from The Africa News Online
www.africanews.org
March 16th 2000
Business Day (Johannesburg)
March 16, 2000
By Nirode Bramdaw

Johannesburg - There were dropped jaws at the KwaZulu-Natal legislature this
week as housing MEC Dumisani Makhaye declared the saying "white is wit,
black is bad" as the "national anthem" of racist SA.

Makhaye then read a play about racism, centred on the Democratic Party's
Tony Light (Tony Leon), the New National Party's Prof Schalk (Marthinus van
Schalkwyk) and the African National Congress's Ida Cruz (Ina Cronje), which
had some members in fits of laughter.

In reaction, the DP's Roger Burrows said his party would be referring the
matter to the speaker, President Thabo Mbeki (as leader of the ANC), the SA
Human Rights Commission and the Jewish Board of Deputies.

In his play, Makhaye referred to the DP's meritocracy policy and drew an
analogy of Tony Light competing in the Comrades marathon against Thami
Msomi. While Light starts the race from Durban, Msomi has to begin from
Ulundi.

Tony Light's daughter, Tania, has a dream about being in heaven.

When she wakes up, Prof Schalk asks: "Did you see any kaffer in heaven?"

"Unfortunately, Oom, I did not go to the kitchen or the garden," says Tania.

This had members of the coalition government in stitches and DP and NNP
backbenchers angry.

After beating Msomi in the Comrades, on merit, Light is congratulated by his
wife, Israel. Says Light: "You know, my mafohloza, there is this boy Thami,
who got number 10. I congratulated him. I actually hugged him."

"What? What? Go to the bathroom. There is Dettol," says Israel.

An unrepentant Makhaye said he was aiming to tackle the very serious issue
of racism.
 

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