I have been to a few branches of Dis-Chem around the country. And in one of the stores, there was, out of many, a pretty and friendly white lady whom I used to go and see.
So I can vouch that Dis-Chem, in most of the stores I have been to, is dominated by white employees with some “black faces” here and there. But I could be wrong because that was some moons ago.
And concerning the recent DisChem fiasco in the news, I could not help but notice the arrogance of mainly white customers who confidently declared that without their support Dis-Chem would cease to exist. Although this is possible, it also painfully tells us about the real dynamics of power in our country and the foundational beliefs of white superiority and racism.
It also shows clearly why many white people do not feel ashamed and sorry, or sad, about colonialism and apartheid. From the perspective of a black majority, the attitudes that say if whites no longer support Dis-Chem or any other entity, it will collapse, equally imply that blacks are too poor to replace us.
But then again, taverns and liquor stores, wherever they exist, can rightfully differ, because if whites stop drinking and buying alcohol, plenty of black and coloured people will replace them. But can that easily happen with Dis-Chem? I do not think so as I myself did not see many black customers.
Besides, black people also believe in traditional medicine and homemade/brewed concoctions which are much more affordable than pharmaceutical drugs. Regrettably, however, the belief that the ability is only in “us” and us alone enables the rest of us to see why racist attitudes and arrogance from white people persist because whites are rich and dominant and blacks are countless and destitute.
The solution then is not affirmative action or racial quotas, as these will take a lifetime and may not be fully practical under a bastard Constitution, but to take, by any good means necessary, the economic power from the hands of the few and distribute it to the poor majority.
This may require the amendment of the Constitution. But this should not mean that whites must be sidelined, as this will not be right and useful since white people are no longer settlers but fully African.
Although I disagree with land expropriation without compensation on racial and unethical grounds, I do not think that in Zimbabwe such arrogance can exist.
* Khotso KD Moleko, Bloemfontein.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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