By Sanjeev “Mahatma” Gupta
The young firebrands who are vehemently campaigning for Cecil Rhodes’ statue to be brought down are children who were either still in their nappies or not yet born in 1994. Most of this twitter generation learnt about the ills of Apartheid from flowery stories of heroism from their uncles during dinner time or documentaries shown on SABC. Otherwise their experience of apartheid is remote or nonexistent.
Hence, these ‘aggrieved’ students have misdirected their intellectual energies on a cause whose end will not improve their grades. In fact, Cecil Rhodes, where ever he is, must be falling down in a fit of laughter at the shortsightedness of the students. He is being provided with “I told you so” to cheer him up.
At the height of his power, Rhodes had questioned the intellectual ability of Africans to do anything productive from menial jobs. Over a century since he lived, his statement is being proven as the passing mark of black students is much lower compared to their white peers in institutions of higher learning in different disciplines.
So, why can’t black students commit themselves to bringing down the real Rhodes statue which is underperformance? And that is the real economic transformation.
