South Africa

I usually enjoy reading the Opinion section of the Suntimes with its views that seem to span the political spectrum. Even if I don't always agree with what the various commentators have to say, usually the discussion is kept within the realm of good robust, debate. This is not the case with this article by Vuyo Mvoko - a cynically written piece that hauls out all your favourite prejudices and delights in casting everything into an us-versus-them childish discourse. Setting the tone for the entire article is the heavily loaded title of "Homecoming: The return of a baas from abroad is too much for me", and yes it can get worse than that! Let's take a peek into the mind of Mvoko, who sees in the eyes of every returning expat a raving white supremacist intent on destroying everything the rest of us have done since 1994 :

 

I am concerned about the message that this homecoming initiative is going to send. Among the questions I ask myself: how do we end up creating heroes out of villains? Admittedly, I also feel an awkwardness about not sharing the sunny optimism in a country that’s facing not only massive unemployment but abject poverty in many of its parts.

 

Villains? In what way? Please explain to the rest of us how you managed to quickly head overseas and interview each and every single one of these expats who are returning and come to this conclusion? But then of course never let logic stand in the way of a good smear so please roll on...

 

I start asking myself whether it was really our government’s conviction that we have a “skills crisis” so big that we have no other choice but to go down on our knees and call back all those affirmative action “exiles”, some of whom used every opportunity to spew forth the self-serving propaganda that they were being “chased away” by the employment equity policies of this government. I am keen to know what the government said during its successful bids to persuade the 90 “messiahs”. Something along the lines of “we’ve come to realise just how wrong we were about you guys and we sincerely apologise for that. We are indeed lucky the country did not come crashing down as soon as your flights took off to Perth and London”?

 

Going down on our hands and knees? Us? Are we not instead doing what every other country on the planet is doing in attempting to attract highly skilled individuals into our country to make ourselves more competitive in a globalising world? I liked the stereotype that all expats must be running from affirmative action, hell it couldn't be anything else could it? Things like developing your career, experiencing a new culture, not enjoying the SA lifestyle never factor into Mvoko's logic. But do go on...   

 

I didn’t think I was way out of line in assuming that someone would have given them the impression that if this country was to spend another year without them, South Africa would be doomed.

 

Yes I believe you would be out of line. The government has never even romotely given this impression; this is a government that has become infamous for hardly ever backtracking or apologising for past incorrect decisions. Do you think they would make an exception for a couple of expats? Doubt it.

 

But before I could give the Zimbabwean High Commission’s asylum office a call, I found solace in the President’s words that our country had entered its “Age of Hope”. And as the book of Isaiah he quoted from says: “Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree. And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree ...”

 

Please don't hesitate on this one, and as they say in the ad's "Call now! Our operators are standing by for your call". I'm sure in Zim a man of your vision and forthrightness would be greatly appreciated, especially with your job description listed as "an independent media and political consultant".

 

Tembekile, a friend of mine who is an engineer by training but who has done very little of that in his dozen or so years of working because there are no opportunities, swears that his anger has nothing to do with the fact that he must just stick to selling cars and forget about being an engineer again. He insists his apparent lack of trust of white people has nothing to do with the hostile reception he and scores of black professionals get when they entered the world of work.

 

He laughs at me when I say he’s taking things a bit too far when he also blames white people for the fact that we have asylum-seekers from the African continent, who are qualified in all manner of things, but who end up parking cars and being security guards.

 

Yes of course your "friend" Tembekile. Come now Vuyo, just own up to your own prejudices, no need to bring in your imaginary friend  to cover your own ass in trying to bolster your very shaky logic. But of course here comes the kicker -

 

I have now accepted that I’m an endangered species. But the thought of having a baas returning from the UK, New Zealand and Australia is too much for me.

 

What can you say to that? Ninety expats return and Mvoko's whole world comes crashing down, the return to a white-dominated government is just round the corner. What an intellectually dishonest and horrendously stereotypical piece! No I'll tell you what you can say to Mvoko -

 

All people are different. Everyone has different dreams and aspirations in life and just cos they don't fit with whatever Mvoko's dream is, doesn't make them "villains" or "affirmative action exiles". Undoubtedly there are a number of bitter SA expats who are hoping that things don't go our way in SA so their decision to leave can be validated by our implosion, but that doesn't mean every single expat is like that. Isn't that what we all wanted, a country where we could be free from labels and stereotypes? What Mvoko presents here is his very twisted society in which everyone fits into a certain category and god help them if they dare step out of their assigned box! "Oh you're an SA expat well then you must be a bitter racist who wanted to see out country fail! What's that, you went overseas because you wanted to expand your skill set and now you've returned to do your bit and build the country? Sorry no dice, we've already decided what you are, so no use trying to argue your way out of it!" Hey Vuyo I've got another stereotype for you - all senior appointees to the SABC must have been politically connected to the ANC to get their jobs. Weren't you the former head of the Politics desk of the SABC?

 

Should we go on? No, we should move on because that's a childish way of establishing someone's bona fides, instead why don't we look at a persons actions today. Making the decision to return to SA and giving a vote of confidence to our country, wanting to use your skills to make a difference, wanting to help the next group of managers and professionals develop! How about that for a stereotype!

 

Positive thinking is what we need in SA today - not the loaded trash that Mvoko offers here!