Racism is NOT the problem. We have much bigger problems. To tackle the big issues we cannot allow those in charge to pretend the reason for their failure is that most people are racist or that racism is everywhere. South Africa is a failing state in which most youth are unemployed, crime is terrifying, corruption is widespread, basic services are undelivered, and public education amounts to child abuse. These are exactly the major problems topping most people’s agenda, not racism. That is not an assumption, that is a fact based on evidence. We asked thousands of people in a random, demographic survey towards the end of 2020 what they think the two biggest, unresolved problems are since 1994. Here are the results.
3% think racism is one of the major problems, 95% think we have much bigger issues. Politicians, journalists, and academics who see racism everywhere support race-based law as the ultimate solution to the ultimate problem. They are horribly wrong. And they are a tiny minority.
The 3% who think racism is the biggest issue also say black people experience racism on a daily basis. Are they telling the truth? We asked thousands of people if they personally experienced any form of racism in the past five years.
Fewer black people experience racism in South Africa than in any European country surveilled by the EU in 2016. No wonder 95% of us know that racism is not the problem. Is racism a problem? Yes. Racism against "Asian" people and "White" people is increasing, which is disturbing, as is the fact that some "Black" people and "Coloured" people suffer from racism, albeit at decreasing rates. Very few public figures try to defend ALL people against all kinds of racists. We do that. Because we know that racism is a problem wherever it happens. But 80% have experienced no racism in the last five years, so racism is not happening everywhere, or even most places.
So why do "influencers" talk about racism so much? Why is it so easy to act in public as if apartheid is ongoing? Are these "social justice warriors" really trying to stop rare racism, or is something else going on. We asked thousands of people whether they think "racism" is being used as a scapegoat to distract from much bigger problems. Most said YES.
Despite the daily onslaught of racial politics common sense is way more common than it seems. Over 95% of South Africans do not identify racism as the major problem, 80% have not personally experienced racism in the last 5 years, and most people think politicians are talking up racism and colonialism to excuse their own failures.
If you want to help us help this country get real about its problems Support Us. Make your voice heard. If you want to get ahead of the curve, read Dr Anthea Jeffery’s IRR report on the major threats to South Africa’s democracy, with methodological explanation of the IRR survey, here.
