Apartheid hampers African Development, not Intelligence

In reply to the letter written by S.K. in the last Salient, I have this to say. S.K. should not dare pontificate about matters he clearly does not understand especially when it comes to South Africa. He talks of the blacks in South Africa as people of lower intelligence because they have been unable to develop separately at the same rate as whites. This statement itself contains a full dose of racist undertones, and is an insult and an affront not only to the blacks in South Africa but to the black races in South Africa and all over the world because S.K. claims their intelligence is based on the colour of their skins.

For S.K.'s information a prominent South African politician and Member of Parliament said that separate development is a word the right wingers use when referring to the system of Apartheid in order to fool the world and people opposed to Apartheid. But separate development and apartheid mean the same thing — stupid blatant racism. It is a system founded on avarice supported by greed and perpetuated by cruelty.

Has S.K. ever looked at the areas designed for the Africans as their homelands What natural resources are in these areas, and is the land adequate to support the black population, or good enough for farming? The answer is no! Is white South Africa prepared to lend the blacks enough capital to make the areas truely economical, socially and politically independent of white South Africa?The answer is yet another no! If white South Africa was prepared to do all these things for a start, they would actually destroy their privileged positions and who can do that except a perfect angel, who is non-existent in this world?

Take a look at the educational structure for the blacks, it is designed to keep the blacks "in their place". It is inferior and cheap education for people who are to be regarded as menial labourers all their lives. It is designed that the blacks have the body and the whites the mind. This being the case, and people like S.K. say that lack of development in blacks' areas is brought about by their lower intelligence, not realising that these homelands for separate development are designed to be satellites of white South Africa held at mercy of white South Africa, and politically paralyzed, economically destitute, socially backward.

Alick Masimba Mwedzi