Nigerian poet and author, Ben Okri once said, “Reading, like writing, is a creative act. If readers only bring a narrow range of themselves to the book, then they'll only see their narrow range reflected in it.”
I remembered these words when I was reading a response to Dr Xolela Mangcu’s article penned by Monde Tabata in the Daily Dispatch of 19, January 2010.
It is fascinating how a well thought article by Dr Mangcu, Shebeen or Ambassador’s party, touched the raw nerve of some people in our society.
In both the Daily Dispatch and the Business Day, Dr Mangcu wrote, “…many of the people there were what Frantz Fanon would have called the “wretched of the earth”, those society has cast off as the riffraff. They also happen to be my childhood friends. Karl Marx dismissed them as a group with no historical consciousness, but Fanon had a better appreciation of their political potency: “So the pimps, the hooligans, the unemployed, and the petty criminals throw themselves into struggle like stout working men.”
The article as I understand it brought to the fore what President Mbeki called two economies in our country – Dr Mangcu’s article revealed a further breakdown of these economies within black communities.
In arguing his point, Dr Mangcu took the recent ANC succession story as he argues it in his recent book, which I must say I will not buy, I have my reasons.
Clearly perturbed by the views exhibited by Dr Mangcu, a certain, Monde Tabata responded to the article with venom – he wrote: “Mangcu was not invited because he is simply not part of that social circle. His social circle is at the Ginsburg shebeen, Gwebindlala. No one will deny him membership of that circle, but I suppose none of the people who chased him away intend gatecrashing his party.”
The response by Tabata posses vibrant social class discrimination against people who, as described in Dr Mangcu’s article, were cast out by society as the riffraff.
Tabata’s view of the people in Gwebindlala is akin to a very famous line in George Orwell’s animal farm. “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
Social divisions in our society are based on social classes more than childhood friendships.
At issue is the fact that one author was arguing politics of the country using real experiences in a bid to articulate his views, on the other, a man, who by the look of things was at the ‘nameless’ Ambassador’s party, believes that the people at Gwebindlela have a bad social conduct and behavior and were not worth being in their circle.
He vehemently wrote, “I yet again submit that the passport into that Zwelitsha social circle that Mangcu gatecrashed is one’s social behavior and conduct – not political affiliation or sense of self-importance.” Should we take anything from this dismissing of people as underclass group of people undeserving to be with the rich and famous just because they are poor and have less resources than the inner high class circle?.
The views held by Tabata are akin to the attitudes of some people in the public service, who treat members of our communities with disdain simple because they belong to a social class lower than theirs.

It is Dr Mangcu who said he was friends with the Ambassador with their relationship going back to the days. As I tried to read both articles, I asked myself, who is this nameless ambassador?. One thing appears to be certain, Tabata might be the one who chased Dr Mangcu away, simple because his social behavior and conduct was below the Zwelitsha’s social circle status.
History tells how the peasants reacted to the politics determined by social classes, which later became French Revolution. Dr Mangcu precisely argues a point which many in our society agree with, that President Mbeki held himself apart from the masses of our people.
While not holding any brief from Dr Mangcu, I think his opinion was well written as he used two fascinating events that took place in communities not too far apart about same black people with some thinking others are a lower class than them. It is this class supremacy that makes South Africa a very socially divided nation, with two economies, by the look of things; we will have three economies, if Tabata would have his way.
The working class and the poor of the Eastern Cape and of any part in the world, have the same right as Tabata and his ‘high class’ friends to voice their views without fear of being prejudiced or victimized. If the article by Tabata is anything to go by, the wealthy and rich in our society are not comfortable with dissenting voices; they are comfortable with narrow views and thoughts promoting social class supremacy which dwarfs social cohesion.
Writing in his book, Wizard of the Crow, Ngugi WA Thiong’o brings together two Members of Parliament who, in a bid to ingratiate with their ruler enlarged their eyes and ears so that they may see and hear threats to the rulers thrown. Both men were rewarded handsomely by the ruler. When we engage about issues, we should avoid falling into this trap lest we confuse national priorities and issues that need our attention as the society.
We are at a point as a country where we need all resources, financial, physical, intellectual and otherwise to work towards fighting social ills while we build a cohesive society.
Mvusiwekhaya Sicwetsha is the Media and Communication Strategist, he writes on his personal capacity