Bruin Belange What? 2 weeks L8r

OK, Ek het van hulle gehoor en gelees. Also in an article on Bruinou.com. My take on the “Bruin Belange Inisiatief” What strikes me most about them is exactly the fact that I only heard about them after these articles started appearing and doing the rounds. There are also many other people who haven’t heard OF Them FROM Them. Evn today again I asked people if they ever heard of the BBI and the response was…..
How shall I put it?
Underwhelming.

(Please note that when “me” and “my” are in Italics and in quotes, I refer to a person who is either regarded as, or sees themselves as Coloured or “bruin”.) They, the Interim leadership of the BBI, seem to be exactly what they seem to say they are, a bunch of quasi-intellectuals that want to “lead” the Coloured people out of their quagmire. IMO they might have noble intentions but their big flaw is that they haven’t really asked “me” if they can speak on “my” behalf. They have assumed upon themselves the mantle of giving Coloured people new hope for a brighter future. Great!
However….. If we should poll the general Coloured population in the WC on the existence of the BBI, then one will probably get a majority percentage of “Huh?” I’m not gonna entirely shoot them down, first let’s see what comes out of their weekend at the spa. I will review my reservations towards them if they come out of there with something that will either ask “me” if they can represent “me” or something that will attract “me” to join them.

I just feel the need to be convinced that an organisation that claims to be a-political is in any way able to achieve a political goal. The issues they want to deal with are political! Commentary of them needing to start a Coloured Caucus within the ANC ( I hope this is not really on their agenda), are political and displays a sense of having political aspirations. Besides the statement being political it is also politically immature to suggest such a structure within the ANC or any other political party. Aunty Patty sal hulle sekerlik wegjaag as hulle met so iets by die ID aanklop. Tannie Hellen se “liberal White leadership” sal omvergewerp word as hulle so iets moet toelaat.

There is also Bos Willemse’s broadly stated definition of what “Brown” (or Coloured?) means. I do not subscribe to his views. Even though I am sure there must be more than an inkling of both Khoisan and Griqua in my blood, his statement smacks of Khoisanist rhetoric. A large portion of Coloureds do not have any relation to either Khoisan or Griqua.

There are other small niggling issues I have, but those are not deal-breakers.

Only one more thing, if they want to start a genuine lobby group (that would be a good thing), that pursues the interests of the Coloured People, then they should say so and get on with it. Once they have the necessary support, only then can they rightfully claim to be speaking on “my” behalf. Instead they want to be all coy (Khoi?) about it. If they don’t come out of Goudini with solid resolutions, then they will have proved to me that they are just a bunch of intellectuals who seek leadership status.