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Eskom drama not a 'race issue'

Nov 10 2009 13:02

Johannesburg - ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe on Tuesday warned the current events surrounding electricity utility Eskom should not be simplified into a racism issue.

"Everybody must be careful. If there's a crisis, they begin to be personal and begin to go to the lowest level of irrationality," Mantashe told SABC radio news.

"By beginning to accuse (ex-Eskom chairperson Bobby) Godsell of being a racist... we know that is far from the truth. We begin to talk of (Eskom CEO Jacob) Maroga purely on the basis of blackness. We must focus on the crisis and try and address that crisis," said Mantashe.

There had been suggestions by the Black Management Forum and others that Eskom's leadership issue was about racial tension.

But, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) has come out in defence of Godsell. "And others have said Bobby Godsell is a racist... we say there is no evidence of that," said NUM secretary-general Frans Baleni, when asked who had branded Godsell a racist.

"He didn't apply to Eskom for the job. Godsell was approached by the ANC government who is the shareholder."

Maroga has returned to his job while Godsell himself resigned on Monday.

Baleni said while racism was of great concern to NUM, he did not support racism being manufactured to suit certain agendas.

"The issue of plain racism, even when there is none, makes it difficult for all of us to confront real racism where it exists."

- Sapa

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Amanda
Nov 11 2009 10:58 Report this comment

Who is the Black Management Forum? Are there a White Managemet forum?? If this is not the essence of racism then please explain BEE, affirmative action etc. At least be honest if nothing else. Stop accusing anyone who do not agree with goverment and who have the interest of all citizens at hart as being a racist.

Point Blank
Nov 11 2009 08:42 Report this comment

Yup I think everyone is now getting fedup with all the racism accusations. IT is destructive and hampers the way forward.

MARIANA
Nov 11 2009 08:35 Report this comment

NOT RACIST, WELL IF WE HAD A WHITE MANAGEMENT FORUM WE WILL HAVE BEEN RACIST BUT NOW "BLACK MANAGEMENT FORUM" IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, HERE WE GO LIKE ANGLO ETC THAT IS WERE WE WILL LAND UP PUT OUT THE COUNTRY SLOWLY BUT SURELY THEN SOUTH AFRICA WILL BE LIKE THE REST OF AFRICA NO - NOWHERE?

Abe
Nov 11 2009 08:14 Report this comment

Hooray for people like Mantashe and Baleni (from the NUM - who would have thought?) with the wisdom to counterpoint egoists like Malema and the leader of the forum for managers-who-cannot-make-it-on-competence-and-have-to-rely-on-skin-colour-to-earn-their-BMW. Give us more true leaders and fewer materialistic, self-serving, air-heads who attain positions of influece by no other means than incessantly playing the race game.

mark bristow
Nov 11 2009 07:45 Report this comment

USUAL STORY,THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA TRIES THERE LUCK AT SOMETHING THEY ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DO, WHEN IT GOES WRONG BLAME IT ON THE WHITES WHO WERE NEVER THERE.... I AM SICK AND TIRED OF IT.MY VOTE IS TO TAKE ALL THE NON SWIMMERS OUT AND REPLACE THEM WITH SOMEONE COMPETENT.

HORROR
Nov 10 2009 19:23 Report this comment

Not a race issue? How is this possible? There must be some mistake! Can the truth be dawning? Can it be that one, just one, of the present government's debacles is not because of the whites? Woe is us!! Who do we blame now? Can we blame the Canadians? Please upgrade my BMW while I think.

Ernie
Nov 10 2009 18:58 Report this comment

For as long as things like BEE, sport quotas, employment equity + affirmative action are spoken about + practiced by the ANC govt we have racism. Nobody can dispute that fact. It's no different the the group areas act, job reservation, the immorality act, the pass laws, whites only sporting teams of the old Nat. govt. Racism is racism. There's no other way of looking at it.

Bif
Nov 10 2009 15:43 Report this comment

As long as laws are created to turn whites into second rate citizens, every issue will be a race issue


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