Painting October red

Editorial Comment
WHENEVER the phrase “Red October” is mentioned it takes me back to 20th Century European history which I studied feverishly during high school days.

WHENEVER the phrase “Red October” is mentioned it takes me back to 20th Century European history which I studied feverishly during high school days.

-Sukoluhle Nyathi

I probably have more affinity to the Russians for their vodka as opposed to their history.

I found the Bolsheviks and the ensuing rivalry between Vladmir Ilyich Lenin and Leon Trotsky quite tedious.

However, Red October was an integral turning point in Russian history.

Red is symbolic in that it was the colour of communism hence the Red Army and Red October and the red berets we often seen.

The symbolism of October 10 is that it marked the day when the decision was reached by the Bolsheviks led by Trotsky to stage a coup.

However, the coup itself only took place later on in the month — on October 24-25th — when the Bolsheviks, a party comprising largely of workers and peasants, revolted under the slogan of “All Power to the Soviets”.

Now fast forward to 21st Century Africa; a group of whites, predominantly Afrikaaners, probably middle to upper class with plenty of time on their hands decided to stage a series of protests around the country under the banner of Red October.

Donned in red T-shirts and probably armed with sun screen, they stormed the streets in the oppressive heat in protest against the perceived white genocide in South Africa.

Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic persecution in whole or part of an ethnic, racial or religious group.

The more prominent example of genocide is Gukurahundi and that of the Jewish holocaust under Hitler Nazi’s regime — in more recent times, the Rwandan genocide whereby Tutsis were slaughtered en masse by the Hutus.

So I really find it offensive that people march into the street shouting genocide like it’s a walk in the park.

This itself makes me wonder if the marchers really know what the word “genocide” means.

If anything the black government in South Africa has had a conciliatory attitude towards whites following the dissolution of apartheid.

If genocide had been on the agenda, surely it would have been instituted when the new dispensation came to power, yet instead it was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The same marchers cry that they have had enough of crime, which makes you wonder if they are the only ones affected by it.

Crime statistics reveal that only 1,8% of whites are victims in reported crimes as compared to 86% blacks.

Honestly speaking, crime affects all people and it’s advisable to take a holistic approach to crime prevention as opposed to singling different groups out as being more vulnerable.

Then Steve Hofmeyr — who led the march in Pretoria with his band of 300 — stands up and boldly proclaims that “we are not used to being raped by people of other cultures”.

I listened to him speak and thought to myself: Does that mean white people are not averse to being raped by other people just as long as they are white?

Does it also mean that by virtue of being black means you are used to being raped by other cultures?

Because make no mistake about it, if you delve into the history of this country a lot of coloured people were the product of rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated by whites.

The marchers spoke of oppression and felt like they did not belong to the new South Africa.

They forget that blacks, Chinese, Indians and coloureds lived under apartheid from 1948 to 1994.

That is what oppression looks like! That is what it feels like to be disempowered and disenfranchised.

What is also discomforting is that we should not be hearing such statements in 2013.

It only serves to dredge up hate and dissension.

Just a few weeks ago we were in Margolis Park in Pretoria having a picnic.

A little white girl came to play with the little black girls in our group.

After a while, her mother came to fetch her.

She grabbed her roughly by the hand and when she was a few metres away slapped the child and admonished her for playing with black children.

This observation brings me to the conclusion that people are not born racist, racism is learnt.

It is also clear that some people in our society need to free their minds and the rest will follow.  Sukoluhle Nyathi is author of the novel The Polygamist. You can follow her on Twitter @SueNyathi