i kinda stumbled into an impromptu dinner after the cricket [Go Proteas!] last night. One of the people sitting at the table with us was Phil Potter [no relation!] from the UK who is here to speak at a conference called Fresh Expressions, which looks at different ways of doing and being church. We all got talking about some of the issues South Africa is facing at the moment and right in the middle of it all, Phil asked this incredible question as he was trying to learn and gain some context:
So do the white population feel like they have sacrificed anything of real significance in the last ten or fifteen years?
i know what my answer to that would be. But i would honestly love to know yours.
Without going off on tangents or trying to explain or justify or excuse or anything like that, i would simply like to know what your answer is to this question.
And i would love a bunch of answers so please tag two people you know, who maybe think really differently from each other on matters of South Africa and ask them if they can jump into the comments section and simply give their answer to this [and maybe tag two of their friends]. For this to give any kind of helpful answer to Phil it would be helpful to have 50 to 100 responses [well 10000 would be better but i can’t see that happening].
Remember that this is an outsider asking a question trying to get some context for some talks he is doing – he has not agenda or specific answer he is looking for or expecting. What should i say to Phil?
Do the white population feel like they have sacrificed anything of real significance in the last ten or fifteen years?
What do YOU think?
[Edit: Seeing some of the answers being shared, let me clarify my understanding of the question as to meaning, ‘In what ways have white people walked towards black people?’ so not things that have been done to them that they see as sacrifice. But what intentional/voluntary sacrifices have been chosen, if any at all? Hope that helps]
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Yes they feel like they have; security, a particular belief in the future, the safety of systemic superiority. This is different from actually sacrificing anything. But the threat of having to sacrifice something soon is what makes whites (in general and on the whole) live in denial and defensiveness. This is my two cents worth.
The funny thing is that pre-94 it was a white obsession; what would be taken away from them. Die swart gevaar was the Nationalist propaganda used to make whites believe they would be killed in their beds and everything would be taken from them. It didn’t happen so the fear continues.
I would say not really in terms of education or money. We still are privileged in that way. We still have a vast network of friends and family. We have however sacrificed our safety in that crime under the new government has increased dramatically.
I love this question! My answer would be No way! People only begin ‘sacrificing’ when they can ‘afford’ to. Most live in fear of people taking too much and wanting too much, while gaining little in return.
This is a very hard question to answer without getting into all sorts of rabbit-holes (e.g. is ‘sacrifice’ voluntary or involuntary?). But as a quick face value answer, I think large parts of the white population feel they have lost employability and personal safety in the last 10-15 years.
i hear you Lindsey and i am not sure that does answer the question. Maybe i should have been more specific about the voluntary aspect of it cos i read the question as ‘What steps have white people made towards black people?’
Thanks for commenting!
That is not a sacrifice though Georg. A sacrifice implies giving something up. i am asking what you feel you have willingly given up in the move towards unity in South Africa and reaching out to those who were previously marginalised and violenced upon by the systems and structures and laws of the land.
Job security and advancement is something Whites have had to sacrifice. We’ve all heard tales of people having to train their replacement before being let go – often after over a decade or more of service.
I personally have family who have served this country for 30 years, who haven’t received a pay increase in the last 12 years, and people that they trained are now higher ranked. When HR gave a presentation stating “the numbers are as they should be based on national demographic – however in the next 5 years it will be entirely one sided and entirely dominated by Africans” there was a celebration with singing and dancing.. It’s not just Whites who are being treated this way it’s anyone who is not an African.
So your alternative? Start a company of your own. Oh but wait. If your turnover is over a certain amount per year (depending on the industry) you are required to get an African partner – who leaves it all up to you but still wants the paycheck at the end of the day.
Not saying every situation is like that, but it happens often enough to start taking notice.
Of course some Whites try and bypass this – but can you really blame them when there is a concern that they will be forced to do all the work and only receive half of the profits at the end of the day.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting Zander. i feel like i hear some of your pain in there.
But i’m also not sure that you answered the question i was trying to ask which was more a question of ‘How have white people stepped towards black people?’ and so more a voluntary sacrifice than something that has been done to them…
I think the first question should be, do white people know or accept their privilege? I have haf countless conversations with white people whose first response is, “I’m not more privileged, they have the same opportunities I have, if not more now”. This is my pet peev. I tthink South Africans need to first recognise their privilege for what it is, own it (not justify it) and then start the process of “what now, what does it mean for me now” then possibly “what do I have to / should I sacrifice:. I think there are way too many white South Africans in denial cause honestly, speaking as a white South African, its raw, painful and incredibly humbling walking along the path of truth telling.
Absolutely Debbi, but i have been asking that question for a long time. And perhaps an honest answering of this question will help people realise the reality of that one?
And yes, to the raw, painful, humbling walk… Keep on
love brett fish
I feel like I have walked towards (black) people, the work that I do is to empower and mentor people, most of whom happen to be black. I chose to do this work, so I don’t see it as a sacrifice. I would rather work with people who have limited access to resources, than pander to the whims and fancies of the Middle class (whatever race)-They don’t need me, or what I have to offer.
Thanks Shelly, that is great!
We try to do things, it never feels like enough and we know it isn’t enough. We do work with empowerment groups, mentor and teach students, have raised and educated 3 children apart from our biological ones, (1 still on the go) and sponsored the education of another 3.
And every day, I greet and shake hands with and look in the eyes of and smile at everyone I see. On the street, in the shops, driving on the road. Sometimes they look at me as if I’m mad, sadly that’s usually white people, not always but often, but more than usually people respond with a smile and a a greeting back. No matter how sad I may feel, just a walk down the street, greeting everyone I see makes me feel better. I recommend it. Like the wise man says: I see God in you.
No, for the most part, I don’t think that the majority of white South Africans, myself included, have voluntarily stepped towards black South Africans in anything like a sacrificial way. Or even a noticeable way. There a few exceptions. But they are exceptions. Some have sponsored school or university or other tertiary education. Some have funded the building of small homes, paid back outstanding home loans, helped with information & medicine in medical situations. Given jobs where there may have been more “convenient” or better equipped candidates. One or two have moved into areas reserved under the hideous group areas act for people of another race. Some have learned an African language.
Personally, I have taken a few steps, some of which cost a small sacrifice. But really nothing significant. Nothing that seems anything more than a tiny drop in the ocean of need created by the enormity of what was taken. And that is shameful. Am I willing to do more? I think so. I hope so. But I honestly don’t know what it will take. And, honestly, maybe if it takes everything, that would be only fair. But. But, would I be willing to sacrifice everything? I don’t know.
This is a good question. I am inclined to say stuff these chops who are not interested in doing the hard thing, but that is not helpful. So I hope that we all realise that we are in this together. We must all participate in making our country better. It is easy to navel gaze when times are rough and when things affect you personally. It is a lot harder to think about how you can sacrifice if you do not make the effort to connect with others who are different from you. When you make the effort to know and understand you are richer for it. Staying in our comfort zone is a disadvantage to us. Diversity is beautiful and it would be great if we embraced it. Its hard but, so worth it. I get frustrated with my white peeps, but I don’t want to give up on them.