When racism bit everyone's arse this morning

[Naufal Khan]

I was driving to work this morning in peak hour traffic and I switched over to my usual station Lotus FM to catch up on homeland news i.e Durban when the morning show host O'Neil was hosting Ashwin Desai - some University Head and Fikile - head of the ANC Youth League. So the story as I could hear it was that Fikile said that the University was full of Indians and that African students were being sidelined for the reasons I am assuming to be that of high fees, inconsistent quote levels, academic curriculum level etc. 

But the key undertone that came up all the time was racism just with another mask.

 

Reflecting back at 94

At a time when racism as we all understood it to be that of color, Black (Indian, African and Coloured) and White being the two elements of Apartheids end and the birthing of a new era in South African history, some fled, some stocked up on supplies and then the rest of us just waited for change in some form. No doubt lets be honest here many lost jobs and still found it hard to break into careers because of quota allocation systems that were and are in place.

 

Coming to 2007

Racism has progress its natural cycle from that of just colour to that of social, educational, financial classes. For the men that stood side by side when Madiba was released (metaphorically speaking) from them all I could hear was anger and foolishness out of the two esteemed individuals.

 

Yes both had valid points and the most points to Ashwin Desai for his most appropriate validation of how wrong Fikile was in his statement in the Sunday Times. I deduct points from Ashwin for his painfully incessant screaming on air. Fikile on the other hand is one of the most relaxed people I have come to hear on air.

 

One standard tone of voice and he just went on like Geraldine Fraser,  with the eloquent use of words that confuse the hell out of you when you hear her! *LOL* Fikile seems to divert the actual issue of what he had to say to highlight governmental policies and crap that you really don't want to hear.

 

It seems at this time when we have people in power (let us not forget that its almost election time for the new leader) everyone wants to kiss arse on the parastatal levels that will allow them to elevate their pompous personalities to some fantastic title in government. These people who are charged with change in the country to INDIVIDUALs irrespective of race, creed and colour have their own bloody agendas at hand. So my personal opinion to them is SCREW YOU!.

 

So back to the topic, Ashwin and Fikile had it out on air that eventually led to a stalemate but the beauty of the natural cycle of quota's and allocation of students in this context has turned more horrible then the 1994 change.

 

Racism has more or less infected the education system and we have irresponsible people put on the soapbox to fight for "our rights" as individuals in this country where we all just want the same thing - fair play. Ashwin you should calm down as much as you are the general of the university, you lost your sense of decorum when you started screaming and Fikile, wake up and smell the coffee, get rid of reverse racism and get back to doing your job instead of creating crap that we don't need here.

 

And as for the rest of us, lets just hope to see CHANGE that empowers all and not just a select few.

 

[Shalu]

I was quiet impressed with Dasarath Chetty who came on later with a
level head and stated facts quiet clearly.
I kind of relate Ashwins outburst to that of a guy whose mother has
been insulted, he couldnt help but get emotional.IMO