1. The foundation of white supremacy was laid through political and economic domination. 
  2. Whites ensured that they dominated all spheres of South African society, from the economy to sports and cultural clubs. 
  3. The current manifestation of racism can be traced back to this history of white supremacy. 
  4. The backbone of white supremacy is the economy. 
  5. No amount of condemnation from political parties, the Human Rights Commission or anybody will change this reality. 
  6. We can only bury white supremacy by dismantling all economic institutions that feed into white supremacy and racism. 
  7. There will be no racial harmony without economic equality. 
  8. The dignity of black people of South Africa or Africa as a whole was stripped off when white people took our land, minerals, cattle, goats and so on. 
  9. Our dignity was never restored in 1994 but a political foundation was laid towards its restoration. But 1994 did not restore our land, cattle, goats and minerals. 
  10. Every time a black person needs to buy a house or land, he or she must go to a white estate agent. We buy our cars from white-owned companies. 
  11. Bread, or anything else you can think of, is bought or acquired from a white person. 
  12. A black person without land or any means of production remains undignified. 
  13. We have been living on a cosmetic rainbow nation since 1994, which is only evident during big international sports tournaments like the Afcon, Rugby World Cup, and so forth. 
  14. But after such tournaments everybody returns to his cocoon: most blacks to informal settlements and townships; whites to the exclusive suburbs in our various towns and cities. 
  15. Due to economic means, whites are admitted to private hospitals, the majority of blacks to public hospitals. 
  16. Most blacks use public transport while whites use their private cars.  
  17. Whites go to private schools and most blacks to public schools. 
  18. In reality, there is no integration between the two racial groups except the co-option of the few middle-class blacks. 
  19. We are still living as designed for us by the Group Areas Act. 
  20. We have been living a lie since 1994. 
  21. There will be no racial harmony without economic equality. 
  22. White supremacy remains intact in all sectors of the economy and society as a whole. 
  23. Racism in today's South Africa is caused by economic inequality. 
  24. It is through economic means that whites are still able to hide or live in exclusive areas which blacks cannot afford or can hardly afford. 
  25. With the exception of a co-option of a few black people, white people are in the majority in gated estates, at private hospitals, rugby matches, cricket matches and private schools. 
  26. Blacks are in the majority in the public hospitals, in using public transport, at public schools, townships and villages. 
  27. It is clear from the above that institutions that perpetuate white supremacy are still intact and reproducing themselves in a democratic society. 
  28. Until the dignity of blacks is restored through restoration of land, minerals and other means of production, we must not expect any respect from a white person. 
  29. A white person usually first comes into contact with a black person through a domestic worker, gardener or his or her parents' employees. 
  30. He or she will grow up with an image of a black person as a servant of the white man. 
  31. That is why they get shocked when they attend schools and find black people in the same class as them, hence the Curro incident where there was racial profiling of kids - black and white kids had separate classrooms. 
  32. To avoid confusing the kids they had to be racially separated. 
  33. Racial incidents will happen year in and year out despite condemnation because to date there is nothing that has restored the dignity of a black person. 
  34. The negotiated settlement in 1994 put a nail in the coffin of any hope for racial integration. 
  35. The property clause ensures that whites remain rich and even laid the foundation for white monopoly capital to reproduce itself in a democratic society. 
  36. Section 25 laid the foundation for apartheid to reproduce itself in a democratic society by ensuring that any expropriation of private property or land should be done at a market-related price. 
  37. We can only coexist in the same residential areas with whites, attend the same schools and go to the same hospitals if we have the same resources or economic muscle. 
  38. Until then, the rainbow nation will remain hollow and a cosmetic one. 
  39. White supremacy and privilege will continue to flourish in all spheres of society if there is no economic equality. 
  40. You can shout all you want, open civil and criminal cases year in and year out, but we will continue to deal with the symptoms of white supremacy which is racism.


Ronald Lamola is former deputy president of the ANC Youth League