Playing the ‘race card’ does nothing to help race relations

The RET (Radical Economic Transformation) set seemed to have picked up with alacrity the themes composed for them by the white-owned public relations company in London, Bell Pottinger (since deceased).

And, as the net has slowly started closing on the stooges involved in the massive state capture project, they’ve fallen back on the tried and trusted principles of deny and deflect and, if that fails, play the race card.

So, it was not at all surprising to see the meltdown of former Eskom and Prasa chief executive Brian Molefe yesterday at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, when, enraged by the line of questioning seeking clarity on his knowledge of multi-million-rand payments made to Gupta-linked Regiments Capital, he branded evidence leader Anton Myburgh “a witchdoctor”.

That was at least a piece of entertainment in the midst of the awful morass of Molefe’s meandering, contradictory testimony before the commission.

Perhaps he believes that the more absurdities he spews, the better chance he has of being declared the hero that he already is, in his own mind…

Now, Eskom chief executive André de Ruyter, the man sent to clean it up, is to be investigated on allegations of racism, levelled by the company’s suspended chief procurement officer Solly Tshitangano.

The Eskom board will appoint an independent senior counsel to conduct the investigation.

But, it has also warned that if De Ruyter is cleared, then his accuser will have to face the music in terms of the company’s disciplinary code, which makes false accusations – especially damaging ones of racism – a dismissable offence.

If De Ruyter is racist, he must be dealt with in the strongest way. But, if he is not, then his accuser must also be treated in the same manner.

Playing the race card does nothing to help race relations and reduces the impact of genuine grievances about racism.

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