Probably around the same time as the decision that Robert Sobukwe is no longer relevant as a liberation figure in South Africa - you may say.
It seems to be widely accepted that reference to African is short-hand for Black people who are not Coloured or Indian. I have also heard "Black African" being used - this is more confusing than the former use. The explanation that was given to me during one of those important corporate SA meetings was that: "Black is a generic term which means Africans, Coloured and Indians". In fact, I was referred to some legislation which decrees as such. So, if it says so in an Act of Parliament, then it must be so.
African no longer means "of Afrika" as would European (of Europe), Chinese (of China), Indian (of Indian), Namibian (of Namibia) and so on and so forth. It means a Black South African. It follows that an African living in South Africa is not like one living in Nigeria. All this is confusing - moreso to an anal retentive darkie trying to make sense of his messy world. It is with tragic amusement that I ponder corporate SA statistics: 20% Coloured, 5% Indian, 3% Black. However, seeing that the law says Black means all three, it is 3% African just to make sure that the 3% has no Coloureds or Indians in it. Of the 3 so-called previously disadvantaged groups, only one is African the rest plus Whites, are not.
Other than in legislation, past and present - do the terms Black and Coloured have any meaning? Do they have any meaning other than the constructed meaning? I get a NO to that answer - what do you get? Most adult South Africans my age have a fairly good idea why those words were given their respective meaning. One would have thought therefore that such meaning would be rejected on account of nonsense - but NO, we have a transition to make sense of here. Besides, what is not measured, is not done - so they say in corporate SA. How then would we determine whether the ills of the past are being undone without the use of these neat concepts? I have no cooking clue, like that chef in that reality TV show.
So I'm thinking: isn't it so that I am no more black than I am not white and no more coloured than I am not black and not white? I can live with all this but what does that have to do with African? I am quite happy to be confused by artificial constructions such as Black, Coloured and White. Remember that movie dialogue "you people are more brown than you are black - you people are more pink than you are white"? For Timbuktu's sake why does African have to be thrown into this confusion too?
I don't know about you but me - I am an African, a South African Motswana, Mongwaketsi wa ga heyana heya, masia le kgomo a lesa temo - and about that, let there be no confusion. So I ask with humility, when you call me Black what do you mean? I know what you mean when you call me African.
It seems to be widely accepted that reference to African is short-hand for Black people who are not Coloured or Indian. I have also heard "Black African" being used - this is more confusing than the former use. The explanation that was given to me during one of those important corporate SA meetings was that: "Black is a generic term which means Africans, Coloured and Indians". In fact, I was referred to some legislation which decrees as such. So, if it says so in an Act of Parliament, then it must be so.
African no longer means "of Afrika" as would European (of Europe), Chinese (of China), Indian (of Indian), Namibian (of Namibia) and so on and so forth. It means a Black South African. It follows that an African living in South Africa is not like one living in Nigeria. All this is confusing - moreso to an anal retentive darkie trying to make sense of his messy world. It is with tragic amusement that I ponder corporate SA statistics: 20% Coloured, 5% Indian, 3% Black. However, seeing that the law says Black means all three, it is 3% African just to make sure that the 3% has no Coloureds or Indians in it. Of the 3 so-called previously disadvantaged groups, only one is African the rest plus Whites, are not.
Other than in legislation, past and present - do the terms Black and Coloured have any meaning? Do they have any meaning other than the constructed meaning? I get a NO to that answer - what do you get? Most adult South Africans my age have a fairly good idea why those words were given their respective meaning. One would have thought therefore that such meaning would be rejected on account of nonsense - but NO, we have a transition to make sense of here. Besides, what is not measured, is not done - so they say in corporate SA. How then would we determine whether the ills of the past are being undone without the use of these neat concepts? I have no cooking clue, like that chef in that reality TV show.
So I'm thinking: isn't it so that I am no more black than I am not white and no more coloured than I am not black and not white? I can live with all this but what does that have to do with African? I am quite happy to be confused by artificial constructions such as Black, Coloured and White. Remember that movie dialogue "you people are more brown than you are black - you people are more pink than you are white"? For Timbuktu's sake why does African have to be thrown into this confusion too?
I don't know about you but me - I am an African, a South African Motswana, Mongwaketsi wa ga heyana heya, masia le kgomo a lesa temo - and about that, let there be no confusion. So I ask with humility, when you call me Black what do you mean? I know what you mean when you call me African.
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I keep a bookmark in my Sobukwe book, at the page with this quote: "Politically we stand for government of the Africans for the Africans by the Africans with everybody who owes his only loyalty to Africa and accepts the democratic rule of an African majority, being regarded as an African."
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