There is obviously no proof that apartheid and colonialism were the causes of the murderous trend - there never is any proof when they make these inflammatory statements. I am sure that both colonialism and apartheid didn't help the situation but to suggest they were the cause is ridiculous.
To start with, South Africa was not the only country to be colonised - most of Africa, Asia and the Americas were colonies. So why are their murder rates so low compared to ours?
Vavi's argument on this point holds no validity, so can be discounted. Apartheid was less benign, but it was hardly the sole cause, but I will get to that later.
So what if we look elsewhere? What about at the black cultures themselves? Perhaps the violence inherent in the tribal cultures of South Africa may be part of the problem. Rural boys are brought up engaging in stick fighting and are later sujected to brutal circumcision that claims lives every year. Even the belief system of angry ancestors, of witchdoctors' curses and muti killing all contributes in some way. Granted, more and more South African blacks are forgoing these traditions, but I am not maintaining that all blacks are murderers. I am maintaining that the high violent crime rate is not the fault of the whites.
When the coloninizers arrived in South Africa back in the 1400s, did they find the black people just sitting under trees enjoying their utopian, stress-free existence and then proceed to start butchering them? No. They encountered warlike tribes that were bent on massacring the other tribes around them. Vavi should do some reading about the history of his people before opening his mouth.
Even after colonisation, the back-on-black violence continued. Just talking to people who lived in the townships during the apardheid era will give you an idea of how much violent crime was being perpetrated by the black population against their brethren back then (although nothing like the violence that followed the ANC take-over of the country). Again, the blacks were not just sitting around being victimised by the apartheid government thugs or even focussing their violence of the police and soldiers sent into the townships to keep the peace. A majority of the violent types were preying on the weak and the innocent. I re-iterate my point that apartheid was a contributing factor but it was not the sole cause.
I would suggest that another, more compelling reason for the high violent crime rate is the encouragement of violence by the ANC, SACP and PAC during the apartheid era as a means to overthrow the government and the violence of their cadres against those suspected of being police spies or not towing the line. Can anyone forget the images of people being "necklaced" by psychotic, ANC and PAC inspired mobs? The townships were ruled by the gangsters and their revolutionary overlords (who now run our country). They were the ones that flooded the townships with assault rifles, many of which were used against innocent black families in murders and robberies, and then later were used in murders and robberies in post-apartheid South Africa. Yes, apartheid was the catalyst but the root cause was the irresponsibility of the people who now govern the country.
And when apartheid ended and the police force fell apart, many of the "freedom fighters" (terrorists) were repatriated from their bases in Africa where they had been training to fight the SADF. Promises to these trained killers of jobs, money and homes as reward for their sacrifices never materialised as the fat cats plundered the state coffers and enriched themselves. Disillusioned, many of these ex-soldiers turned to the only thing they knew; violence and killing, thus aggrevating the crime situation.
Finally, the lack of jobs, hopelessness and lack of guidance by many families and the state are further contributing factors. And these can be laid squarely at the door of the ANC government and even organisations like Cosatu. These organisations and the others like them have not changed from their struggle mentality to one of constructiveness. They are still destructive, trying to break down a non-exsitent enemy and place blame instead of admitting to the problems, engaging the resources they have and starting to build the country up. They are not planning and leading. But then it's easier to bitch and moan than get down in the trenches and do some work.
In my view, all of these things contribute to or at least exacerbated the violent crime, Comrade Vavi.
Apartheid; yes. Black culture; yes; ANC/PAC/SACP policies; most definitely. Corruption and lack of delivery by the ANC government; oh yes! Colonialism; not really.
I understand you, Vavi. I understand how you are thinking here, and it is common to most ANC leaders. It would hardly be inflammatory to the masses if you told the truth. You would lose your power if you could not enrage your followers by pointing to an external enemy, even if you have to create a phantom foe, lest they turn around and say "Hey, what exactly is Comrade Vavi doing to make our lives better?"
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