‘That which purifies us is trial, and trial is by what is contrary’ John Milton, Areopagitica (1644)
Counterpoint, an occasional feature on the Daily Friend, seeks to match the wisdom Milton expressed in his great defence of free speech that the best ideas emerge from scrutiny and argument. Guest opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the Daily Friend or of the IRR.
South Africa’s coloured population is likely one of the most marginalised ethnic groups in our history; under Apartheid we were not white enough, under the ANC we’re not black enough. Nothing has changed for us in a hundred years, and a reluctant acceptance of mediocrity has often insulated us against disappointment.
Like many among the coloured communities of the Western Cape, I harboured much scepticism over the GOOD party’s ability to live up to their emotive name.
I was therefore unsurprised at what many have called Patricia de Lille’s ‘betrayal’ in taking up a position with the very government that continues to ignore us.
Yet hope springs eternal, and while material wealth may be in short supply among impoverished coloured communities, our political capital is substantial. We lack only a spark of self-belief in order to take advantage of our own efficacy.
For so long have we been hobbled and neglected that the idea of standing on our own two feet has long felt impossible. But change is in the air…
For the past few weeks I’ve sensed a strengthening undercurrent during my daily visits to the Cape’s most poverty-stricken suburbs. A single sentiment echoed in the utterances of those seated in the dirt around a communal pot of wan oats, or sifting through discarded waste in the hopes of spotting recyclables, where an increasing number of complaints are now culminating in a phrase far more familiar than our political leaders would like to admit; ‘this will change after Cape independence.’
Voices of the unheard
Now that the international press has begun reporting on the Cape independence movement, this issue is without doubt going to come to the fore in the lead-up to the next elections, particularly among smaller parties who’ll be the quickest to capitalise on the voices of the unheard.
Where, then, is our illustrious leader? Is she so busy promoting the African National Congress (ANC) agenda that the needs of her electorate are but a distant memory? Recent polling shows that an overwhelming majority of 75% of GOOD party voters believe our lives will improve greatly in an independent Cape, while our elected leader appears focused solely on improving her personal position within arguably one of the most corrupt governments on the planet.
As an embattled Democratic Alliance (DA) struggles in the face of internal politics and an increasingly despondent electorate of their own, competing parties in the Western Cape stand a far greater chance of increasing their political standing should they consider running on an independence ticket, and the GOOD party is no exception.
The DA is almost certainly expected to lose votes not to the clutches of the corrupt ANC, nor to the divisive bigotry of the Economic Freedom Fighters, but instead to the smaller parties who choose to listen.
The Freedom Front Plus and the Cape Coloured Congress have already seen the writing on the wall, with both parties considering an endorsement of a free Cape as a part of their own agendas, come 2021. Should they choose to form a coalition, the DA is going to have to make some difficult decisions if they wish to remain in the pound seats.
Motivated and energetic leader
So where does the GOOD party stand, Patricia? Will you remain content with the ANC collar keeping you in check, or will you finally step up to lead us? One may argue that it is simply too much to hope that our elected leaders might place public will before their private coffers, but I am of the firm belief that at some point a motivated and energetic leader of our own will reveal his or her self.
When that day comes the collective voice of the coloured people will be like thunder. And once we take to the streets, our politicians and media alike will simply find us impossible to ignore.
Whether we move forward with you or despite you is your decision, but make it soon.
The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR
If you like what you have just read, subscribe to the Daily Friend