It’s not about lack of empathy. It’s about skewed empathy. My problem is not with having empathy for people who are the victims of brutal crime on farms. These are people’s parents, brothers and sisters…family. Of course I get that. The point is that…of ALL the people in South Africa…the president of the UNITED STATES expressed empathy for the plight of white people….and certain white people still feel that they’re oppressed. That’s a level of narcissism that’s nuts.
The president of the most powerful Country on the planet said that…of ALL the people in SA, Afrikaners are the ones who need refugee status. And white people still feel oppressed. The white voice is so loud and privileged that The president of the UNITED STATES overlooks the expanses of squatter camps and townships and goes to the people with expanses of land and says we need to save those people. ‘They’re being treated badly, folks.’ And you still feel oppressed.
As a human who walks around South Africa, the only logical conclusion to me is that black and brown people are invisible to you unless they’re serving you. They don’t factor in your empathy equation. Of course you need to feel empathy for those on farms who experience tragedy. That’s not my issue.
My issue is that many like our Olympian Roland Schoeman and space genius Elon Musk are creating a narcissistic narrative of South Africa that is so dramatically skewed from reality…. It needs a bit of balance. If we let them carry on like this, in a few months people all over the world will be holding ‘Save Johan Rupert’ rallies. The privileged voice is very loud.
By Dr. Riaad Moosa, Comedian, Activist and Doctor
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