White Inc picking on the wrong fights?
There is no doubt that the Dalai Lama is a man of peace fighting for the freedom of a people living under forced rule by China. South Africa coming from a history of exiled movements for freedom that only survived mainly because of the generosity of some foreign governments should at the very least be sympathetic to the Tibetan cause.
Being sympathetic to a cause does not mean compromising potential economic gain for your country just so you can show that you support a certain cause or struggle for freedom for a particular people.
During our struggle for freedom there was a large number of governments that supported our movements like the ANC, PAC, etc but still did business with the South African Apartheid Government. They fully supported our cause but could not disregard their duty to their countries. Some countries even went as far as evicting ANC operatives so as not to offend their trade partner, the apartheid government.
Right now China is a very strategic trading partner to South Africa and as such will now and then exert pressure to influence certain decisions that might not necessarily be palatable to us but can have ramifications on continued trade partnership. This is not anything new. Its been practiced for as long as diplomatic relations have existed between countries.
The US utilize the same kind of pressure in influencing trade partners and those dependent on it for aid. It is interesting that when it is the US that uses it’s position of strength, no one seems to mind. We recently witnessed this when the UN Security Council voted on the Libyan no fly zone resolution.
It is rather sad though that our government doesn’t seem to have enough balls to simply deny the visa and state the reasons. The Dalai Lama was refused entry in 2009 and I’m not sure what the people that invited him would have thought has changed. The ANC government showed cowardice in dealing with the situation. If you have taken a position as a government, no matter unpopular, you own up to it and have a duty to inform your public about reasons for such.
It is even more sad that the White Inc would use this to score cheap political points. This simply reiterates the perception that the opposition and the White Inc in general are not interested in fighting for the betterment of the majority of our society. When will we see them staging night vigils against companies that abuse poor workers, against government for failing our children with the current state of our education? Why can’t we see headlines daily condemning government for not doing enough to curb crime and drug infestation in our townships (we only see these headlines when it’s white people that are victims)?
This simply smacks of hypocrisy and double standards. I think I can go as far as saying they actually do not care. If they did we would have seen them fighting for the poor of this country as they doing to get the Dalai Lama to attend a birthday party, of all things. The very same media that ‘s now making so much noise about someone attending a party is the same one that (rightfully) crucified government and some rich blacks for holding extravagant parties.
And for the Arch to say this Government is worse than the apartheid government does not even deserve comment but simply shows how this tireless activist has been tainted and compromised by the White Inc in his old age.
The White Inc always seem to bat for the wrong political side and then wonder why their political parties are not making inroads into the black electorate. They simply ignore to pick the fights that matter the most to the poor, who are the majority. The issue of the Dalai Lama is important but means nothing to a jobless, hungry Joe in the township.
There is a lot that the ANC does wrong that people should make noise about. If they really have to constantly demonise the ruling party, could they at least use issues that will change people’s lives? Why is it always that the White Inc through it’s media always make the most noise about ANC failures that really do have much impact on the poor and leave out what the ANCshould be really hammered about.
The visit by the Dalai Lama, while he is a great man fighting for a just cause, will not do anything for most people except maybe make one 80 year old Archbishop very happy on his birthday. Big deal.
The Social Commentator 
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