When kraal culture is improper

THERE is a difference between a democracy, a household and a chieftaincy. We have chosen to be a democracy and this is what we should be. But it is my feeling that South Africa is being run like a household by the current regime.

Some time back, at a family gathering, I shared something which had occurred to me – something I had been thinking about for some time. It came from a question: What do we teach our children in the present day, when we have an African cultural background and a modern western economy on the other hand?

These two systems are each useful in their own way but when you take one and use it in a setting which is not appropriate, the results are terrible.

What became apparent to me is that the African cultural background is very good for family and social settings.

This is where the philosophy of ubuntu is best practised.

The family, extended family, and social setting allows for gifts to be exchanged between family members and other members of the community.

This embodies the concept of izandla ziyahlambana, which means every hand washes the other.

These values are extremely helpful in the family and social setting. When you have a feast, I bring you a gift and when I have a feast you bring a gift.

At the same time this system might be called a human system, not necessarily African, because all cultures understand this system of gifts and favours.

However, when it comes to the formal economy, work, government, courts, this system does not work well.

In this setting the best system is the proven modern western system of governance and conduct. Again maybe I should not call it western, because in reality this is a human system which is in existence because it has been found necessary by humans.

In the formal economy, things must be kept formal.

The existing guidelines, policies and ethical considerations are there because they are a necessity. They are not a western thing, but a necessary thing.

At the same time, if you take the system of the formal economy and apply it in the family, things won’t go well.

You are likely to ask too much of people who are in a relaxed setting. You might end up asking for receipts when you give gifts, and financial statements when you give donations.

So my suggestion is that maybe we should teach our children both systems and the ability to know where and when to apply these systems and their accompanying expectations.

It seems we need to teach these differences to a lot of people who are suffering from confusion – in places of work, in government, and in the courts.

These are people who run the system of gifts and favours in places that require formal and accepted ethical and administrative norms.

I think among those people is our dear president. He runs the country like he is running a chieftaincy, or his household and this is unacceptable.

I don’t mind if the Guptas land in his kraal as often as they’d like to (provided customs is there). They can expect favours from his table, such as, choice cuts of meat, when they visit his private household, but to be allowed to compromise the security of an entire nation is utterly preposterous!

Bantu Mniki is from Dutywa