Tydens my betrokkenheid (1973-1976) by die Universiteit van Fort Hare in die jare-sewentig – ‘n dekade na die Verwoerdera toe die Vorsterbeleid reeds met die aftakeling van apartheid en afsonderlike ontwikkeling gevorder het – het ek die teleurstelling ervaar dat ons Blankes baie meer oor die Swartes se toekoms besorg is as hulle self. Veertig jaar later en dus wesenlik byna twee geslagte verder het die onderstaande artikel onlangs in Business Day se elektroniese nuusbrief BDLive verskyn. Daar het niks verander nie. Inteendeel is die toekoms donkerder as destyds, veral ten opsigte van onderwys en opleiding wat die nuwe geslag vir die toekoms moet grootmaak. Ten opsigte daarvan verskyn daar deesdae dikwels selfondersoekende artikels in die Engelstalige publikasies. Na twee dekades weg van apartheid en eintlik afsonderlike ontwikkeling het ons die bewys van wat hulle hulleself aangedoen het met verwoesting van soveel van die stelsel wat ons voorheen opgebou het. De Klerk se verraad was nie net staatkundig teenoor ons nie; dit was veral ook verraad teenoor die Swartes omdat dit hulle die toenemende geleentheid ontneem het om onder die leiding van die Blanke met sy histories-gelowige ingesteldheid en sy eeueoue vaardigheid te ontwikkel. Daaroor sal ons as volk eenmaal rekenskap moet gee. 

BDLive se redakteur is ‘n jongerige Swartman en na inhoud te oordeel is BDLive en Business Day seker van die lesenswaardigste dagblaaie en tot skande vir die vlak waartoe Beeld onder Adriaan Basson gedaal het. Die onderstaande artikel, geskryf deur ‘n Swarte met insig in sy mense se optrede, dra derhalwe gewig.

BDLive Blacks must overcome reliance on state by Thami Mazwai, 19 November 2014

I WAS on radio last Friday to account for saying in my previous column that it is about time that we blacks took charge of our lives instead of heaping everything on government. After the radio encounter I have no doubt that the country needs a deep dialogue on "working together for a better life" and how we must be part of the "together", if not the drivers.

One caller shockingly said: "The government has an obligation to provide as apartheid destroyed our lives." True, the poverty and destitution out there keeps people dependent on the government. Yet, this dependence/entitlement syndrome is self-defeating. We must overcome it or blacks are doomed to continue as second-class citizens, and this time of our own choice.

Let us look at universities. Black students go on class boycotts demanding this and that while their white classmates continue classes. It does not matter what the demand is as a look at the bigger picture tells us who is going to be "die baas" a few years down the line. And it will also not be because of racism or apartheid but everything to do with how our youth evaluate challenges and choices.

If people think affirmative action and black economic empowerment will be perpetual, they are dreaming. These are going to fall off the table. In the meantime, there are issues of concern. First, retired academic Gideon Nieman runs a restaurant fulltime and decided to take advantage of the youth subsidy and employ 15 young people for a new branch he is opening. He whittled a list of aspirants down from 100 to 15. He then promoted some of the blacks who had been with him to senior positions at the new branch, and one is actually going to be the manager. This is affirmative action in full glory. Three weeks ago the training started and after the first week eight of the youths had dropped out. They just did not pitch up.

Second, two years ago a government agency recruited 200 youths for experiential training and placing in entities owned by a municipality. They were going to pay them a princely R3,000 a month as they trained and some would ultimately get permanent posts. At least 80% of the recruits failed to take up the offer because the R3,000 was too little. Really?

Third, sector education and training authorities have internship programmes in which youths are paid stipends when they are in a company to get some experience. Astonishingly, many drop out because, again, the stipend is too low. Mind you, these abscond when they do not have jobs or an income. It just blows the mind. Of course, there are many young people beating the odds. These, to our pride, achieve their dreams, as Mpho Lakaje shows in his weekly TV programme on eNCA.

We also have organisations such as the National Youth Development Agency and others that play a positive role in developing youths. But these and the young gems above are not making a significant dent in the psyche or expectations of black and coloured youths in general. This is particularly so when some youth organisations, more so the political ones, mainly harp on about their plight and thus perpetuate the syndrome of entitlement. If we must turn things around, and stop this entitlement mentality even among our youths, decisive action needs to be taken. Poverty is a trap and few people born into it escape, often because of the mind. Hence the need for deep dialogue and this must have Steve Biko’s teachings at the centre. It is only when we get out of the victims’ psyche of dependence and entitlement will we win the war against poverty, unemployment and inequality.

Let us thus urgently start this dialogue on how we galvanise black SA, more so the young, to productive behaviour and self-determination.

Finally, when the future is discussed, we sometimes draw parallels and relate our young to the African National Congress Youth League of yesteryear. Take it from me, most of our young leadership, regardless of time and context, is not in the mould of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Charlotte Maxeke, Robert Sobukwe, Ellen Khuzwayo, Lillian Ngoyi, Godfrey Pitje or Biko. The make-up of these greats was not centred on entitlement but on self-actualisation in taking their people to higher levels of existence.

• Mazwai is executive chairman of Mtiya Dynamics, specialists in enterprise and supplier development