Former president and global icon Nelson Mandela is quoted as saying: “My respect for human beings is based not on the colour of a man’s skin nor authority he may wield, but purely on merit.” In the case of former Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, it is clear that authority was abused and the colour of his skin used as an excuse. But his merit went missing with the golf balls he would often hit .
An alleged scam artist who sold funeral policies to Soweto residents, Gwamanda was once assumed to be dead when it was discovered he had allegedly run away with his victim’s money, only to pop up as mayor. ‘Black man you are on your own’ He was arrested after handing himself over to police last Friday . His first defence after the news broke was to claim his crime was being a black man.
“In South Africa, growing up black, it [being arrested] is a possibility that none of us can avoid, regardless of the path you choose,” he said. Inevitable for a black man to be in trouble with the law? It was a strange, old-fashioned, and lazy excuse that only served to gaslight the nation. If he is looking for a victim he shouldn’t look in the mirror, but at the faces of Joburg residents he once led.
ALSO READ: A VIEW OF THE WEEK: We can’t switch off the post-blackout blues Gauteng in crisis A recent quality of life survey compiled by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) found the province is desperate and in decay. 8% of residents asked had no access to piped water and 40% of t.
