It is the racists, not victims of racism that must be told to get over themselves and their thinking, says Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya.
Pretoria - If three cases of Ebola were reported in South Africa in one week, there would probably be national outrage. Correctly so. Ebola is a killer disease that has left devastation in its wake.
In South Africa we know of another disease that is just as devastating, if not worse: it is called racism.
Strangely, we treat racism as if it is like a common cold, despite its own record of fatal effect.
This week, the Pretoria News reported that a man had spent a week in intensive care unit fighting for his life after he and his friend were attacked by a group of white men who said they “did not want Zimbabweans in their area because they are thieves”.
In the same week another story emerged of a gardener beaten up by “a white man in his 50s” for the seemingly unforgivable crime of walking while black.
This comes a few weeks after Cape Town swimming school owner Tim Osrin took it upon himself to beat up a woman walking in the neighbourhood where she worked because Osrin had concluded she was a sex worker– as if had she been one, the assault would have been merited.
Such incidents will continue until South Africa gets out of its “quiet diplomacy” mode when it comes to racism.
It will not make everyone comfortable but racism must be called by its name and the racists must be shamed.
The trolls – who have no life or confidence to say what they have to say in their own names and in public – will take pot shots hiding behind the anonymity and security of online commentary.
However, that should not stop us from saying things as they are.
The fight against racism must be fought with the same energy as the fight against corruption, crime and other violations against citizens. We must create no space for racists and racism.
A few weeks ago a radio presenter interviewing me about my racism ordeal at Loftus stadium asked me why I had not used the opportunity to politely show the racist the error of his ways.
According to him and other listeners, I had missed an opportunity to do some good. It did not matter that it was my down time. It did not matter that I have the right to do with my leisure time as I wish.
The more I thought of it, the more it became clear that the presenter’s argument is typical.
South Africa must be among a handful of countries that have a history of institutionalised racism where the onus of behaving civilly is placed on those who were minding their own business and the racists can do and speak as they please.
And no, we are not going to get over ourselves. It is the racists, not victims of racism that must be told to get over themselves and their thinking they belong at the top of the humanity pyramid.
It is the likes of Osrin and the man who beat up an innocent gardener who need to be told to change their behaviour.
Until and unless we stop seeing the kind of racism as we have seen in the past few weeks, racists and beneficiaries of racism have no right to tell black people to put the past behind us.
As these examples show, racism is not in the past.
Some might say that these individuals are just idiots and that race has nothing to do with anything.
This is an insult to idiots. If these incidents were mere foolishness, why is it that they do not act out their idiocy towards other white males?
Racism does not just make us feel uncomfortable. It has implications for national unity and perhaps more importantly, breeds its own violence and hate.
Another incident of racism reared its head again. This time a man believed to be drunk called a black fellow “you dirty black k******...” In the cellphone video clip, the white fellow is seen readying himself for a fight.
The clip shows the black man knocking the white man to the ground and pinning him down with his foot. The black man then shouts repeatedly “who’s a black k***** hey?”
I have seen many comments on social media where some have praised the black man for dealing with the racists and others who have condemned him for excessive use of violence especially against an unarmed man.
From where I am sitting, we can have uncomfortable conversations about racism or we can pretend that it does not exist.
My fear is that if we keep making excuses for racists, one day it will be worse than just one drunk racist fellow being put in his place.
* Fikile-Ntsikelelo Moya is executive editor of the Pretoria News. Follow him on Twitter @fikelelom
Pretoria News