Johannesburg – Black professionals should confront their apartheid and colonialism-engineered subjugation and determine the country’s socio-economic and political direction, says a political analyst.
Xolani Dube, a senior researcher at the Xubera Institute for Research and Development, warned black professionals that they risked being targeted, marginalised and destroyed by dominant forces if they continued folding their arms.
Speaking to Sunday Independent ahead of a round table discussion on how blacks have been crafted as corrupt, incompetent and vision-less, Dube urged them to confront “native on native hatred” engineered by the “master narrative”.
The panel discussion, which is expected to feature high-profile academics, scholars and activists, will be hosted by Xubera in Sandton on Thursday evening.
“SA has gone through three socio-economic power matric phases, that is colonialism, apartheid, post apartheid and now we are in the nexus of the fourth phase.
“The fourth phase is defined by native on native hatred, engineered by the master narrative,” Dube said.
“It is time that the native (blacks) professionals confront their inferiority complex that has seen them remain passive to this narrative.
“This inferiority complex is a legacy of centuries of oppression and condescension by British colonialists and the apartheid regime. It must be challenged.”
Black professionals had to fight against their oppression or risk being sidelined for the next two decades, Dube said.
“If we are going to say fail again, for the first time, to determine the direction of our country, it means that for the next 20 years we will still talk about empowerment and ’unsurety’ that has been imposed or that have been crafted for the black people in this country.
“And we will be dealing with the internalisation of the inferiority complex, and how do we become proactive and not reactional on issues that affect this country.”
He stressed that race still determined the economic prospects of South Africans, adding that even the politicians were affected by their inferiority complex.
“The huge population that is subjugated are black people.
“That’s the call for Thursday to say can we really have an honest discussion that is not political by nature but that seeks to unite the native professionals across the political spectrum.
“We can’t say black politicians have power if the majority of black don’t have power. The black people in this country don’t have power,” he said.
In 2018, the government established the commission of inquiry into state capture to hold accountable those implicated in alleged state capture and corruption following a report by former public protector Thuli Madonsela.
But Dube contended that the Zondo commission was aimed at embarrassing black leaders, a sentiment also expressed by retired SA National Defence Force (SANDF) general Maomela Motau’s ANC Cadres group at their recent meeting with the ANC national working committee.
“We need to have frank conversations. Because Zuma is not the first victim of this.
“Louis Luyt, the former president of SA Rugby, tried to embarrass Nelson Mandela by taking him to court. The sad thing is that Thabo Mbeki was embarrassed.
“Today he (Mbeki) is being branded as the global valiant because of the issue of HIV/ Aids.
“Is the same with former president Jacob Zuma and Ace Magashule.
“It will be the same thing with President Cyril Ramaphosa. There is no escape here, the ruling class don’t have friends. They only use,” he said.
Zuma’s lawyer, advocate Muzi Sikhakhane, expressed a similar view when he addressed commission chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, during his recusal application on Monday.
Sikhakhane dismissed the Zondo commission as a political tool designed to destroy and humiliate Zuma, a charge denied by Zondo and evidence leader advocate Paul Pretorius.
Sunday Independent