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Has the dragon swallowed South Africa yet?

By Tashi Wangyal | Tibet Sun

Tashi Wangyal Photographer unknown

The tradition to use the cause of Dalai Lama or Tibet to demonstrate ethical values has become common among many world politicians. But when they actually come into power, none of them seem to honour their promises, only issuing a few statements, probably in attempt to please their personal conscience. The majority of South Africa’s governmental Tibet supporters seem to be in the opposition party or have some other vested interest. After witnessing the ongoing behavior of a long-repressed nation like South Africa, it is appalling to think how this historic nation can commit such injustice to us.

The decision to disallow the Dalai Lama to visit South Africa for the second time in three years is indeed a huge political misstep, in that President Zuma might kowtow to Beijing to the extent of sacrificing South Africa’s democratic values for economic incentives, a slap in the face to the basic democratic values which so many South Africans stood for. South Africa had suffered under the British colonial rule for a very long time, which eventually culminated in Apartheid, a system of legal racial segregation with white minority rule which lasted from 1948 to 1994.

In fact, the current president Jacob Zuma himself had spent ten years on Robben Island with former president Nelson Mandela and other notable ANC (African National Congress) activists. He does not need to be reminded how it feels to be penned, thrown into exile, humiliated, and treated as a secondary citizen. Less than twenty years ago, South Africans were battling oppression, inequality and political freedom — yet today Johannesburg appears to have forgotten all those experiences. It is mind-boggling to find South Africa stooping so low, surrendering all her fundamental values and ethical principles for some economic interest. A nation that has successfully overcame inequality, repression, and racial segregation just in our recent memories has failed to uphold the pride and dignity of all the heroic sacrifices of Nelson Mandela and other adamant activists, including President Zuma himself.

I am sure that South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs will use the same argument as they did in 2009: “interfering with FIFA preparations”, while in actuality they are again denying a visa to the Dalai Lama because of its political implications. But today this reasoning is not valid, for the Dalai Lama has recently devolved all his political power to democratically-elected leader Dr Lobsang Sangay.

Also with the growing trade ties between Beijing and Johannesburg in recent years, and China last year overtaking the US as South Africa’s largest export destination, it won’t surprise me if President Zuma is slowly [mis]leading South Africa into a communist state. Indeed, President Zuma had once joined the South African Communist Party (SACP) in 1963, and briefly served on the party’s Politburo until he left the party in 1990. Zuma’s personal life is also not without controversy. He had been already charged with rape, corruption, and racketeering, charges that were later dropped due to political interference.

Therefore, I urge all the South Africans and the international community to be mindful of President Zuma’s future political decisions and his diplomatic ties with China, lest he destabilize the entire African sub-continent.

Copyright © 2011 Tashi Wangyal

Published in Tibet Sun