Generalizations

I am white, and I am South African, so it would be easy to make a sweeping generalisation that because of the colour of my skin and my nationality, I am probably a racist. And because I am a white racist I am anti the ANC, have loads of money, a university degree, and not an ‘African’, simply a ‘South African’. Conversely, if I was black I would be pro ANC, the criminal element or a corrupt official, I would probably have AIDS, and I would be an ‘African’ through and through. It is therefore predetermined that generalisations will be made, no matter how ridiculous they are and so where better to generalise than a country with such a history as South Africa?

The fact is that I am African because of my location not my appearance, no matter how many generations my family dates back to settling in South Africa, and just because I am white should I really be classified otherwise. It is not only the Native American Indians that are called Americans and it is not only the Aborigines and Maoris that are called Australian or New Zealanders and an Asian in England or a black man in France are still called English and French respectively. So why can’t I call myself not just South African but African. The fact is that South Africa is no different from any other country; the only difference is that South Africa managed to elect a ‘Xhosa’ as its first native African president, before America elected a Native America president or Australia elected an Aborigine Prime Minister. And yes, some of you will say that is not the point, it is down to majority rule but America and Australia relocated their Native Indians and Aborigines into reserve and eventually exterminated them, almost to extinction. Which country has therefore been more colonized and oppressed?