Cape Town
Last Sunday marked the end of a dark week for South African politics, as South Africa defeated Wales to advance to the Rugby World Cup final against England. The brave Democratic Alliance, the official opposition party, a proud liberal party that fought both apartheid and the abuses of the ANC, has fallen into discord and defamation. Its leader, Mmusi Maimane, resigned, sparking intense internal conflict over his governance and policies. Enemies of liberalism gloated. The election of influential figure Helen Gill as party chairperson was at the center of the storm. Africa can only prosper if it follows liberal policies such as clean and limited government, the rule of law, free enterprise, equal opportunity, and non-discrimination on grounds such as race. This is what the DA used to believe. However, there are major problems among Africa's elites that make liberalism difficult. It lies deep in the African psyche and helps explain why post-colonial Africa has failed compared to post-colonial Asia (compare Kenya and South Korea). It is difficult to explain the problem, but among African leaders there is simultaneous hostility and veneration towards all whites and Europeans. When an African leader (Robert Mugabe is a classic example) denounces European imperialism, it is often the case that he drives a European car, wears European clothes, and sends his children to European or European-style schools. We all know that it's commonplace – and probably despises most things in Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa sent his sons to the highly prestigious (and expensive) St Stithian's College in Johannesburg and his daughters to Rodean College. This is typical. This hypocrisy has caused great damage in South Africa. Consider the ANC's racial policy of 'transformation'. This means excluding white people.
