For the last few weeks I’ve been following the media coverage about my newly-elected Caucus Leader, Lindiwe Mazibuko. I consider Lindiwe as not only a brilliant colleague but as a personal friend as well. Much of what’s been written about her ranges from complimentary and supportive to down-right misleading, incorrect and racist.
The reality is that Lindiwe is a young South African who is passionate about this country and its future. Despite what’s been written and a false perception that is created, Lindiwe speaks fluently the language of her ancestors, Zulu. Her speech delivered to the Caucus before the Caucus Leadership election was partly delivered in Zulu (as well as in English and in Afrikaans) and left many of my colleagues with a lump in their throats as we all saw her passion magnifying in front of our eyes.
The truth is that Lindiwe was elected because most members of the Caucus felt she was the right person for the job at the right time. Not because she speaks, looks or acts in a certain manner, or fits into any stereotype. Lindiwe is truly and proudly South African and one of the nation’s brilliant minds – this is a fact no matter how much the ANC may hate it!
The fact that, for example, I do not have a Portuguese accent as a Luso-descendent doesn’t make me any less a South African than my friends who happen to have a Portuguese accent. This is the wonder and beauty about South Africa and the rainbow nation that we’re building – that Lindiwe and I can, as different South Africans, together hand-in-hand look towards and build Mandela’s vision for South Africa using our diversity as our strength.
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