“My recent column on my date rape drug experience generated such interest that I was reminded of it in an unlikely setting, a meeting of predominantly white men anguishing about draconian expropriation proposals. The false dichotomies are the view that rape juxtaposes the sexes and expropriation juxtaposes the races. In truth many more men are raped or traumatised by rape than is generally appreciated, and black people will be the primary victims of expropriation amounting to confiscation”.
Why rape and expropriation should not pit us against each other: Leon Louw’s weekly column today on BDlive published by Business Day.
Further excerpts
What interests me is not data accuracy, but the meme that rape is part of “the battle of the sexes”. That both genders are raped and traumatised when spouses, children, siblings, friends and colleagues are raped should outrage everyone equally, regardless of relative variables. That weak people are more commonly assaulted, ugly people unemployed, and stupid people impoverished does not cause divisions along those lines.
Although the false dichotomy of expropriation is more easily explained, it is as racially charged as rape is sexually charged. Gatherings of people lamenting the demise of property rights are predominantly white. Why, when black people have been and will overwhelmingly be the victims? Political rhetoric fuels an illusion of white victims and black beneficiaries. The suite of proposals envisages multiple state entities being empowered to seize all property (not just land) arbitrarily and to pay little or no compensation.
The worst aspect of apartheid was denial of black people’s property rights. Instead of assurances that their property rights will never be violated again, it is now proposed that black people will never enjoy the rights for which many fought and died. Most white investors, suburban residents and farmers have resources with which to protect themselves. Most victims, especially over time, will be poor blacks. Racial transformation has the effect that predominantly black people’s property will be misappropriated for dams, roads, airports, projects, mines and the like. Newly victimised black people will be as defenceless as they were under apartheid.