Phumlani M. UMajozi ― Being black does not mean we owe something to the ANC

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

Phumlani holds an Economics undergraduate degree from Rhodes University and Information Systems Honours from the University of Cape Town. In addition to blogging, he chairs ULwazi Foundation; is the Youth Co-ordinator at Free Market Foundation South Africa and an active member of the  South African Institute of International Affairs.

IT’S NOT TOO LONG AGO, that I saw the General Secretary of the African National Congress (ANC), Gwede Mantashe, on television, saying the ruling party must remind the black middle class that the freedom and success they enjoy today, did not descend from heaven; that it was tirelessly fought for by many ANC veterans. I found his implications galling. The message he conveyed, was that the black middle class owes the ANC so much, to reject it. 

I have no idea what came into his mind that he had to make such statements. But perhaps Mantashe had momentarily chosen to be a true reflection of the contemporary ANC. 

 What I have noticed, over the past few years, is that most of the leaders and followers of the ANC who I usually fraternize with, be it on social networks or on the streets, think that because their party battled the odious apartheid government, and led South Africa to freedom, black people must forever remain loyal to it; that blacks, will always owe the party unwavering support. 

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