealthy black South Africans and the more prosperous parts of the black middle class are on the other hand often regarded as being a positive indicator of progress made by the country. This has been a peculiar distinction for the government and the ANC to maintain as successful and prosperous people, regardless of race, have the same interests and must make a similar contribution to the country. Segregating the relative benefits of the one from the other makes very little sense.

The statements by the YCL and by Numsa suggest that elements within South Africa's cumbersome governing coalition are beginning to come to the same conclusion. Unfortunately rather than identifying the benefits inherent in having prosperous sections of both black and white society the change in attitude appears to be leading to a denigration of black prosperity. If this is an attitude that catches on in other factions of the governing alliance then wealthy black South Africans should beware. So too should the wider black middle classes.

While names like Sexwale will be the first to come in for criticism it may only be a matter of time before the relative prosperity of the broader black middle class catches the attention of the likes of the YCL. The protected political space that the black middle classes have occupied may then come crashing down to an extent that they come to be regarded as the ‘new whites'.

Frans Cronje is deputy CEO of the South African Institute of Race Relations. This article first appeared in the institute's weekly online newsletter SAIRR Today.

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responses to this article

The colour of money Private wealth being targeted (whether in black or white ownership) is nothing short of robbery. by Reitz on November 05 2009, 11:07 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

continuum continuum by King Zwakala on November 05 2009, 13:57 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Leave our money alone! Whoever is in power will be the ones to enjoy the riches of the country at no matter what cost to the rest of society. We really don't want to have a situation as in communism where those in power are rich and the rest simply report on each other so that . .more the power remain in power and enjoy the fruits. Show me one communistic country that has prospered. . .less by Brian Treges on November 06 2009, 07:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

this is not worth it The problem is Cronje takes idiotic pronounciation, that even ANC itself calls horsemanure, way too serious. Oh, and for your infor, the author of Numsa's statement is the guy who's been with YCL for sometime - he's prone to sprouting such cowdung by Joe on November 06 2009, 12:26 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Communists are given publicity that outweighs their support The communists in South Africa cannot even get a seat in parliament if they stand on their own ticket. I actually challenge them to stop hiding behind the ruling party and put their policies openly on the table. The time is now. by Miya on November 09 2009, 14:32 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

WEALTH IS WEALTH To prove the likes of Buti Manamela high level of naivety. They are targeting black people who happen to be rich. So if happen to have traded my hard earned money in the stock market in order to accumulate wealth, will I be classified as a potential . .more target by those who want to strip rich of their riches. Buti Manamela's approach to redistribution is define in the context of apartheid propaganda of believing that when the Black government takes over power there will be a malicious consfication of wealth from the rich to the poor. House owned by whites will be given to blacks by force. His assertion is not backed up by any form of a liberated political mind but by populism in a world wherein there is no absolute merger between politics and real life. . .less by Ndlela on November 12 2009, 12:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

WEALTH IS WEALTH Furthermore whose political denotion is he advancing and for what purpose? He appears to be trying to impress the poor at the expense of reality. Buti Manamela your convolution of the facts must begin with you by sacrificing the luxurious life style you . .more are living and follow the likes of the Julius Nyerere, Tanzanian President who was staying in four roomed house with his family not because he was trying to buy favours nor to impress the poor. But was pushed by his conviction of practising Socilaism in its real form. He has encouraged the people towards policy of self-reliance. South African Communist Party politicians preach gospels of the East and the USSR but practice the Western Capitalist tendencies. The reality of the situation is South Africa economic fiefdom can at no stage be divorced from its current formation by populists who have no interest in the affairs of the very poor people they say they represent. At one time Manamela was gun blazing when his girlfriend could not secure a tender in one of Gauteng's institutions of higher learning. This is on record of him saying she needs her to be elected in the SRC structure of a particular campus here in Gauteng as is a capable person. Yet he was not even a student in that campus at the time of his assertion. . .less by Ndlela on November 12 2009, 12:36 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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