Steve Hayes
2011-08-17 04:50:19 UTC
Tutu calls for wealth tax on whites
August 12 2011 at 01:31pm
By MURRAY WILLIAMS
tutu_weathy whites
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has called for a wealth tax to be imposed
on all white South Africans.
The former archbishop of Cape Town and former head of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) also called on members of President Jacob
Zumas cabinet to sell their expensive cars, to show you care about the
poor in South Africa.
Tutu said apartheid had left South Africans riddled with self-hate, and it
was directly to blame for the countrys vicious crime rate and road carnage.
He made the calls on Thursday night during a book launch at Stellenbosch
Universitys Institute for Advanced Study.
The book, The Humanist Imperative in South Africa, contains 26 essays by
leading academics and public figures and is edited by Professor John de
Gruchy.
As guest of honour, Tutu recounted the myriad ways apartheid had dehumanised
South Africans.
Apartheid damaged us all; not a single one of us has escaped.
In a break from his prepared speech, Tutu said a wealth tax had been
suggested during the TRC process, and had enjoyed support at the time.
Moments earlier, he had told the whites in the conference room: You all
benefited from apartheid. Your children went to fancy schools, you lived in
posh suburbs.
He stressed, however, that this did not mean all whites had supported
apartheid.
Speaking to the Cape Argus after his speech, Tutu expanded on his wealth tax
call.
There were many in the white community who were ready for this (at the time
of the TRC process).
It could be quite piffling, maybe 1 percent of their stock exchange holdings.
Its nothing. But it could have helped... maybe building new homes, and that
would have been an extraordinary symbol of their readiness.
Asked whether he was again calling for a wealth tax, Tutu said: Thats what
Im saying.
He then laughed: What were you doing in there (the conference centre)? Were
you listening?
Tutu did not say how he wished the tax to be implemented, but said he hoped
whites themselves would agitate for it to be imposed upon them.
Throughout his speech, Tutu cited numerous examples of what he saw as
apartheids impact, which had fundamentally been an erosion of self-esteem
and the advent of self-hate. He blamed South Africas high crime rate on
this, saying: Thus we must not be surprised at the staggering statistics of
violent crime, murder, rape.
When you suffer from self-hate you project it on to those who look like you
and so we have so-called black-on-black violence, where the victim of a
hijacking is shot even when she has surrendered her car keys.
In another example, Tutu said black South Africans continued to litter as a
result of apartheid.
The disgrace of littering... is not a function of poverty. Our parents were
poor but our surroundings were scrupulously clean because apartheid had not
yet done its pernicious work.
This work, this eventual impact of apartheids policies, had left black
South Africans feeling: I am nothing, I am rubbish and so it does not matter
that I live among all this rubbish which reflects what I think of myself.
Tutu said another manifestation of the effect of apartheid was the nations
road death rate, which was regularly one of the highest in the world.
We show it how we drive recklessly, inconsiderately, aggressively because
deep down we are angry and so the appalling carnage on our roads during the
holidays horrendous statistics we just accept.
We are wounded.
Speaking about the cabinet ministers cars, Tutu challenged them: Your
handbook permits you to buy very expensive cars and most of you have done so.
In the spirit of ubuntu, to show that you care, that you are compassionate,
please sell your expensive cars and replace them with slightly less pricey
cars.
Your humanity depends upon it.
Tutu said he drove a BMW, which aides described as a very old three-series.
- Cape Argus
August 12 2011 at 01:31pm
By MURRAY WILLIAMS
tutu_weathy whites
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has called for a wealth tax to be imposed
on all white South Africans.
The former archbishop of Cape Town and former head of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission (TRC) also called on members of President Jacob
Zumas cabinet to sell their expensive cars, to show you care about the
poor in South Africa.
Tutu said apartheid had left South Africans riddled with self-hate, and it
was directly to blame for the countrys vicious crime rate and road carnage.
He made the calls on Thursday night during a book launch at Stellenbosch
Universitys Institute for Advanced Study.
The book, The Humanist Imperative in South Africa, contains 26 essays by
leading academics and public figures and is edited by Professor John de
Gruchy.
As guest of honour, Tutu recounted the myriad ways apartheid had dehumanised
South Africans.
Apartheid damaged us all; not a single one of us has escaped.
In a break from his prepared speech, Tutu said a wealth tax had been
suggested during the TRC process, and had enjoyed support at the time.
Moments earlier, he had told the whites in the conference room: You all
benefited from apartheid. Your children went to fancy schools, you lived in
posh suburbs.
He stressed, however, that this did not mean all whites had supported
apartheid.
Speaking to the Cape Argus after his speech, Tutu expanded on his wealth tax
call.
There were many in the white community who were ready for this (at the time
of the TRC process).
It could be quite piffling, maybe 1 percent of their stock exchange holdings.
Its nothing. But it could have helped... maybe building new homes, and that
would have been an extraordinary symbol of their readiness.
Asked whether he was again calling for a wealth tax, Tutu said: Thats what
Im saying.
He then laughed: What were you doing in there (the conference centre)? Were
you listening?
Tutu did not say how he wished the tax to be implemented, but said he hoped
whites themselves would agitate for it to be imposed upon them.
Throughout his speech, Tutu cited numerous examples of what he saw as
apartheids impact, which had fundamentally been an erosion of self-esteem
and the advent of self-hate. He blamed South Africas high crime rate on
this, saying: Thus we must not be surprised at the staggering statistics of
violent crime, murder, rape.
When you suffer from self-hate you project it on to those who look like you
and so we have so-called black-on-black violence, where the victim of a
hijacking is shot even when she has surrendered her car keys.
In another example, Tutu said black South Africans continued to litter as a
result of apartheid.
The disgrace of littering... is not a function of poverty. Our parents were
poor but our surroundings were scrupulously clean because apartheid had not
yet done its pernicious work.
This work, this eventual impact of apartheids policies, had left black
South Africans feeling: I am nothing, I am rubbish and so it does not matter
that I live among all this rubbish which reflects what I think of myself.
Tutu said another manifestation of the effect of apartheid was the nations
road death rate, which was regularly one of the highest in the world.
We show it how we drive recklessly, inconsiderately, aggressively because
deep down we are angry and so the appalling carnage on our roads during the
holidays horrendous statistics we just accept.
We are wounded.
Speaking about the cabinet ministers cars, Tutu challenged them: Your
handbook permits you to buy very expensive cars and most of you have done so.
In the spirit of ubuntu, to show that you care, that you are compassionate,
please sell your expensive cars and replace them with slightly less pricey
cars.
Your humanity depends upon it.
Tutu said he drove a BMW, which aides described as a very old three-series.
- Cape Argus
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://khanya.wordpress.com
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
"She believed in nothing. Only her scepticism kept her from being an atheist."
-- Jean-Paul Sartre
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://khanya.wordpress.com
Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com
"She believed in nothing. Only her scepticism kept her from being an atheist."
-- Jean-Paul Sartre