Political parties use race as a weapon

With South Africans heading to the polls next year, political parties are doing everything they can to get our votes. We all know the obligatory food parcel trick, followed by the party’s leader kissing a few babies while canvassing.

It seems as if race is yet another tool in their arsenal. Let us face it, generally and broadly speaking, there are some differences between the various races in South Africa.

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We all know which demographic tends to drive around with dogs leaning out of their car windows. There is also general consensus on which group of South Africans tends to consume a lot of chicken.

Race is being weaponised by the likes of the Economic Freedom Fighters and AfriForum, as they battle it out in court over the struggle song “Kill the boer”. On one side, the red berets know that chicken-loving citizens are triggered every time that song’s words are uttered, taking them back to a dark past.

Their scare tactic is that black people will be hesitant to vote for so-called “white” parties, as they run the risk of being taken back to the days of apartheid.

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On the other hand, AfriForum is looking to secure votes of those who frequent the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to find road trip dogs. Of course, if you are a white South African it does not sit well with you each time “Kill the boer” is chanted. The idea is that you will vote for a party that would protect you from being shot dead.

The rainbow nation is one of our wins as a united people. No matter our race, we rally behind the Springboks and the formidable Banyana Banyana. All of us want load shedding to end, and we all want a fair society where everyone is treated according to their deeds, and not the amount of melanin they possess.

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But, just like in a rainbow, as South Africans, we have distinct colours and that cannot be discounted.

This is what political parties will continue to exploit. All of us would have hoped that since 1994, we would not be at a place in our democracy where race is once again being used to divide, but to unite.

The question is which party stands for this? Right now, the ballot paper is filled with egotistical candidates who will make sure that our appearance as South Africans is used as a weapon.

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