David Van Wyk: Six basic facts white South Africans must know

There are some very simple basic facts that people need to come to terms with if they wish to continue living in Africa in general and South Africa in particular:

  1. People of European descent are a minority in Africa in general and South Africa in particular, and as a minority they cannot claim any rights, privileges or entitlements beyond that which all citizens have.
  2. There is nowhere in Europe, or the world where the land belongs to a minority. If the land belongs to all then we should simply nationalise the land and put it under social control, implying that decision making will be democratic and if democratic the decisions of the majority will prevail.
  3. Nowhere in Europe is the economy of any country owned and controlled by black Africans, therefore to expect any African economy to be owned and controlled by a white minority of European descent is unreasonable and unacceptable.
  4. Nowhere in the world are people excluded from public spaces on the basis of colour or race (except in Israel, and previously South Africa under Apartheid). So to be offended when the black majority of South Africans have a good time on the beach, for example, is simply not acceptable. This is Africa after all and the majority of people are African.
  5. It is time for white South Africans to stop expecting to be privileged based on their skin colour and to be entitled to rights and privileges based on skin colour.
  6. White South Africans must not be selective in their civic actions and behaviours, protesting only over those things that affect them as a group while showing no interest in the plight or conditions of others, their lack of empathy and involvement in common struggles and issues is reflective of their class status in society and the general convergence of wealth and race.

Image credit: Facebook

This article was first published on David Van Wyk Facebook wall. 

87 thoughts on “David Van Wyk: Six basic facts white South Africans must know

    1. Yes, but if you criticise the government as a white person you are deemed to be racist… so what’s the point. The logic and the soundness of an argument one way or the other don’t matter. If I say Nkandla’s bad, or the Zulu king shouldn’t be paid for with taxpayers’ money (many of whom are white) , then one is called a racist. So you end up doing embroidery or playing bridge or leaving SA permanently.

      1. You should be the last person to raise such issue about our African monarchs since you quit know the land belongs to Kings and Queens even before white came to Africa with their civilization and democracy propaganda. Don’t even go there, if you don’t want our King, feel free to migrate elsewhere again, you’re more than welcome to leave SA permanently.

      2. How could many taxpayers be white when whites are in absolute minority? Even if all whites were employed and only a quarter of blacks had jobs your assertion would still be wrong

      3. Sweetwilhelm please. Reread the article. It would be wrong to call anyone who criticise gorvenment with reasonable justification. But been bothered by things such as africans in a beach. Come on dear.

    2. Well said, but your accusing Israel of rasicm or apartheid for that matter is sad indeed. I grew up in SA apartheid era, now living in Israel where non-Jews have many rights, unlike many non-white SAs in the apartheid era.

  1. How shortsighted.. You think it is about how you behave, but it is about how you treat people, how you look at others.

    If you keep judging others and treat them differently because of their colour, how can you expect anyone to trust you?

    You must learn to trust others, but not blindly. Do not judge anyone unfairly, otherwise you will also be judged. If you want peace, be peaceful and accepting, and peace will come to you.

    If there are problems and you need help, you will have the help from those you have helped. You cannot keep blaming one thing as the whole problem.

    All people must learn this! Nobody is more important for any reason. We all have the same rights and must all be equal! No unfair favors or benefits!

    Freedom means responsibility for your own life, and not being oppressed.

    Remember, race is something you cannot change, but mentality is.

    Peace to you.

  2. You comment about Israel is entirely erroneous and ignorant. Firstly Jews and Arabs are of the same ethnicity and Israel is a democratic, one man one vote country. Secondly Israel has Arab, Druze, Jewish and other minority citizens, with equal citizenship rights. The Palestinians living in Gaza and West Bank are governed by the Palestinian authority and are not citizens of Israel and don’t enjoy the same rights as citizens, which is the case in every other country. The fact that in your attempt to be enlightened you choose to vilify ignorantly, speaks volumes about your true feeling on race and equality. Finally your references to Europe are intellectually primitive and again speak to your idea of a white only ideal place, which does not exist and never truly existed, again highlighting your subconscious nostalgia for apartheid.

  3. The Israel comment just shows how the writer has limited knowledge of world affairs. Israel is a democracy second to non. The Arabs enjoy absolute freedom in Israel with the same rights as Jews. The writer assumes the issues in SA are due to white people’s misguided sense of entitlement when in fact it is exactly the opposite.

    1. So why are Palestinians being displaced from their settlements and their movements in and out of Israel controlled? What is primitive about references to Europe? Who is the majority in Europe and who controls their economy? The nature of racism always trying to obfuscate the reality of other people’s experiences and truth about race privilege.

  4. Given south africa’s past, we should criminilise racism and any offence that opens apartheid wounds. Anyone that is agrieved by not being able to fly the apartheid flag or call blacks monkeys or deny ppl excess due to skin tone can become freedom fighter. Cape seal island will b our robin island.

  5. Seriously, thank you for clarifying the obvious. Somewhere in all this the assumption has been made all whites are absolutely stupid, and have not got the basic intellect to understand the above without some journalist publishing it as a trite and frankly pointless piece. Our narrative is more complicated, so can we move beyond it to a more mature discussion now? Wish I could get paid for writing what has been obvious for over 2 decades now…

    1. I guess one cannot be surprised by the obvious parading of ignorance and foolishness. You are in Africa , get that and you will find peace.

    1. I guess one cannot be surprised by the obvious parading of ignorance and foolishness. You are in Africa , get that and you will find peace.

  6. I think as the youth of the country south Africans need to move this is a piece of land after all which is populated by all race no one should be inferior than the other by yet one cannot change a persons opinion black ppl will state they have suffered which is true BT we need to move on not be bitter whites think their opinion don’t count as we are governed by a black person in all this the people with these arguments are the 1970’s and above have you stop for a second and thought what this does to your children my granmdmother has worked for a white person for 30 years the beautiful part is how the employers. Children worship my grandmother cause she. Was a parent while their parents where not at home so please your onions as a elders shouldn’t affect us as children of South Africa keep your racism to yourself and let us the youth change what is left of the country

    1. So why are Palestinians being displaced from their settlements and their movements in and out of Israel controlled? What is primitive about references to Europe? Who is the majority in Europe and who controls their economy? The nature of racism always trying to obfuscate the reality of other people’s experiences and truth about race privilege.

  7. White South Africans of European decent have nowhere else but Southern Africa amd South Africa to live, European countries do not rwcognise white South Africans as being of European decent just as Britain doesn’t view Australians as British nor are Americans seen as anything but American yet all of them are of European decent no? White South Africans after nearly 400 years are just that White South Africans or White Africans many on African soil for more than 15 generations so where is it they are supposed to go to as a minority then David??? The Africans were migrants to the region too, where was Shaka originally from… Aahh wasn’t it Matabele land?? All south africans need to pull together irrespective of race or creed. Oh.. Just wondering if you read the Bible or are religious at all, where is it again that Jesus was born?? Palestine? I seriously don’t think so.

    1. Shaka from matebeleland?? Yu ar clueless. Mzilikazi is from matelebeland and founded matebele aftr breakin away from zulu idiot. Anyway matebeleland is part of southern Africa forget abt boarders(Caucasian invention).

    2. If Europeans don’t recognise white South Africans, yet do business with them to the disadvantage of Afrikans and Afrika, whose problem is it? Why are white South Africans a minority in Africa and whites are the majority in Europe? Is it not testimony that they originate and are descendants from Europe? What makes Afrikans “migrants” in “this region” when they originate in and trace their history and ancestry on the continent? Who designated this region as if it is not on the same continent that Afrikans have lived on well over 400 years, and for countless generations? Whites like you that can cure themselves of the cancer of racism always obsficating the truth. That is racism whites like you insinuate Afrikans live and be tolerant of. We can’t breath from (your nature and reality of racism).

    3. I am afraid what you suggest Is utter nonsense. The same as there is no African European , there cannot be a White South African. During apartheid you had European and Non-European and now you want to conveniently use the title ,”White African”. Europe probably will not want you because most of you are damaged goods , you have gone beyond being human . Remember also that most of the settlers were actually hobos in Europe. You show your lack of intellect by suggesting that an African can be a migrant in his own continent now that is arrogance at the extreme. Considering that the borders were as a result of your kind , Africans were hunter gatherers whilst others were herdsmen they followed the rain to feed their livestock so there is no one place you can claim in the whole continent. So Relax and go practice being human for once.

      1. Hobos,Criminals,Outcasts yes maybe but we were a very strong country before you lot took over! so with all that said if we are so stupid and hobo like what does that say about you? when this country is in the worst state it has ever been!!

  8. White South Africans of European decent have nowhere else but Southern Africa amd South Africa to live, European countries do not rwcognise white South Africans as being of European decent just as Britain doesn’t view Australians as British nor are Americans seen as anything but American yet all of them are of European decent no? White South Africans after nearly 400 years are just that White South Africans or White Africans many on African soil for more than 15 generations so where is it they are supposed to go to as a minority then David??? The Africans were migrants to the region too, where was Shaka originally from… Aahh wasn’t it Matabele land?? All south africans need to pull together irrespective of race or creed. Oh.. Just wondering if you read the Bible or are religious at all, where is it again that Jesus was born?? Palestine? I seriously don’t think so.

    1. Shaka from matebeleland?? Yu ar clueless. Mzilikazi is from matelebeland and founded matebele aftr breakin away from zulu idiot. Anyway matebeleland is part of southern Africa forget abt boarders(Caucasian invention).

    2. If Europeans don’t recognise white South Africans, yet do business with them to the disadvantage of Afrikans and Afrika, whose problem is it? Why are white South Africans a minority in Africa and whites are the majority in Europe? Is it not testimony that they originate and are descendants from Europe? What makes Afrikans “migrants” in “this region” when they originate in and trace their history and ancestry on the continent? Who designated this region as if it is not on the same continent that Afrikans have lived on well over 400 years, and for countless generations? Whites like you that can cure themselves of the cancer of racism always obsficating the truth. That is racism whites like you insinuate Afrikans live and be tolerant of. We can’t breath from (your nature and reality of racism).

    3. I am afraid what you suggest Is utter nonsense. The same as there is no African European , there cannot be a White South African. During apartheid you had European and Non-European and now you want to conveniently use the title ,”White African”. Europe probably will not want you because most of you are damaged goods , you have gone beyond being human . Remember also that most of the settlers were actually hobos in Europe. You show your lack of intellect by suggesting that an African can be a migrant in his own continent now that is arrogance at the extreme. Considering that the borders were as a result of your kind , Africans were hunter gatherers whilst others were herdsmen they followed the rain to feed their livestock so there is no one place you can claim in the whole continent. So Relax and go practice being human for once.

      1. Hobos,Criminals,Outcasts yes maybe but we were a very strong country before you lot took over! so with all that said if we are so stupid and hobo like what does that say about you? when this country is in the worst state it has ever been!!

  9. wow..i cnt blve der r still white people hu can talk like this..u r fair and wise..i hope u live long nd guide them to change,to being better people..u can meet a white hobo in the street,but still looks down on a rich black guy..racism is a desease,really..nd frm wat i c,sumthing is gonna trigger war in south africa..we r at the tip,we africans are still angry coz we wer forced to forgive apartheid,so dey think we wer scared of them or sumthing..Dats y just a simple word dat contain racial discrimination against blacks triggers gets every1 angry..we still wantvto fight,we r angry..

  10. wow..i cnt blve der r still white people hu can talk like this..u r fair and wise..i hope u live long nd guide them to change,to being better people..u can meet a white hobo in the street,but still looks down on a rich black guy..racism is a desease,really..nd frm wat i c,sumthing is gonna trigger war in south africa..we r at the tip,we africans are still angry coz we wer forced to forgive apartheid,so dey think we wer scared of them or sumthing..Dats y just a simple word dat contain racial discrimination against blacks triggers gets every1 angry..we still wantvto fight,we r angry..

  11. The same whites that regards us as nobody are mothered by the same blacks coz their parents give birth and hand them over to housekeepers to raise them,at a later stage they just bad influence them.Africa for africans whether you like it or not, as long as you still regard yourself as European you will never be integrated into change.

  12. You refer to Europe not being governed by someone with African roots. What about Obama in the US? BOOM! Argument crash and burn much?

    You then refer to the monkey comment (which I agree is uncalled for), but you conveniently fotget about Kill the Boer? What is this world coming to when the press cannot be objective when proving a point….

    1. Hendrick you must remember that the utterances of kill the Boer were made during apartheid era, it was said by the time revenge was thought be be an option nonetheless we’re past the worst.South Africa belongs to those who live in it. Peace for all.

  13. You refer to Europe not being governed by someone with African roots. What about Obama in the US? BOOM! Argument crash and burn much?

    You then refer to the monkey comment (which I agree is uncalled for), but you conveniently fotget about Kill the Boer? What is this world coming to when the press cannot be objective when proving a point….

    1. Hendrick you must remember that the utterances of kill the Boer were made during apartheid era, it was said by the time revenge was thought be be an option nonetheless we’re past the worst.South Africa belongs to those who live in it. Peace for all.

  14. I’m so tired of this racism, It is pervasive in every facet of our lives, and article like this just increases the aggression of people! I AM AFRICAN I was born here and have grown up with my fellow Africans this is as much my country and heritage as it is anyone else’s!

    Why must everything we read be about black and white! We are all people and we should be doing whats best for the people not what is told to us by old chairs in an apartheid regime who are all still living 20 years in the past!

    If you are a True South African then it should not be about what colour people are but how are government is run, who cares what colour the person is all we need is someone who cares about people instead of spreading propaganda and hatred!

    1. Totally agree. Why even write this? The problem is everyone white or black is constantly being reminded about apartheid and that there is a problem between white and black. Just let it go and stop looking at colour or race.

      The issue has nothing to do with what the author wrote.. The issue is the violence and crime that is rubbing everyone the wrong way.

    2. Told it like it is. Like it or not. Pretending colour does not matter does not change reality. How I wish colour didn’t matter? As a true South African he is not burying his head in the sand. He is not a hypocrit.

  15. I’m so tired of this racism, It is pervasive in every facet of our lives, and article like this just increases the aggression of people! I AM AFRICAN I was born here and have grown up with my fellow Africans this is as much my country and heritage as it is anyone else’s!

    Why must everything we read be about black and white! We are all people and we should be doing whats best for the people not what is told to us by old chairs in an apartheid regime who are all still living 20 years in the past!

    If you are a True South African then it should not be about what colour people are but how are government is run, who cares what colour the person is all we need is someone who cares about people instead of spreading propaganda and hatred!

  16. There is no African in caucasian image and vice versa, Africans in Europe are still treated like trash and are there via slavery for over 300 years, in America police racial killings is rife, nowhere in the world African privilages claimed.

  17. David Van Wyk if God decided that I must be white and born in South Africa. It is my duty to stay there and love everybody and respect every thing around me. Read 1 Cor 13. It is not for any person to decide who is who and who goes where.

  18. David Van Wyk if God decided that I must be white and born in South Africa. It is my duty to stay there and love everybody and respect every thing around me. Read 1 Cor 13. It is not for any person to decide who is who and who goes where.

  19. Kobus, that’s arrogance and disrepect to African society frm u, God made u white in SA so blacks must also respect poverty around them? and the same bible u read embraces principles of white supremacy and apartheid, sober up! Its yo ancestors that dumped u in Africa 400 years ago not God!

  20. Kobus, that’s arrogance and disrepect to African society frm u, God made u white in SA so blacks must also respect poverty around them? and the same bible u read embraces principles of white supremacy and apartheid, sober up! Its yo ancestors that dumped u in Africa 400 years ago not God!

  21. I wonder if Mr van Wyk would care to list which Israeli law he believes prevents some people from using a public space on the basis of their race? As far as I know there is no racial legislation of this kind in Israel. No Arab country even approaches it for it’s range of personal freedoms.

  22. I wonder if Mr van Wyk would care to list which Israeli law he believes prevents some people from using a public space on the basis of their race? As far as I know there is no racial legislation of this kind in Israel. No Arab country even approaches it for it’s range of personal freedoms.

  23. This is true but not the racists around here will never stomach such stuff. It is an advise, take or leave, criticism of this is just one way of bemoaning the gone right to oppression. Yet, that is now a dream which will never come true. If you hate this, go hang yourself or still, you can migrate to some Israel of your choice.

  24. This article reads like a mom is telling her child not to touch the hot stove because of the obvious reasons. Still there is literate folks that is beyond this knowledge. *headshake*

  25. This article reads like a mom is telling her child not to touch the hot stove because of the obvious reasons. Still there is literate folks that is beyond this knowledge. *headshake*

  26. “People of European descent are a minority in Africa in general and South Africa in particular, and as a minority they cannot claim any rights, privileges or entitlements beyond that which all citizens have.”
    How seriously messed up is this statement? Everyone is entitled to rights and privileges, but as a minority white people do not expect any more than everyone else. Everyone is equal.

    “There is nowhere in Europe, or the world where the land belongs to a minority.”
    Nowhere in South Africa does the land belong to the minority. Most of the land belongs to the government.

    “Nowhere in Europe is the economy of any country owned and controlled by black Africans, therefore to expect any African economy to be owned and controlled by a white minority of European descent is unreasonable and unacceptable.”
    Another ignorant statement. Nowhere in South Africa does any white person expect the economy to be controlled by them and again, the government controls the economy.

    “Nowhere in the world are people excluded from public spaces on the basis of colour or race (except in Israel, and previously South Africa under Apartheid). So to be offended when the black majority of South Africans have a good time on the beach, for example, is simply not acceptable. This is Africa after all and the majority of people are African.”
    Oh boy, where to begin? Only in South Africa are people being excluded from jobs because of skin colour. Only in South Africa is specific laws made to protect the majority who has ultimate political and economical control from the minority who has absolutely no power. Nobody in South Africa is offended by anyone having a good time at the beach. What a dickhead statement. One person makes a stupid comment and now all of a sudden everyone is the same.

    “It is time for white South Africans to stop expecting to be privileged based on their skin colour and to be entitled to rights and privileges based on skin colour.”
    No white South African does this except for a very small minority. So far I have seen two who feel like this. Please provide 4 million more examples.

    “White South Africans must not be selective in their civic actions and behaviours, protesting only over those things that affect them as a group while showing no interest in the plight or conditions of others, their lack of empathy and involvement in common struggles and issues is reflective of their class status in society and the general convergence of wealth and race.”
    Retarded at best. White people are not selective at all. We also protest the same things, just not the same way. We do not believe in destroying everything to make a point. Also why would we risk our lives with you in a protest where your target is us? How can I stand alongside someone who blames me and ultimately want to kill me? Doesn’t work that way.

    Also nowhere in Europe is a minority persecuted as they are in South Africa. Nowhere in Europe is a minority denied basic human rights. In Europe minorities actually have the same rights as everybody else.
    David Van Wyk is just another man paid by the ANC to spread racist propaganda!

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