“This is SA, we are building”, Panyaza Lesufi tells AfriForum

In the clip shared by Panyaza Lesufi, an unnamed man tells bystanders in isiXhosa that he started a business at the age of 18. South Africans rushed to the comment section with conflicting opinions.

One user questioned the man’s business ethics. When Lesufi said that the netizens “missed the point,” he replied:

” believe not. As black people we’re generally myopic and we become content over useless things. Those vividly destitute people in the video had to become this man’s slaves for him to ‘start the business’ at 18 on the very same people’s land which he either stole or inherited from a thief.”

Watch: “We are building” – Panyaza Lesufi

Hi ⁦@afriforum⁩ , this is the South Africa 🇿🇦 we are building pic.twitter.com/4P4apbTYAi

— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) January 9, 2020

Response from netizens

One Twitter user, Khaya Sishuba, raised an important point: “Unfortunately, no one celebrates us for speaking English so well,” while another netizen added:

“I hope you guy’s you’re not getting too early excited. Asijiki land without expropriation still stand. If he does have land that is idling for decades let’s share with the community for them also do the right thing with economy.”

@AluwaniMicheal

Adding to that, a user known only as @motswaaforika said it only takes “3/4 of these whites to speak a native language to make us forget we are landless in South Africa”.

“I see a lot of negative responses to this video….however this what is needed in SA. The only way to fix racial divide is through social interaction, building real friendships. As long as you continue with this way of thinking….Their [sic] will be social divide, thus racial divide!”

@RiaanSmiley

Another social media user pointed out that racist farmers in KwaZulu-Natal “speak pitch-perfect isiZulu “but they are still cast in their ways”, while Busta Riley said:

“We are applauding a fish for swimming? Phela if we black people can speak Afrikaans then they (white people) too should speak a native South African language. This isn’t impressive at all”.

Mr Lesufi tagging afriforum is besides the point. When the guy was having the conversation surely he could not have enversaged that Mr Lesufi would tag afriforum. What he is saying though is funny, need a translation?

— Brian Njongo Tyala (@BrianNjongo) January 9, 2020

At the other end of the spectrum, AfriForum supporters flooded Lesufi’s tweet, as only they know how. One user, Gert Kruger, asked what Lesufi’s contribution to the video was, and added:

“I can bet you many of AfriForum supporters speak African languages as well. I am an AfriForum supporter and I have been supervisor for more than an [sic] 80 masters and PhD students. Bulk black. All future 4IR leaders.

When asked which African languages he can speak, however, Kruger replied that he speaks Afrikaans.

Alwyn Schoeman asked Lesufi if it was “one sided building” and asked when the MEC will “pitch up with some Afrikaners and gooi die taal.” True to form for an AfriForum supporter, he also added:

“By the way, you didn’t build this, we have been having it since before Apartheid.”