Douglas Schorr

The so-called “African” attitude toward ownership has nothing to do with Marxism. This Expropriation Bill isn’t about abstract economic theories, and while if it is carried out it will “kick the economy in the teeth,” it isn’t being signed with evil intent.

It is about the timeless social contract that we all shared at some point in our development—a loyalty exchanged for protection and provision. Watching the baboons of Southern Africa is like glimpsing our ancient ancestors at work and play. Notice how the leader of the troop, strutting proudly even in exhaustion, personifies both provision and protection. The world over it was the same, except that unlike the baboon we evolved along a different path, and for all the reasons in the “In the Beginning” stories, we were much quicker. And though they took many thousands of years, Eurasia developed much quicker than the rest.

When white Africans returned to Africa, they encountered people still living in mud huts who had only reached the point of having a king. As it had once been in Eurasia, a group or tribe’s wealth was measured in its ability to provide for and protect its people. For that, the people were fiercely loyal. It also meant the king owned everything by virtue of his right of duty; your children belonged to you only as long as the king’s blessing endured. Your life was his to use as best fitted the needs of all. In Xhosa country in the early 1800s, Paramount Chief Hintsa reigned supreme; in Zululand, it was King Shaka.

Little changed in South Africa, except that the overseas idea of politics was introduced, and in time the people were led to understand loyalty was now expressed by voting. Vote in your “king” and in exchange be protected and provisioned.

To transition from eons under the tribal system, South Africa had less than 100 years to learn the ways of the modern economy. Approximately 15% of black South Africans have been easily able to navigate this shift on their own to the point that they are successfully defining their own careers and engaging in an economy demanding individual accountability. Along with it, they have fully accepted the duties and rights of ownership, of family provisioning and protection—in broad terms, being able to balance one’s own budget.

However, on a graduated scale, the rest need guidance to varying degrees in order to fully participate in a modern economy that demands full accountability for individual performance. The next 25 or 30%, depending on their circumstances month by month, float between taking some ownership and reverting to acknowledging their king. At the bottom of the scale, over half the people need help all the time—think of the army’s newest recruits: “You are now standing at ease. I will be ordering you to come to attention—got it?” These people haven’t the capacity not to have a king. He must own everything, and in exchange for protection and provisioning, he has their vote. A look at the voting patterns of nearly everyone except the intellectually independent reveals that South Africa remains a tribal society. Only a few black South African votes hint at a genuine policy preference; had most voted, the results would have merely mirrored demographic realities. Before you snigger—this is no different from the Eurasians of 1500 years ago (consult your Asterix comics).

The outcome? A divisive elite of competing tribes ends up owning everything, wielding performance accountability solely in their favour.

Until SA somehow elects a visionary who makes it clear that modern economies cannot operate on outdated principles, what was once Africa’s most developed nation will continue to gallop to failed state status. SA—nay, all of Africa—desperately needs a South African leader who acts—and is listened to—like that old-school Drill Sergeant: “We have been standing at ease. I am about to order you all to run with full packs on. Got it? And don’t worry—it’s fun. Once again, you’ll be proudly contributing to your fullest.”

What Ramaphosa is doing is what he innately believes is right. He and his colleagues must own everything to be able to provide and protect. With that belief, since 1994, the ANC has been moving down this track.

What President Trump, Terence Corrigan, and BizNewsTV should be saying is, “Okay, I get that, but do I want to waste my time, the taxpayers’ money, and our national effort on a sinking ship? Surely it will be better to return in 1000 years, and in the meantime, we can do good works somewhere else?”

Before some jump all over this little story, there is one point rarely discussed about SA. It is incredibly hard to manage the resources and development in a country like SA. Farms, mines, and businesses, painstakingly built over a hundred or two hundred years by brilliant minds, can be “MK-ed” (Zuma’s party) and EFF-ed (Whatshisname’s party) in a single fell swoop. Not even USAID can fix that.