Cape Town is Racist?

So, with my little disappearing act from the world of blogging, it became clear one day that I was just waiting for something to ignite me like a spark plug before I could return... and something did.  I thought maybe some fun times or summer romance would yank me out of the melancholy swaying, burying a lover was rocking me in, but in fact it was political.  Well, sort of...

It was a fine morning in my beautiful city when I came across a Twitter thread that proved how disappointing the older generation is in this country, yet again.  And between who, two woman I so highly respect.  Nothing like modern day social networking to drag those that went to high school in the last century back to a high school mentality today.

So with that I said I am not going to play the 'she said, she started' game.  The just of it all is that someone said Cape Town is Racist, Helen Zille came to defense which Simphiwe Dana climbed right on top of.  This infuriated me for four large reasons:

1 - To classify an entire city as racist is such a gross generalization of all the people that make up the city. And who makes up this city?  Who makes it run?  Its not a skin color thing, its a language thing.  This is an Afrikaans town.  The Colored people make this city run from its most basic points and what language do they speak... Afrikaans.  Xhosa has a small place but the other black languages are virtually non existent.  I mean more black people in Cape Town speak French than anywhere else in the country.  So maybe while Simphiwe was sipping cold water with fresh cut strawberries and crushed ice from her 5star hotel room overlooking the mountain and the waiter snubbed her for whatever reason, she would think twice about besmirching an entire city with her one liners.  So Cape Town is racist... how, why, what happened?
Add to that, Cape Town is a gay village.  To say it is behind times in the fight against racism is absurd.  How would a city move progressively forward in one regard and not the other when both are in essence about human rights, freedom and equality for all?

2 - I have been to a few Simphiwe Dana concerts and let me tell you that the passive animosity I get for being a "white" boy is unreal.  Not once did I complain, or write a silly little tweet saying "Simphiwe Dana is racist" merely because some people around me were not pleased with my attendance.  So why do I continue to go... because its a time I can enjoy pretty amazing jazz, so to hell with the people around me, I am going to enjoy the music because it is too amazing to let others get in my way.  I dont care about color, creed or sex when I have payed for my seat ticket like everyone else.  I am a minority of a minority of a minority in South Africa, but I am still South African.

3 - Cape Town is not questionably the best run city in South Africa, it IS the best run City in South Africa.  Hands down!  No contest!  I dont even feel like I need to prove this point.  You go live in the three major cities in SA and you tell me which one was the safest. Not the most fun, the biggest, the best opportunity... which was the safest...?

4 - Last but not least... why, oh why would a well respected woman like Helen Zille get involved in this game of child's play?  Why encourage it at all.  And yes she was defending but there was no need... if some Jozzie folk want to come here for a holiday and complain, let them, because soon they will be gone - thank God.  It is silly and one should never get involved in political silliness.

So in my conclusion I want to say that racism makes me want to vomit in my mouth and the way people complain about it makes me want to swallow that said vomit.  Grow up people, get over your color and realize that we have eleven official languages that provides enough of a barrier in getting closer to each other in a quest at forming a unified South Africa.

twitter |ˈtwitər|verb [ intrans. ](of a bird) give a call consisting of repeated light tremulous sounds.• talk in a light, high-pitched voice : old ladies in the congregation twittered.• talk rapidly and at length in an idle or trivial way : he twittered onabout buying a new workshop.