LETTER: Racism not to blame for SA’s conflicts

I wish people would be more cautious about blaming every serious problem they encounter on racism. They should rather scrutinise the follies of human nature, which seems to be the main problem that has led to so many conflicts in the socio-political sphere.

The many dangerous conflicts that play out at our universities, for instance at Unisa, Fort Hare and UCT, cannot be attributed to racism as this is a new phenomenon occurring years after transformation has given power and status to all, regardless of their race.

The political killings that have come to characterise any rise to positions of power has nothing to do with racism. The fact that I am to this day still owed a big chunk of my severance package, which was short-paid in 1996 when I left Tembisa Hospital to take up employment in Saudi Arabia, had nothing to do with racism.

The fact that the Johannesburg council disconnected my water supply last year and declined my application for debt rehabilitation, which pensioners had been advised to do, had nothing to do with racism.

My children paid R20,000 eight days ago and I sent emails pleading with council to have my water reconnected after a year and two months of struggling without water, also promising to settle the balance of R7,000 as soon as I can, but still nothing has happened — I still have no water. This has nothing to do with racism.

The bottom line is, human nature is difficult to understand. We cannot always blame racism for the challenges we face in life and we cannot always resort to suicide, we have to be strong.

Cometh Dube-Makholwa, Midrand

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