It is not being naïve to believe in change, or daring to mobilise South Africans to look beyond the past and start shaping the future we all desire. We are not living in dreamland if we choose to believe in the South African Dream. On the contrary, daring to believe in the possibility of a great future gives us hope.
It is possible to live in a world which the likes of Dr Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela dreamt of. Instead of trying to ‘fix’ the past, ‘creating’ a future is the best way to redress effects of Apartheid.
Placing high priority on the empowerment of black people 20 years after our first democratic elections seems like we have simply bandaged our wounds without treating them.
South Africa should not be focusing on ‘empowering black people’; the focus must be ‘liberating its citizens’. I say this because it feels like each time we speak about race; we seem to tip-toe around issues instead of addressing them.
It is about time we addressed the state of our poor and uneducated. We need to say no to the discrimination against the minority because they are labelled ‘Previously Advantaged’, while we have turned them into ‘Currently Disadvantaged’. A one sided manipulation of black people will destroy the future of South Africa, and so will the exclusion of white people or other races.
While any party needs the majority vote to win elections, an effective government needs 100 per cent of South Africans to buy into the dream we share for South Africa. Politicians should not rob us of our future just because they have a popularity contest to win.
Race is an outdated argument when addressing issues we all face today. How long will we preach the ‘Good News’ of Black Economic Empowerment before we realise empowerment of all South Africans is key to building a future we desire?
While we play on emotion to win votes during elections, leaders need to promote the South African Dream; a dream which goes far beyond the delivery of services. We must believe in a dream worth fighting for.
