![]() ![]() ![]() In the home-bound bus or train he joins the chorus that roundly condemns the white man but is first to praise the government in the presence of the police or his employers. In the privacy of his toilet his face twists in silent condemnation of white society but brightens up in sheepish obedience as he comes out hurrying in response to his master’s impatient call. No longer does he trust leadership, for the 1963 mass arrests were blameable on bungling by the leadership, nor is there any to trust. Deep inside his anger mounts at the accumulating insult, but he vents it in the wrong direction – on his fellow man in the township, on the property of black people. Reduced to an obliging shell, he looks with awe at the white power structure and accepts what he regards as the “inevitable position”. But the type of black man we have today has lost his manhood. ![]() They failed to change the system for many reasons which we shall not consider here. This is the extent to which the process of dehumanisation has advanced.īlack men under the Smuts government were oppressed but they were still men. To a large extent the evil-doers have succeeded in producing at the output end of their machine a kind of black man who is man only in form. It is still said even today, although in a much more sophisticated language. Not s long ago this used to be freely said in parliament even about the educational system of the black people. The logic behind white domination is to prepare the black man for the subservient role in this country. It is, however, nearer to the last suggestion than anything else. What makes the black man fail to tick? Is he convinced of his own accord of his inabilities? Does he lack in his genetic make-up that rare quality that makes a man willing to die for the realisation of his aspirations? Or is he simply a defeated person? The answer to this is no a clear-cut one. Perhaps a little should be said about spiritual poverty. A vast literature has been written on this problem. One should not waste time here dealing with manifestations of material want of the black people. And this latter effect is probably the one that creates mountains of obstacles in the normal course of emancipation of the black people. Material want is bad enough, but coupled with spiritual poverty it kills. The fact that apartheid has been tied up with white supremacy, capitalist exploitation, and deliberate oppression makes the problem much more complex. Hence even carried out faithfully and fairly the policy of apartheid would merit condemnation and vigorous opposition from the indigenous peoples as well as those who see the problem in its correct perspective. Nothing can justify the arrogant assumption that a clique of foreigners has the right to decide on the lives of a majority. I am still only about half way through reading the book, but there are already a number of extracts i would like to share in the hope that they will challenge your thought and hopefully inspire you to get hold of a copy for yourself to read it and try and understand some of the struggle from the other side.Īpartheid – both petty and grand – is obviously evil. The Catholic Herald had this to say in description: An impressive tribute to the depth and range of his thought, covering such diverse issues as the basic philosophy of black consciousness, Bantustans, African culture, the institutional church, and Western involvement in apartheid. Not so much a story as a collection of letters and speeches, this book is really helpful as it contains real time words, thoughts and ideas from one of South Africa’s great leaders written during the height of apartheid. In my quest to continue learning South African history from voices other than those i grew up with i was encouraged to read, ‘I Write What I Like’ by Steve Biko. ![]()
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