'_'í

II.
|n-UHE”
BEING-BLACK
-IN-THE-
WO.RLD
 Copyright NE. Manganyi 1973
First printed Úctclber 1973

Uuver defligtl by Isflbel Randall and Danie van Eyl

ISBN U BEHT5 U2? 5

Printed by Havan Press {Ptz.r.) Ltd.,

Phannacy Huuse, B0 Júrissen Street,
E-raam funtein, J uhannesburgf.
BEING-BLACK
-IN-THE-
WORLD
by
N.C. MANGANYI

P bl h d by
SPRO CAS/RAVAN
 CONTENTS

Intreduetien

Whe are the Urban Africana?

Black Ceneeieueneee

Ua and Them

Being-blaek-in-the-werlltl

Naueea

Reflections ef a Black Clinieian

The Meaning ef Change

Peetaeriptum _ 'African Time'

 INTRODUCTION

HEING-HIACK-IN-THE-WÚRLD is intended as a centributien te the

grewing bedy ef beeks and papers en the black experience. It is enly very
recently that cencerted efferts have beceme manifest in the field ef Black
Studies at varieus universities in Africa and elsewhere. The extent ef
academic and lay interest in the field ef Black Studies received cencrete ex-
pressien in the publicatien by Heineman Educatienal Heeks in li-l'?{l ef a
three velume seurce beek entitled 'The African. ƒ:Í:rper:Íence which was edited
by J.N. I-'aden and E.W. Seja.
The efferts ef these academics are definitely deserving ef eur guarded
admiratien, altheugh it is prebably true te say that the mest impertant
centributien en the black experience will have te ceme frem Africa. Fer it is
here, en the African centinent, where the great and intricate drama ef being-
hlack-in-the-werld is taking place. ln a field ef study and life where there
have been se many self-preclaimed experts, it is net always pessible te say
much that is werth saying. ltis partly fer this reasen that I cenceived ef this
beek as essentially a small cellectien ef essays reflecting my thinking en a
number efsubjects.
There has been ne desire en my part te impese any ferm ef structural unity
en the hrxik. Te impese a structure weuld have been te tell an unpardenable
lie, since my existence and experience are themselves fairly unstructured.
The enly fermal structural requirements I attempted te adhere te are these
relating te the internal censistency ef the individual essays. This means
that each essay has been an attempt te reflect en a specific aspect ef the
black experience. Úverlapping with respect te theme reflects the writer's
cenvictien that experience is net discrete, but centinueu s.
This cellectien ef essays addresses itself te a limited number ef impertant
euestiens. I censider the questiens te be ef general significance te Seuth
African seciety as a whele. Issues which are ef general significance te eur
seciety sheuld be ef interest te beth academics and members ef the lay
public. It became necessary te keep this fact in view in the treatment ef the
varieus subjects in the cellectien. Technical terminelegy was reduced te a
minimum in the mere demanding essays. A glessary was censidered
necessary fer purpeses ef clarity. Censideraticn ef the cellectien as a whele
4 Being-bfeck-in.-the-werfd

revealed that there were eneugh questiens raised fer beth the academically
inelined and the general reader.
A recurrent questien feund threugheut the beek may be fermulated as
fellews: Is there a black mede ef being-in-the-werld? State-d differently: Is
being black-in-the-werld different in fundamental respects tc being-white
in-the-werld? Seme specific essays deal particularly with this questien,
ethers are cencerned with it in a mere indirect fashien.
Of mere general significance and interest are the essays en the urban
Africans and cemmunicatien, the meaning ef change, Black Censcieusness
and the pestscript en Pref. Engelbrechtis centributien en time an'd neureses
in Africans. As I prepare this beek, the city ef Durban is in the grip ef ene ef
the werst strikes, by African werkers, in the histery ef eur land fer a leng
time. There is grewing cencern that the strikes may snew-ball inte the ether
urban areas in the rest ef the ceuntry. These strikes caught the ceuntry
napping. Une ef the lessens which sheuld be learnt frem the Durban
treubles is that the cemmunicatien gap like all the ether fameus gaps
between whites and blacks is widening inte a gulf. Facters which militate
against black-white cemmunicatien in erganisatienal settings are seme ef
the cencerns ef the essay en the urban Africans.
The widening ef the cemmunicatiens gap has ether impertant im-
plicatiens, ene ef which relates te the questien ef change in Seuth African
seciety. When ebservers talk in temas ef change in Seuth African seciety,
are they talking aheut geal-directed and structured change er ether ferms ef
unexpected change? Is change in Seuth Africa equally meaningful te beth
blacks and whites? At this stage in eur histery, it appears that it is
necessary te put a spet-light en the meaning and significance ef change. It
sheuld be appreciated that the preblem ef the meaning ef change and its
irnplicatiens is crucial te future race relatiens in Seuth Africa.
Appearing tegether with the cemmunicatiens gap between blacks and
whites has been the assault en natienal cehesiveness, which is
pregressively being replaced by pelarisatien in attitudes, interests and
geala. Part ef this pelarisatien is a result ef the pelicies ef separate develep-
ment while the ether sheuld be asseciated with the develepment ef the
philesephies ef black censcieusness and selidarity. Within the Seuth
African centext, the werds “black censcieusness and selidarity' have ceme
te be invested with se much that may be regarded as emetienal, either in the
preneuncements ef its prepenents er in the defensive reactiens ef the white
public. There appears te be a danger that this emetive quality may make
slegans er cliches cut ef the philesephies ef black censcieusness and
selidarity. This danger may enly be averted if we give a cleser leek at the
meaning and significance ef these philesephies within the Seuth African
centext. My essay en black censcieusness was cenceived with the
 In trutfttríftiert 5

awareness that there is still prebably a great deal ef misunderstanding

abeut black censcieusness and selidarity as a pesture beth within the black
cemmunities and eutside.
Racial stereetyping in Seuth Africa is net dead. It has, fer example,
appeared very recently frem the pen ef a prefesser ef philesephy at ene ef
eur black universities. This academic has used very respectable feruditel
language te say that Africana live in a time ef their ewn. This time,
accerding te him, is different frem natural time (white time}. He arrives at
the curieus cenclusien that this censideratien sheuld be used te justify
separate develepment. The pestscript en time and neu reses in this cellectien
cencerns itself briefly with the views ef Pref. Engelbrecht en this matter.
Let me return te the ether essays which deal with the issue ef being-black-
in-the-werld mere specifically. Within eur ceuntry, there are peeple
representing different racial greups, languages, religiens and cultures. ln
race-censcieus envirenments, interest greups erganised aleng racial lines
eften develep as they have in Seuth Africa. The plural nature ef eur seciety,
fer example, is eften referred te, but enly in se far as it acts as a justificatien
fer a rigid white-black demarcatien. 'Us and them* cencerns itself with this
questien ef racial grcup identity and the related ene ef the differences in
medes (patterns) ef being-in-thewerld between blacks and whites. “Us” and
“them” in eur envirenment are `primary* werds, in Huber's sense, ef relating
and distancing; they refer te the in-greup and the eut-grcup. These primary
ferms efrelating between blacks and whites are shewn te he asseciated with
differences in the way blacks and whites relate te their bedies, te ether
peeple, teebjects, and te time. `Us' and `them* are expressive ef un attitude
- the attitude efcensidering an individual as being within nne`s grcup nr
eutsideit.
'Nauseai raises the questien whether the experience ef suffering and
meaninglessness (absurdity), semetimes se characteristic ef life, is ef the
same erder fer beth blacks and whites. Peeple in despair eften ask the
questien, 'why?` ls this questien ef the same erder fer beth blacks and
whites? If there sheuld he black and white medes ef being-in-the-werld, the
answers te these questiens are likely te he different fer the twe cxistential
experiences.
“Being-hfet'fr-:':i-the-teerld' is cencerned with the cnntreversy su rreunding
the cencept, *African Persenality'. There have, breadly, been twe usages ef
this cencept. The first usage is ene that is generally adepted by white
ehservers whe have attempted te use the cencept as a psychelegical
censtruct. A secend usage is ene which ceuld be said te understand the
cencept as referring te a life style. Understeed in this way, the cencept
becemes interchangeahle with Sengher's cencept ef Negritude. This usage
is cemmenly adepted by seme blacks. We ceneider the centreversy which
E Being-bin cfc-iii-the-ieerid

has been geing en te have been cempletely unnecessary fer reasens which
are stated in the relevant sectien ef this beek.
The 'lleflectiensi cever a number ef related issues mainly in the area ef
mental health. These reflectiens arise mainly frem my experience as a
clinical psychelcgist. It seems te me that we need te begin tc interest eur-
selves in the psychiatric (mental healthl side ef eur life as Seuth Africans.
We have been telling all and sundry that we are capable ef teaching the
werld semething nevel abeut racial harmeny and peaceful ce-existence in a
multi-racial (multi-natienalfl seciety. Perhaps it is time fer us te turn
inward and assess whether eur claims are net in excess ef eur pregress. Une
way ef menitering this pregress appears te he an evaluatien ef psychiatric
merhidity - the study ef the extent te which eur seciety is integrative, in the
sense ef premeti ng and supperting individual and cemmunity psychic
health. The laherateries fer such studies are there in Seu th Africals black
cemmunities. It is true te say that in these cemmunities the highest
cumulative unfaveurable secial experiences are te be feund. These are
pepulatiens at special risk, frem a mental health peint ef view.
I weuld like to make a few mere general remarks. These remarks ameunt
te a pesitien statement which may help clarify my preeccupatien with the
bedy. This preeccu patien is net rnerbid, but it arises cut ef the reccgnitiun ef
the becly's central pesitien in existence. We make eur appreaches te the
werld threugh eur bedies: the bedy is mevement inwards and eutwards. Te
what extent dees the bedy determine the experience ef being-black-in-the
werld er being-white-in-thewerld? This is a crucial questien. It may be
answered briefly at this stage. An individual develeps a persenalised,
idiematic mental [image] cencept ef his bedy. This is what I describe as the
individual scheme. If he sheuld be black, like myself, he begins tc knew,
threugh varieus subtle_ ways, that his black bedy is unwheleseme; that the
white bedy is the secietal standard ef whelesemeness. This later develep-
mentin bedy awareness I describe as the seciefegicnl' scfiernn. Each ene ef
us lives with twe schemas - ce-eperative er at edds with each ether. These
twe bedy schemas (images), I believe, have a let te de with the experiences ef
being-black-in-the-werld and being-whitein-thewerl d.
Seme ef the ideas expressed in this beek are decidedly prevecative. There
have been ne malicieus intentiens ef the kind usually asseciated with
pelitical prepaganda. As l see it, my centributien will have been significant
if there sheuld be a generatien ef infermed debate by black schelars and
ethers en the ideas expressed in this cellectien.
1
WHO ARE THE URBAN
AFRICANS?

THE PROISIEM ef effective cemmunieatien in cemmerce and industry is

net unique te the Seuth African situatien. Even in ceuntrics with fairly
hemegeneus pepulatiens and leng histeries ef industrialisatien and
urbanisatien, this preblem centinues te censtitute a therny issue fer
industrial psychelegists and cemmunieatien specialists. This fact in itself
is a very clear index efthe cemplexity efthe preblem.
ln the case efäeuth Africa, the cemplexity ef the cemmunieatien precess
is cempeundcd by eur singular histery and the existence ef a cemplex
peliticeecenemic structure. This preblem cannet but be cemplex since
Seuth Africa's ecenemy must centinue te meve in the directien ef ecenemic
integratien (multi-racialism) while pelitically meving mere in the directien
ef multi-natienalism (separate develepment}. This unhaplnf marriage
between the ecenemy and pelitical er ideelegical demands is leading te a
surfacing ef a develeping debate. The lecal press has carried a number ef
articles rclating tc whether Africana sheuld beceme members ef erganised
labeur (trade uniensl er net. This debate appears te be related te a grewing
fear ef pessible future labeur unrest. This cencern abeut the adequate
representatien ef African werkers was highlighted by an ebservatien
attrihuted te A. Grebbelaar (I) whe said that abeut HU üllfl Africans had been
invelved in illegal strikes between 1959 and 1969. The reasens fer the in-
crease in the number cfillegal strikes are pessibly very cemplex. Une thing
stands cut very clearly and it is that this is a very serieus indictment ef
cemmerce and industry. Here we have the mest dramatic expressien ef a
cemmunieatien preblem par excellence.
This essay is an attempt te deal with seme aspects ef the secie-ecenemic
precesscs ef industrialisatien and urhanisatien as these have affected the
African pepulatien. This treatment is heund te be sketchy since particular
attentien is te be directed at the pessible facters which tend te militate
against effective cemmunieatien and te suggest these facters which I cen-
sider te premise better erganisatienal hygiene.
Anether way ef pesing the questicn (whe are the urban Africans':"} is te
ask: whe are the Africans new living in Seuth Africafs urban and in-
dustrialised areas? This way ef asking the questicn is fer the simple reasen
3 Being-black-in-the-werld

that the first questicn tende te generate mere heat than light. Respenses te
this questicn have been many and varied. Senie ehservers will tell us that
the African is a superstitieus simpleten with very little initiative; seme will
tell us with an air ef expertise that his psychelegy and culture are se
different that an elementary ceurse in cultural anthrepelegy weuld help us
eut ef eur particular difficulties; yet ethers will talk in terms ef the
'detribalisedfl the 'transitienal' er the 'attentien-getting elites`. If we
persisted in asking the questicn, we weuld prebably be reminded that a
Metswana carrying an executive brief-case is a Metswana at heart. There
are these whe weuld tell us that the urban African is a myth er a menster
created by nihilistic anarchists. The truth ef the matter is that nene ef these
peeple knews whe we are. Perhaps this is an ideal time te make the peint
that it is net the white *expertsi whe are geing te previde the answers te this
questicn. ltis, I submit, the black schelars ef this ceuntry whe will first ef all
ask the right sert ef questiens with a greater prebability ef arriving at the
best answers.
Attempts directed at understanding the African respense te in-
dustrialisatien and urhanisatien may be characterised as having been ef
twe types. There have been simplistic and paternalistic explanatiens re-
presented in pretetype by the centributiens ef Silberbauer (EJ. Net se
sirnplistic but equally naive in cenceptien is the study ef the se-called
'persenality ef the urban African in Seuth Africa' by de Ridder {3,l. The
secend grcup ef centributíens have been less ambitieus in beth design and
intentien. These centributiens will be referred te a little later in this dis-
cussien.
A meaningful way ef attempting te answer this questicn appears te he ene
which reccgnises its cemplexity. It seems mest useful always te say whether
ene is attempting a secielegical analysis, a cultural anthrepelegical ene, er
a secial-psychelegical ene amengst ethers with the added recegnitien that
all these faceis are part ef a cemplex existential experience.
The Great Fish River in 1770 and beyend

Seuth Africais centreversial histery tells us that the first recerded en-
ccunter between Africana and whites was en the banks ef the Great Fish
River in 1'?7ü. That in many respects tragic and histeric enceunter, was
fellewed by a histery ef cenflict and disputes whese falleut is still part and
parcel ef the Seuth African secie-pelitical fabric. After these tragic years
came Kimberley and J ehannesburg te initiate the deneuement ef the Seuth
African drama.
As a part result ef that histery, it was estimated that by 1970 55% and 85%
(Africana and whites respectivelyj were living andfer vverking in the urban
areas ef Seuth Africa (4). Accerding te this seurce, 10% ef the then African
 Whe are the Urban Aƒricaris 9

pepulatien was in the urban areas by the turn ef the present century. What
emerges from this last ebservatien is the fact that Africana have been
expesed te the influences ef urhanisatien and industrialisatien fer well ever
half a century. Since it is te be expected that these peeple came inte these
areas with their ewn cultural heritage, it becemes relevant te try te
understand the extent te which Africana have respended te the existence ef
ether secie-cultural alternativas er what Pauw (SJ has described as the
*triangle ef ferces* (Western culture, traditienal culture, and urhanisatien).
Perhaps it sheuld be peinted eut that te 'ask hew Africans have respended te
these ferces sheuld always be qualified by adding that there has always
been cempulsery encapsulatien ef the varieus racial greups which has
tended te create artificial respense patterns.
The questicn relative te the identity ef the urban African is ene which is
net amenable te full scientific treatment at this stage. lt is netewerthy that
the first full-scale study ef Africans in tewn is represented by the trilegy
Xhesa in Tcien edited by P. Mayer (6). Anether impertant centributien is a
1964 velume edited by Helleman et al with centributiens by such leading
schelars as Mayer, Glass, Wilsen and Biesheuwel (F2). What has emerged
frem these centributiens is a recegnitien that changes have been and are
taking place in urban pepulatiens.
Fer example, it has been frequently peinted eut that the African in the
urban industrialised cities ef Seuth Africa may be greuped inte twe bread
categeries with seme intermediate variatiens in between. There are the real
'tewnsmeni and there are the migrants. If we were te characterise the tewns-
men briefly, we ceuld say that these are the peeple whe have ne impertant
links with the rural areas. Their netwerk ef impertant persenal
relatienships is te be feund in the urban areas. The migrants, en the ether
hand, censist ef these peeple whe are generally rural-area-eriented (their
netwerks ef persenal relatienships are rurally based) and are mere
traditienalist in eutleek.
One ceuld take this eppertunity te cemment en the general limitatiens ef
studies ef Africana by white Seuth Africans. The first ef these limitatiens is
an ebvieus ene. lt ameunts te the fact that the white experience is se
existentially distant frem the black experience that white werkers have tc
abstract te a very unhealthy extent in erder te meve beyend the level ef mere
descriptien te that ef analysis and understanding (interpretaticn). The
secend limitatien arises eut ef the fact that the ecenemic metive has
generally been very active in the decisiens relating te the areas ef the black
experience which whites have chesen fer study. Studies have been
censidered valuable te the extent that they have effered clues relevant te the
pessible harnessing ef the black labeur ferce fer the benefit ef industry and
cemm erce. The recurrence ef the themes “African abilities”, *metivatien' and
1D Being-b¡a.ck-in- the-werld

lattitudes' is a very clear index ef this preeccupatien.

Currently, the majerity cf Africans live in residential areas knewn
varieusly as 'lccaticrr`, 'tcwnships' cr 'Bantcedcrpe*. These are satellite
cemplexes which are dependent en the white city area fer their existence.
While many pecple live in family accemmedatien settings, there are
theusands, abeut 13 DDD fcr Scwetc, whc are cn the waiting list fcr family
heusing (3). Ancther grcup cf Africana are these whc'lead what Prefesscr
Seftel cf the Wits Medical Schccl has described as a “wifeless existence' -
the cccupants cf clesed and tetal institutiens such as the centreversial
Alexandra hestels. Yet anether grcup ef Africana live in the backyards cf
suburbia. The mental health preblems asseciated with these areas cf secial
disengagement are tcc well-knewn tc require detailed decumentatien. lt
sheuld suffice tc peint cut that these preblems in their day tc day mani-
festaticns require the mest vigilant attentien cf the em plnyers cf African
labeur.
The adaptaticnal life-style which has develcped as a result cf the black
experience in Scuth Africa is semething which has nct yet been studied in
depth and must await a future generaticn ef black schelars. In this essay I
intend te limit myself tc a few ebservatíens which I ccnsider relevant tc the
preblem under discussicn. My cwn experience in beth clinical and in-
dustrial settings has led tc the germinaticn cf seme tentative ideas and
fcrmulaticns (9). These may be stated as fcllcws: The mest predeminant
feature cf all the grcupsl studied was a fcrm cf endemic, chrcnic sense cf in-
security ceupled with an ideatien characterised by helplessness. Even in
clinical practice, as I repcrtcd in 19'?Ú, this anxiety is the mest dramatic
expressien cf the sense cf existential insecurity. In the absence cf statistics,
it may ccnfidently be stated that anxiety states and reactive-depressiens
with anxiety features are amengst the mest ccmmcn presenting ccmplaints
amcng African psychiatric patients.
Frcm a mental health peint cf view, the cemmunities within which
Africans have tc live are seme cf the mest unhygienic. This is easily
appreciated since it has beceme ccmmcn-place tc cbserve that they are
characterised by a high merhidity rate - alcchclism and ether related
fcrms cf cver-indulgence, crime, a spiralling divcrce rate and asseciated
preblems in the sphere cf parent-child relaticnships. It is alsc necessary tc
peint cut that in the majcrity cf cases, the wcrk situaticns are just as
unhygienic. There are decided indicaticns that mest erganisaticns are nct
geared tcwards the grcwth and self-fulfilment cf individ ual empleyees.
Indeed we find that in the life experience cf the African, there is hardly
any situaticn in his life in which his sense ef self-esteem is ncurished. His
wife and children may have been fcrced by cenditiens beycnd his ccntrcl tc
lcse the mcdicum ef respect which they may have had fer him as an
 Whc are the Urban. Africana? II

effective, self-steering agent in his psychcsccial envirenment. If we were tc

fcrmulate his psychic status in a phencmenclcgical way, we ceuld say that
his subjectiva experience is cnc cf feeling emasculated. There are ether mere
pcaitive aides tc this picture such as therlcfricana' will tc survive {resilience).
At this peint in the discussicn, I weuld like tc make the fcllewing sub-
miaaicn. Scme ehservers have never tired cf pcinting cut that the African is
'by nature' withcut initiative; that he has a lcw aspiraticn level; that he will
always say 'yes' when he sheuld have said 'nc'; that he is emcticnal and
hedcnistic and that he has the uncanny habit cf net keeping time and
talking arcund the peint The stcck explanaticn fer this life style is that it is
in the nature cf Africana, that we just have tc understand this and we will
have made the great disccvery.
It may well be that these traits are te be fcu nd in acme Africana. [lces this
in itself suggest that these traits reflect a natural, almcst genetic pre~
diapcsiticn? Scme cf ua are saying that this is nct African nature. That
there is nc auch a thing as African nature. We are saying that these traits
and many ethers are patterns cf adaptaticn tc an unfriendly, always
threatening envirenment. We are saying that the best human pctential,
given the black existential experience, weuld in all prebability develep
similar adj ustment manceuvres. Reality demands that we ccnceptualise the
preblem as cne essentially invclving human nature, ene invclving a
universal tendency tc adapt tc circumatancea hcwever gruescme.
The first part cf this essay has presented a fairly aketchy acccunt cf acme
aspects ef the prcceaaea cf urhanisatien and industrialisatien as these have
affected the African in Seuth Africa. This acccunt was intended as a back-
drcp fer seme ideas relating tc the African respense tc these prccesaes as
well as the discussicn cfccmmunicaticn preblems per se.

Ccmmunicaticn and the Scuth African scene

I peinted cut at the cutset that ccmmunicaticn in industrial and ccm-
mercial erganisaticns centinues tc be a thcrny preblem. I said at that stage
that this is a preblem cf unusual cemplexity. But it remains true te say that
themaximum explcitaticn cf this ccuntry's human and ether reacurces will
depend in large measure cn hew preblems in this area are understced and
tackled. A general cemment cn the preblems cf ccmmunicaticn in the Scuth
African ccntext cannet be cut cf place.
In crder tc understand the cemmunieatien petential cf blaclewhite inter-
acticn, it ia necessary tc reccnstruct the prctctype cf this ccnrmunicative
relatienal pcssibility. This relaticnship is very well-knewn tc Africana cf all
types. Let me reccnstruct it as fcllcwa. Mr I-Ilungwani and his wife and
children are cn a Saturday shcpping spree fer Christmas. They walk inte a
large departmental atcre in Jchanneaburg. They are all in very high spirits.
I2 Beir.ig-biack-iri- the-werld

Mr Hlungwani wants tc give his wife the gift cf his dreams - a very lcvely
frcck which he had always prcmised tc buy her. They apprnach the white
stcre assistant. Even befcre Mr Hlungwani can initiate a ccnveraaticn
(relay a message), Mrs du Pcnt respcnds by mcuthing an ebvicusly rude
'J a'. Surging with repressed anger and resentment, Mr Hlungwani gces en
te explain that he is interested in a particular dress fcr his wife. Mrs du Pcnt
in the same ccntemptucus and indifferent tcne tells Mr Hlungwani tc gc tc
that ether 'Missus' cr 'Madam'. Here we have the prctctype cf the master-
servant cemmunieatien cemplex. Let us lcek at what has actually
happened. Mrs du Pcnt has net succeeded, strictly speaking, in cem-
municating ideas. She has nct succeeded in telling Mr Hlungwani that he is
welccme tc buy whatever he wishes. He has ccntinued tc buy cut cf
necessity cr habit cr beth. She has in fact ccmmunicated an emcticn {tcnal
ccmmunicaticnl and Mr Hlungwani sheuld have understccd the message te
mean that he sheuld walk cut cf the shcp. Meat Scuth African
cemmunieatien acrcss the cclcur-line is cf this nature.
This kind cf cemmunieatien cemplex is ccntrary tc the ideal kind cf
cemmunieatien cemplex, namely ene which Van den Berg (id) expcses in
his discussicn cf the psychetherapy relaticnship. The essential feature ef
this cemmunieatien cemplex is 'ccmmunicative equality'. This means, in
effect, that the twc peeple invelved in the dialegue sheuld experience and
reccgnise themselves as essentially twe 'equal' human beings. Neither cf
them ahculd be ccndescending in the relaticnship. It is enly when this ccn-
diticn is satisfied that ccmmunicative equivalence can be achieved -
talking abeut the same tree, table cr what ycu will. It is net an cver-
statement tc say that cur race relaticns are nct cf the kind that prcmcte this
kind cf ccmmunicaticn cemplex.
After these general remarks abeut the preblem cf cemmunicaticn in
Scuth Africa, we may ncw direct cur attentien tc preblems specific tc in-
dustry and ccmmerce. In this part cf the essay, seme ideas are fcrmulated
relating first tc the impertant questicn cf the facters which militate against
effective cemmunieatien with African wcrkers. A secend set cf ideas is
ccncerned with seme apprcaches which may help reduce unhygienic
management strategies in the area cf cemmunieatien. The first set cf
facters may be fcrmulated as fcllcws:

1. The ardent search fcr simple scluticns evidenced by the perpetuaticn cf

racial myths. This tendency results in the general develcpment cf
stereetyped kinds cf inter-persenal relatienships with tcnal types cf
ccmmunicaticn and pccr ccmmunicaticn pcssibilities.
 Whe are the Urban Africana? I3

2. The erstwhile fad ef develeping separate perscnnel departments and

pelicies specifically fer African labcur. In mest cf these departments
African perscnnel administratcrs are given tcken executive status
while remaining cn the executive fri nge cf an crganisatien.

3. The existence cf unsatisfaptcry emplcyee represen taticn machinery. In

cases where such machinery has been created, it is again created as a
tcken and nct sericusly integrated inte the tetal erganisatienal pesture.

4. The existence cf an unlimited number cf unrewarding, frustrati ng cen-

diticns in the mark situaticn vis-a-vis the wcrker's psychclcgical and
ether needs.

5. The absence in many large crganisatiens ef well-structured emplcyee

ceunselling services fer emplcyees whe must be burdened with
preblems.

In ending this discussicn cf facters which are net faveurable te effective

cemmunieatien, I weuld like te single cut the questicn ef the status cf per-
scnnel efficers fer special cemment. It is my impressicn that seme
erganisaticns have nc clear nctiens (nctiens that are clearly spelt cut)
abeut the status and functicn ef black perscnnel cfficers. It is net un-
ccmmcn tc see an advertisment in the lecal press menticning that
familiarity with legislaticn gcverning the empleyment cf Africa ns will be in
an impertant censideratien in qualifying fer the jcb. Granted, this, in the
nature cf Scuth African seciety, may be an impertant censideratien. I think
that in eur unique situaticn, this kind cf emplcyer is likely tc have
cemmunieatien difficulties with his perscnnel cfficer, let alcne his ether
werkers. This is the type ef emplcyer whe is likely tc turn his perscnnel man
inte a gleiilied clerk whese main respcnsibility is tc prepare labeur turncver
returns and extinguish lecal iires. Surely, ene dees net require a university
degree in the secial sciences tc dc this sert cf thing. I will ceme back te this
issue a little later.
lt is net particularly difficult te make a secial diagnesis. What is difficult
is tc suggest remedies and perhaps a pregncsis. Fer eur present purpcses, a
presentatien ef suggested remedies will suffice. As I see it, the first and mest
impertant requirement is a demand fer a dramatic change cf attitude away
frem the prescripticns cf the 'African nature' type cf explanaticna tc the
mere valid pesitien that the cultural and genetic heritage ef the African
dees nct deprive him cf the essential humanity that characterises mankind.
Tc achieve this gcal, 5cuth African seciety will have tc ex plede all the racial
myths which have been se dear te it. It means, in fact, that cemmerce and
 le' Being-blach-in-the-werld'

industry will have tc disrupt the currently unhappy marriage between the
ecenemy and pelitical dectrine. In practical terms it means that there must
be a prcgressive recegnitien cf the essential equality cf man whether
separately cr ctherwise. Clnce the abeve cbservaticns are given due credit, it
ccmes as nc surprise that the dcuble-barrelled perscnnel apprcach sheuld
be replaced by a unitary ene. -
It sheuld alsc mean that the African perscnnel administratcr is well
integrated inte the management team; that he is well trained and
remunerated; that he enjcys freedcm and respcnsibility in the executicn cf
his skills. He sheuld, as it were, be an effective cemmunieatien medium.
This means that erganisatienal structures sheuld be recrganised.
In the area cf emplcyee representatien, it seems that in additien te the
calls fer trade unicn representatien, emplcyee-management ccrnrnittees
still remain ene viable pcssibility fer ensuring effective cemmunieatien in
the absence cf better structures. The intrcducticn cf such ccmmittees sheuld
be very well planned and pregrarmned. There sheuld at least be an in-
ductien peried fer members ef the cemmittee. Neglect cf ccnsideraticns cf
this type eften results in tragedies efgccd intentiens.
The dire paucity cf ccmmunity mental health services fer blacks is a
drarnatic indicatien fer the empleyers ef labeur tc intred uce bcld initiatives
in this area. The creaticn cf full-fledged emplcyee ccunselling services
weuld censtitute a wcrthwhile investment and weuld certainly imprcve the
mental health cf emplcyees and ccntribute tc better cemmunieatien and prc-
ductivity. "
Let us ccnclude this essay by atating that the urban African's respense tc
urhanisatien and industrialisatien ia likely te grcw mere cemplex and
dynamic tc the extent that there is nc telling what the future has in stcck fer
us.

FÚÚTN ÚTES
1. 'Getting rid cf labeur Anarchy', Rand' Daily Mail, Jehannesburg, Nevember 2,
19'l2, . 14.
9. Silbe1'I'rauer,E.B., Understanding and lltlcticating the Benta Wcrher, Persennel
Management Advisery Service (Pty.) Ltd., Jch annesburg, 1959.
3. Hidder, de J .C., The Persenallty efthe Urban .Africarr in Scath Africa, Hcutledge,
Kegan Paul, Lenden, 1961.
4. Meelman, J.H., 'Urbaniaaticn cf the Bantu in Seuth AfIica', USSALEP
Sympcsium, 19'i'1.
5. Pauw, B.A., The Seccnd Generatlen, Uxfcrd University Press, Cape Tcwn, 1963.
E. The trilegy: Xhcsc in Tcien was edited by P. Mayer and cereprises: The Black
lk'an's Pcrticn {Il.H. Header), Tetensrnen er Tribesmen (P. Mayer) and The
Seccnd Genereticn {B.A. Pauwl.
 Whc are the Urban Africana? 15

Helleman, J.F. et al leds), I-'reblerns cf Transitien, Natal University Press,

Pietermaritsbu rg, 1994.
l-Iellman, E., Seteetc, S.A. Institute efftace Relaticns, Jchannesbu rg, 1971.
Manganyi, N.C., 'Bcdy Image Bcundary Differentiaticn and iielf-stecring
Behavicur in African Paraplegics', Jcarnal cf Persennlity Assessment, Ile, 1,
1972, 115-59.
Berg, van den, J.H., 'What ia psychctherapyi” Hamanites, Jeurnal cf the
InstitutecfMan, "lf"II,Il, 1971, 321-379.
 BEING-BLACK-IN-THE-WORLD

etessaar

African perscnality: (aee Negritude).

dhflülflifii A Süflifllüflical cencept referring te the discrganisaticn cf secietal and
persenal values.
Anthrepelegyt ln the sense el' the study cfman in his whcleness.
Anxiety State: A neuretic diserder whese main feature is the existence cl
unacccuntable pervasive anxiety.
Be-dy bcundary: A thecretical censtruct in bedy image studies meant tc acccunt
fcr definiteneas er indefiniteness efthe bcdy's extericr.
Bady image: A mental representatien efcne's bedy.
Ceunselling: A fairly inclusive term fer a variety cf ways fer helping individuals
in difficulty achieve better adaptaticn.
Dialogue: In the sense cf relating.
Dirnensicnal cntclegy: Frankl's belief that being human means being bedy,
psyche and 'spirit'.
Eschatclcgy: The science ct death, judgement, heaven and hell {Theelcgicall.
Existentialismt A twentieth century Eurepean philcscphical and literary meve-
ment whese cencerns are these cf man in the werld.
Hypethesis: A scientific hunch fer experimental veri ficatien.
Hyteria: A cemplex neuretic diserder which assumes varieus i`ernrs, the mest
preminent being the ccnversicn cf mental ccnflicts inte physical symptcms.
Ideclegical tctalismr Ccmplete unquesticning ccmmitment te an ideclegy.
Mental health ccnsultatien: A service in ccmmunity mental health previded by
mental health spccialists tc clients.
Methednlcgy: Fcrmulated methcda used in scientific inq uirics.
Negritude: The tetality cf the cultural values ef the black werld, the black life
style-
Ncëtic: U1 the spirit, as used by Frankl-
Úntclcgy: The analysis cf being and existence.
Phantom limh: Chest limb; a feeling that an amputated limb is still in existence
and functinnal.
Pcsitiviem: A pesitien which helda that kncwledge is limited tn ebservable facts
and experience.
Psychetherapy: The use cf specialised methcda in the treatment ef mental dis-
crders_
Schisephrenia: A psychctic reacticn acccmpanicd by marked perscnality
diserganisaticn.
Transcendentalism: In philcsephy-a system which is characterised by
idealism and visienary qualities.
Vital ferce: A spirit which has ferce in African cntclcgy_
2

BLACK- CONSCIOUSNESS

The public marriage between the werds 'biacki and icenscieusness' has in
seme instances led te seme panic and public censternatien in certain
sectiens ef the Seuth African public. There have been arguments, debates
and naggings. It all happened se quickly that seme ehservers have even
suggested that the begey ef steertgeeear was suclden ly beceming real. After
this marriage it even became custemary fer seme peeple ef liberal bent te
suggest that black Seuth Àfricans were new turning racialist. In these
ebservatiens, there appeared at mest times te be an insinuatien that black
peeple were beceming the ungrateful peeple that_ they are i-:newn te be by
putting the liberais eut ef werk. This kind ef reactien is net entirely
unexpected when ene censiders that Seuth African liberalism can enly be a
ferm ef narcisism - a ferm ef white self-leve. Peeple whe leve themselves
can pity enly themselves, hardly anybedy else.
What, in fact, these peeple were saying was that they have been fighting
fer the black cause fer a leng time, that it had since beceme secend nature te
them, te de this pieus werk. Hew dare the black peeple disturh the scheme ef
things by wanting te de the spade-werk as well as the dirty werk them-
selves. The extent ef Seuth African white fathering was dramatised
recently when a black erganisatien demanded that the werd black be used
instead ef the neeerieusly insulting 'nen-Whites' er 'nen-Eurepeansfi What
happened at that time was very instructive. We were teld in se many ways
that we sheuld net behave like a naughty little hey whe changes his name
withcut the explicit permissien ef bis father. Se many tbeeretical and
semantic difficulties were immediately threwn at eur faces. We were teld
even befcre the Indian pepulatien ebjected that they weuld feel insulted by
being Iumped inte the black bag. That effert was a unique demenstratien ef
the white peeple's expertise in hyperbele.
Leaving the white reacticn aside fer the mement we may new turn eur
attentien te the actual marriage that teek place between the werds: black,
eenscieusness and selidarity. Since it has been suggested that these werds
might mean damnatien er raeialism er swertgeuaer it becemes necessary te
inq uire inte seme ef their meanings as understccd by us. I sheuld net be mis-
understeed te be saying that all black peeple will agree with my
IS Being-ele cfc-ifn.-the-i.t:er£e.'

understanding ef these cencepts. It seems te me that the white peeple have

te wait fer us te tell them what we mean by these terms just as they have te
accept eur interpretatien ef the cencepts *African persenality” and
'Negritude'. When werds er cencepts beceme public preperty they tend te
beceme either clichês er slegans. It becemes necessary te remain strictly
within the accepted meanings erdefinitiens fer purpeses ef cemmunieatien.
The werd which requires definitien is censcieusness. `
Accerding te the Sherter Oxferd English Uictienary the fellewing
meanings ef the werd 'censcieusness' are given: 'mutual knewledge';
*knewledge as te which ene has the testirneny within eneself*; and 'the
tetality ef the impressiens, theughts, and feelings, which make up a
persen's censcieus being”. The first usage, theugh rare, is ef the utmest im-
pertance. In eur definitien ef black censcieusness, there is an implicit
recegnitien ef “mutual knewledgei. This recegnitien leads us further te that
ef black selidarity. Frem mutual knewledge te selidarity is a very shert and
legical step. But new the questicn may be asked: mutual knewledge abeut
what? This alse is a crucial questicn. Befere answering this questicn, it
sheuld be stated that black censcieusness is semething abeut which each
black persen has evidence (testirneny) within himself. This will be
develcped later. The questicn abeut mutual knewledge may new be ans-
wered. Black censcieusness sheuld be understeed te mean that there is
mutuaiity ef knewledge with respect te the itetaiity* ef impressiens,
theughts and feelings ef all black peeple.
Seme ebservatiens made by seme peeple may create the spurieus im-
pressien that black censcieusness primarily refers te awareness ef skin
celeur. This is net a judicieus interpretatien. My ewn interpretatien is that
skin celeur in itself and ef itself is insignificant. What is impertant is what
the sl-:in actually signifies in secielegical and psychclcgical terms. The skin
enly becemes significant in these terms as bedy. There can be ne bickering
abeut the existential significance ef the bedy. It is precisely because ef this
reasen that black censcieusness has ne cheice but te start frem the
existential fact ef the black bedy.
This is a recegnitien ef the fact that it is the secielegical schema ef the
black bedy which has in se many ways determined part ef eur experience ef
being-in-the-werld. In ether werds, it has determined part ef the tetality ef
the experience efwhich we are being called upen te be censcieus ef. In terms
ef the bedy, then, we may say thatwe are being called upen te experience eur
black bedies in a revitalised way. We are being called upen te change the
negative secielegical schema impesed upen us by whites.
I have eften said that the existential fact ef the black bedy has alse meant
certain specific ways ef relating te the werld and te ethers. This relating
may be understeed as invelving beth pesitive and negative features. In its
 .Black Cen scfeusness I9

negative ferm we reccgnise the fact ef a specific ferm ef suffering; that ef

having been a celenised peeple. It stands te reasen that part ef eur
censcieusness ef being black peeple ameunts te a *mutual knewledge' ef this
suffering under the hands ef white deminatien. We must hasten te say th at
this censcieusness ef mutual suffering must net be mistaken fer self-pity,
fer that weuld be a tragedy. The black peeple share the experience ef having
been abused and expleited. This is part efeur censcieusness.
Censcieusness ef eur experience ef suffering alse means en the pesitive
side that we share the 'mutual knewledge' ef wanting te escape frem this
suffering. Te the extent that we are censcieus ef being black peeple will we
be mere in a pesitien te impreve en eur let. At this stage, ene weuld like te
peint eut that black censcieusness is time-beund. This means that it is
characterised by its temperality. It is, as it were, censcieusness ef past,
present and future. The fact abeut the temperality ef black cen scieusness is
a very impertant ene. 'This is acceunted fer by the fellewing ebservatiens. If
we sheuld enly talk in terms ef the mutual knewledge ef the fact ef suffering
(beth past and present), we ceuld be accused ef ever-simplifying. What
emerges en reflectien is that the eenscieusness ef being black must alse
include the fact ef eurcentributien te culture, fer I am leath te talk in terms
ef civilisatien. Fer us then, black censcieusness in its temperality includes
the censcieusness ef eur cultural heritage. It has been said eften eneugh
that African cultures were assaulted almest beyend recegnitien. It has net
been said eften eneugh that black censcieusness must alse include as part ef
its recegnitien ef suffering this fact.
If black censcieusness simply ameunted te a mere recegnitien ef this
histericity, it weuld be nething mere than mere ancester wership. 'We said
that it has its temperal dimensiens ef past, present and future. It fellews
that fer black censcieusness te be an 'active presence' in the werld, it has te
deal with the present and the future. What may be said abeut black
censcieusness and the present? Inter alia, it may be said that in its ex-
pressien ef the present it is first ef all mutual knewledge abeut its
histericity. Secendly it ameunts te a recegnitien and the desire te re-
establish cemmunity feeling. This is generally what is meant by the werd
selidarity. Seme peeple feel themselves very threatened by this develep»
ment. It sheuld net censtitute any threat ef any kind because it is a legical
result ef a cenirnen existential experience. Where there is mutual knewledge
it sheuld ceme as ne surprise if there sheuld be selidarity. A negative way ef
leeking at this develcpment is te say that this selidarity is enly against
white peeple. Peeple whe subscribe te this view fail te ge en te say that this
is enly a histerical necessity. It immediately becemes clear that we are net
in any way te blame fer this fact. Theeretically, black censcieusness and
selidarity ceuld have been neutral. This, hcwever, is hardly pessible since in
25' Ht*f.Ilg‹ f1fm':i'- fri- HH'-H 'nrfrf

large measure black censcieusness and selidarity must be censidered a

respense te white censcieusness and selidarity (raeialism).
Black censcieusness und selidarity must be seen by us as phenemena that
are pesitive in themselves. This means that they are desirable even eutside
censideratiens invelving white deminatien and raeialism. References te
these develepments as raeialism beceme meaningless in the face ef this
recegnitien. Nebedy sheuld ever have had any right 'te tell anybedy else
that he sheuld net be aware ef himself as being. Black censcieusness and
selidarity as expressed in the present sheuld alse mean semething in
additien. They sheuld mean centinuity with the past and the future. Seme-
thing has been said abeut the past already. A few remarks en the future.
Our erientatien with respect te the future is ef the utmest impertance. It is
a ccmmcn-place te say that what will happen in the future will be
determined in large measure by what black censcieusness and selidarity
mean te us teday. At the time ef writing, it is pessible te spell ent a few
theughts en this matter. The first idea which appeals te my fancy ameunts
te saying that black censcieusness and selidarity must mean te us that we
have te re-examine the fcrms assurned by persenal and cemmunity relatien-
ships in eur midst. This is necessary because ef the simple reasen that we
have the mutual knewledge abeut the assault en the sense ef cemmunity
that befell us. Our spirit ef cemmunalism was gradually ereded until we
were left with individualism and its stable-mate materialism. Selidarity
amengst ether things means that we as a peeple have to share. This sharing
is albembracing since it invelves net enly the sharing ef material things but
alse the sharing ef suffering and the pessible jeys ef being-black-in-the
werld. It may new be said that in the past we have net shared as we sheuld
have because in erder te share, it is imperative te have the mutuality ef
knewledge ef suffering which is new anehered in black censcieusness.
There are many impertant ccnsideraticns which ge against the netien
abeut the significance ef tribal greupings. In this age ef pewer pelitics and
majer pewers, the greuping ef peeple inte tribes must be seen as semething
which ameunts te a crude experiment The meney ecenemics ef the present
century definitely previde the mest cenvincing evidence against such
experiments. We as black peeple have eur ewn evidence which sheuld tell us
that tribalism is dead because this is the twentieth century. Ne efferts en a
grand scale te reintreduce tribalism will suceeed in the leng run. What kind
ef evidence de we have? The primary evidence revelves areund the fact ef
mutual knewledge which is new expressing itself as black censcieusness
and selidarity. We de knew that there are peeple whe have gene te great
lengths te dernenstrate that the varieus tribal greupings in Seuth Africa are
se culturally and linguistically different. This has been used as the majer
premise fer current Seuth African pelicies. We were net asked whether we
 Bisch (.`ensr:¿easn.css 21'

did accept that this is a matter ef unusual significance te us. There is

sufficient respectable evidence te suppert the idea that there is a great deal
that is cemmen te all African cultures en the African centínent let alene in
Seuth Africa. Une such a cemmen deneminatien is African entelegy
discussed elsewhere in this cellectien. Other unifermities arise frem the
unique type ef suffering which has been part ef eur cemmen experience en
the African centínent. _
We have te be unified by eur cemmen desire te take the initiative in de-
ciding and determining eur future and that ef future generatiens ef black
Seuth Africana. We have mutual knewledge ef the ways in which we have
been deprived ef this right. In their temperal dimensiens, black cen-
scieusness and selidarity must mean semething mere than sheer nestalgia.
In their present and future thrusts, they must mean the birth ef a new
creativity. It needs nn gainsaying te peint eut that this must be a breadly-
based type ef creativity cevering all the significant secters ef eur existence.
The implicatiens ef this last statement fer black peeple are many. The first
ef these implicatiens ameunts te the ebservatien that black censcieusness
and selidarity must be understccd as expressive ef a new kind ef respensi-
bility. This respcnsibility cevers all the impertant areas ef eur secie-
pelitical existence. It alse means that we have te get away frem the pelitical
scape-geating which has characterised eur existence fer the past decade.
What this means in practice is that we sheuld net be saying that the white
man has clesed all the avenues fer pelitical expressien. When we say this we
sheuld nermally ge en te say that this recegnitien dees net mean that we
sheuld recegnise eur cemmunities as simply dead. Life is net enly pelitical.
I-'essibilities fer self-imprevement as a peeple sheuld have been explnred
befcre we simply just threw up the tewel.

There are twe impertant issues which sheuld be raised relating te black
censcieusness and selidarity. The first is the relaticnship between cen-
scieusness and actien. This relaticnship is eften neglected by expenents ef
black censcieusness. The neglect ef this aspect almest ameunts te a lack ef a
clear fermulatien ef the actual practical meaning ef selidarity. In additien
te the relaticnship between mutual knewledge and selidarity there exists
the cennetatien ef actien in selidarity. In ether werds, ene has te be
thinking ef a censcieusness which leads te actien. It is net a primary cen-
sideratien fer us te peint eut the fcrms which sheuld be assumed by the
actien invelved in black selidarity. We are centent te make the ebservatien
that such actien as may be expressive ef this selidarity will require ali the
ingenuity and creativity which we as a peeple are capable ef.
The reader may feel ebliged te ask whether in the nature ef eur actual cir-
cumstances it is at all pessible te indulge in creative actien. Admittedly, the
2.2 Beingbiack- in- the- tee rid

preblems raised by this questicn are cemplex but significant. What this
questicn ameunts te is te reveal the pessible significance ef the preblem ef
freedcm vis-a-vis black censcieusness and selidarity. This is the secend
issue which I said I intended te raise. The preblem effreedem may net be dis-
cussed witheut a reference te its everall significance in human affairs. This
is eur next task.
Human freedem is a pet subject ef existential philesephy hewever de-
fined. This preblem has alse feund its way inte phenemenelegically and
existentially eriented psychetherapies. Fer example, we find it being a
majer cencern ef Sartres in Being and Nethingness; Franklls in
Psychetherapy and Existentiaiism; May's in Psycheiegy and the Human
Diiemma; Merlan-Penty*s in Phenemeneiegy ef Perceptien and Fremmls in
Escape frem Freedern. Besides these academic centributiens and many
ethers, the preblem must always be censidered ene which is ef interest te the
lay public. Eince this is a subject ef such public significance, I intend te
spend a little mere time discussing it. We will limit eur discussien te seme ef
the ideas ef Vikter Frankl since these appear te be the mest relevant fer the
tepic under discussicn 1'I J. In this beek and ethers, Frank] makes a number
ef ebservatiens cencerning freedern. The mest impertant ebservatien en
freedcm is centained in the fellewing statement (2):

*Neediess te say, the freedcm ef a ƒinite being such as man is a freedcm

within limits. Man is net free frem cenditiens, be they hieiegicai er
psychclcgical er secieiegicai in nature. Bat he is, and aiteays remains,
,free te take a stand teward these cenditiens; he always retains the
freedcm te cheese his attitude teward them. Man is free te rise abeve
the pia ne ef se metic and psychic determinante ef his existence '.

Frankl is talking abeut the ultimate freedcm expressed generally in what

he describes as *attitudinal values”. His main cententien is that a human
being has petential te transcend his existential limitatiens te his freedcm
by taking a stand (free cheice) vis-a-vis these limitatien. The questicn new
arises whether this assertien may be censidered ene which is generally
valid in any situaticn where there are limitatiens te eneis freedem.
Te us, it seems that Frankl may in a sense be accused ef having indulged
in an interesting and prefeund abstractien. Altheugh this abstractien
appears te have been stated with cenvictien it seems te us te remain an epen
questicn which calls fer mere reflectien. As he peinted eut, limitatiens te
freedcm may arise en a number ef levels. These limitatiens may be sematic
tbedily); they may be psychic er they may be secielegical. Une sheuld in all
fairness hasten te add that limitatiens in ene ef these dimensiens must
 Black Censcieesness 33

always have far reaehíns effeete en the pnssibilniee ef freedem in the

ether twe dimensiens. It weuld appear that it is relatively easier fer ene te
take a stand (develep an attitude) tewards sematic and psychic limitatiens
since these tend te raise higher erder type ef questiens. This is
understandable since such questiens as are raised will tend te fecus en the
ebscurities ef the meaning ef life. Here again, net all human beings are
capable ef asking these questiens, least ef ali taking a stand against an
unalterable fate. -
Secielegical limitatiens te freedcm are mere instructive. An example may
well iliustrate this peint. A healthy slave weuld be seld te a slave ewner.
That act weuld signify fer the slave the beginning ef excruciating
limitatiens en his freedcm. Taking a stand in the face ef these limitatiens
immediately implies the existence ef several pessible cheices; fer ene may
net be said te be taking a stand when there is ne alternative ceu rse ef actien.
A further qualificatien appears necessary. The available aiternatives
sheuld include a number ef pesitive pessible attitudinai stands. These
aiternatives may enly be pesitive and. meaningful te the extent that they
will imprcve the let ef the slave - redeem part ef his existential freedcm.
Theeretically, it sheuld be pessible fer the slave te adept the attitude that he
is geing te fight his master in erder te regain his freedcm. The slave
recegnises the futility ef such a stand and may well slide inte despair and in-
difference. This despair and indifference may express themselves in varieus
ferms ef hedenism which may never be censidered an expressien ef
freedcm. Ceuid ene say that ene is expressing eneis ability te transcend
limitatiens en eneis freedcm when ene despairs and becemes indifferent? A
pesitive stand sheuld be supperted by ratienal and affective cenvictien.
This cenditien is net met in the case efdespair and indifference.
The peint may be made that it is pessible fer certain reseurceful in-
dividuals te take a stand te what fer all intents and purpeses may be pre-
visienai limitatiens te their freedcm. A patient whe knews that be is geing
te die within a few days may well brace himself up ¬- may take a stand
because death in its ebscurity may ceme te present an absurd kind ef
freedcm. The situaticn is different fer a slave whe has the knewledge that
his parents were slaves; that he is a slave and his children are geing te be
slaves. The time perspective here is se different that there appear te be enl y
twe alternatives. The first, which is net always pessible, is te wish te less
everything by being prepared fer a physical death - suicide er taking up
amis against his master. The secend is the mere usual ene ef cemmitting
suicide in small deses represented se eften in hedenism.
It, therefere, appears th at it is net useful te take a stand as leng as such an
attitude dees net result in censcieus actien because that becemes
indifference. What are the implicatiens ef eur discussicn ef freedcm with
respect te black censcieusness and selidarity? The first iessen appears te be
24 Being-black-in-the-werld

that we have a duty te be censcieus ef eur respcnsibility te deal' with

limitatiens te eur freedem. Black censcieusness and selidarity must mean a
pesture which will express a mevement away frem indifference and despair
te ratienal, erganised activity. Frankl has suggested in additien te his
pesitien en freedem that there are ether values in life which may be realised.
He suggests ene ef these what he describes as 'creative' values - what we
give te the werld. I suggested that this in its breadest sense must be
censidered as ene ef the pessibilities ef the awareness ef being black.
Anether pessibility away frem indifference is an increased sensitivity te
ene's surreundings Cexperiential valuesil. The creative petential ef black
Seuth Africans will be measured against their actien petential.
I weuld like te cemment en ene issue which has generated mere heat than
light. Seme peeple, even black peeple, have wendered whether a separatist
pesture is essential te black censcieusness and selidarity. It sheuld be
ebvieus te anybedy that black peeple and white peeple will centinue te live
tegether as leng as there is life en this planet. A separatist pesture sheuld
never he understeed te negate the existence ef ether racial greups. This
pesture weuld seem te arise frem the fact that we as a peeple want te indulge
unhindered en self-reflectien, en self-definitien and we are putting cen-
ditiens en hew this sheuld take place. The essential cenditien is that enly
peeple whe share eur mutual knewledge sheuld actively participate in these
activities. This pesitien is capable ef being abused by beth white and black
peeple. Nebedy sheuld ccnsider this te be a very impertant fact since it is
enly a side issue.
In sum, we may say that the mutual knewledge which is black
censcieusness and selidarity is net by design raeialism. It is a way ef
relating, ef being-black-in-the-werld in its temperality ef past, present and
future. -

FUÚ'l`N ÚTES
I. Frankl, 'v'.E., Psycftetherapy and Existentialism: Selected Papers Un
Lagether-fltP.}'. Símen and Schuster, New Yerk, 1957.
2. Franki,V.E.,Ibid,p.3.
3

US AND THEM

Befere the advent ef the pelicy ef separate develcpment, seme ebservers

believed Seuth Africa te be a multi-racial natienal state. '1'he histeric victery
ef the Natienaiist Party in 1943 changed all that. It ia new cemmen in
certain circles in Seuth te talk in terms ef multi-natien aliam. It is claimed by
seme expenents ef the pelicy ef separate develcpment that Seuth Africa is a
ceuntry cenaisting ef many races, ethnic greups, languages and cultures.
This, in fact, is true. The expenents ef the pelicy ef separate develcpment ge
ente suggest that it is in recegnitien ef this diversity that Seuth Africa must
be balkanised inte several natienal (ethnic) units.
Peiicy affecting the ceuntry as a wheie may be decided en the basis ef the
abeve categeries. It is questienable whether individual relatiens and greup
relatienships between blacks and whites are metivated and supperted by
such ccnsideraticns. These relatienships appear te be determined at much
iewer and simpler levels. This seems te arise frem the fact that in race-
censcieus envirenments, auch as eurs, it is difficult fer individuals and
greups te develep ways ef actien, feeling and thinking which transcend the
categericai relatienships invelved in us (in-greup) and them (cut-grcup).
'Us' and 'them' censtitute, in eur seciety, a linguistic attitudinal ferm,
expressiva efdiatance and relatien, and, as such, may be censidered te be in
the dem ain ef Martin Bu ber's philesephy ef dialegue (I J.
It will be shewn in this essay that these categerical relaticns are related,
in eur seciety, te different experiences, twe medes ef being-in-the-werld.
These twe existential experiences may be characterised as being-black-in-
the-werld and being-white-in-the-werld. It has te be admitted that the
primary mede ef being-in-the-werld, ef existing, is a given, and is, therefere,
universal. The differences between the white and black experiences ef being-
in-the-werid have ariaen because ef the fact that man, uniike ether iewer
animais, is a histericai being.
There will be time te return te the abeve issues. But befere that is under-
taken,I weuld like te make seme mere general ebaerv atiens abeut the Eieuth
African secial envirenment.
The general issues relating te man's tribalism have been adequately
treated by Reinheld Niebuhr (2). The cencerns here are mere specific than
Eii Heirtg-i1iet~ir-in- tire-werld

his, and relate te a specific envirenment with its histericai and cultural cen-
tingencies.
At this stage, there is an impertant questicn which requires the mest dis-
passienate kind ef reflectien, and which may be fcrmulated as feliews:
What is the mest distinctive feature ef the Seuth African envirenment? The
answer is net te be feund in the public statements ef peliticians but in the
fermuiatiens ef the psychelegy ef ideelegical tetalism as described by
Liften (3), whe has cemmented as feliews:

Any ideelegy - that is, any set ef emet1`r.1na.ily-cnargen' cenvictiens

abeut man. and his relaticnship te the natarai and se,eern.atu.rai werld
- may te carried by its adherents in a tetalistic directien. Hat this is
mest iikely te eccar with these ideeiegies which are mest aa.'ee,eing in
their centent and mest ambitieus -er messianic -in thcirciairns.

Several criteria (psychclcgical themes) may be used te judge the extent ef

ideelegical tetalism in an envirenment. Briefly these may be presented as
feliews:
One ef the mest impertant ef these criteria ia that relating te the extent ef
rniiiea centrei. This may take varieus fcrms such as are represented in
censership (cemmunieatien) and indectrinatien-cum-educatien. A tetalistic
envirenment tenda te develep a rnysticai im,eeratia‹›. This mystique,
generally censidered te represent a mere all-inclusive and higher purpese,
may be Ged andƒer Western Civilisatien. A criterien related te mystical
manipulatien in tetalist envirenments is the demand fer perit_v. This
requirement results in a twe-vaiued erientatien, pure party-men as against
cemmunists and agitaters - a pure race as against an impure en. The
demand fer purity alse leads te the demand fer the tetal' arpesare ef
individuals in the cemmunity. This demand fer expesure is related te the
claim eftetaliatic envirenments te cemplete ewnership efindividuals (their
minds) in that miiieu.
The last feur criteria may be stated briefly as feliews: First, there is the
active attempt te create an aura ef sacredness arcund an ideelegy and its
basic asaumptiens. This is achieved by active prehibitien ef serieus
questiening ef the ideelegy and its underlying asaumptiens. Asseciated
with ideelegicaily tetalist envirenments is a marked tendency tn feed tia'
ian.gua,ge with a limited number ef emetienall_v nverluar;led rlirhi~s.
Úverieading efthe language may manifest itseifin phrases and werds such
as 'the maintenance ef law and erder', 'agitaters and cemmunists`. A mest
dramatic characteristic ef ideelegical tetalism is the eieeatien ef dectrine
 Us and Them 2?

euer the individual. This is evidenced by a sustained encreachment ei

individual liherties. A tetalistic envirenment maintains a distinctiel
between 'the peeple` (whese rights and existence are recegnisedj and the
'nen-peeple' whese existence and rights are net serieusljv censidered.
That Seuth Africa is a tetalist ceuntry has been said eften eneugh. What
has net been said is that there are impertant issues raised b_v that
recegnitien. It has net been said eften and leud eneugh that the ideelegical
tetalism ef apartheid is radically mere tetal in its centre] ef the lives ef black
Seuth Africana. The ideelegical tetalism ef apartheid expresses itself
differentiallv in the white and black secters ef Seuth African seciety. Hzv
design? It has net been said that belew the superficial and ebvieus crude-
ness ef the practical applicatien ef separate develeprnent there lies a very
sephisticated and subtle tiger - psychic manipulatien. 'l`here are twe real
dangers amengst ethers in this ferm ef psychic manipulatien. The first ef
these relates te the fact that a tetalistic envirenment tends te levver the
integrative status ef a cemmunity. This means that such envirenments
beceme less and less suppertive te the individuals that live in them.
Integratien is rapidl;v replaced lizv chaes, by a high merhidity' rate and by in-
creasing failures bjv individuals te censtitute meaningful lived-space. In the
secend place, there can be ne cleuht that the everall effects ef chrcnic and
subtle psychic manipulatien must have decisive results en the general
vitality and psychic health ef future generatiens ef Seuth Afrieans. This
ebservatien is in itself net alarming. Wh at gives the ebservatien its night-
marish quality is the further theught that it mazv vvell take a “secend ceming*
teundethe harm.
The issue as te whether Seuth Africa qualifies fer inclusien ameng
ideelegicallzv tetalist envirenments is net te be understeed as censtituting
an academic pelemie. It is raised here because it is pessibly the mest
impertant attribute ef Seuth African seciety which must be taken inte
acceunt in anv attempt at understanding the 'us* and “them” categeries as
well as the fe rms taken by the black experience; being-black-in-the-we rld.

Being-In-The-Werld in [ts Histerieity

In erder te reflect en the develcpment ef the *us' and *them' categeries
(these being eategeries ef interactien, ef interpersenal relatienships) it is
essential tedeal with the histerically available medes ef being-in-the-werld.
It was peinted eut earlier th at being-in-thevverld (existence) is a given. This
means in effect that the basic structure ef existence is histericai. It is
speeificallgv man's histericity and his being a decisive being (man decides
what te beceme) which have infused variatiens en this given existential
structure. It is these twe facters which have made it pessible if net
imperative fer us te say that there is a mede ef existence (ef being-in-the
28 He:`n.g-hlacƒt-tri.-the-werld

werld) which may be characterised as being-whitein-the-werld and being-

black-in-the-werld. There is sufficient decumentatien ef the fact that the
histery ef being-in-thewerld (In-der-wait-seia) ef the black and white races
ef the werld is different. This histery has been se different, in fact, that ene
is j ustified te talk in terms ef a black and white existential experience. These
ebservatiens are te be substantiated at a later stage.

Dialogue and Helatien

Existence (desefaj is dialegue: relatien. This means that an individual is

always transacting with his envirenment. In phenemenelegical reflectien
this idea is net nevel. It is central. In erder te understand this idea mere
fully, itis necessary te bring it dewn te the level ef individual existence. The
individual persen, if he sheuld be healthy, is a dialegue: he is always
relating. Van den Berg (el has vividly described this fact in his descriptien
ef the psychiatric patient. He, amengst ethers, has helped us identify the
majer aspects which censtitute the structure ef existences, ef lived-space.
Anether way ef making this peint, is te say that dialegue [relatien] may be
established at feur different levels. An individual has te relate himself first
te his bedy as existential fact. In additien te this dialegue with his bedy,
relaticns have te be established with fellewmen and semetimes Ged {ged);
with ebjects (material culturei and with time. A brief censideratien ef these
censtituents ef the existential structure fellews.
The Bady

In erder te understand the nature ef the differences between the black and
white experiences, it is necessary te deal with their respective experiences in
relatien te the bedy. Little recegnitien has been given te the secial-
psychelegy ef the bedy eutside attempts te describe difficulties and pri-
vileges asseciated with skin celeur. This trend is unpardenable, in view ef
the fact that an exten sive treatment ef this subject is currently available (5).
I have dealt with the bedy image elsewhere fd). Here I hepe te pay particular
attentien te the secial-psychelegy ef the bedy er, mere aptly, the
secielegical scheme (fl discribed in the intreductien.
One ef the legacies ef celenialism in Africa has been the develcpment ef
the dichetemy relating te the bedy, namely, the 'bad' and 'geed' bedy. The
white man's bedy has been prejected as the standard, the nerm ef beauty, ef
accemplishment. Net enly the bedy preper, but its periphery; its embellish-
ments have alse heen recegnised as such. Un -the ccntrary, the black bedy,
prejected as the “bad` bedy, has always been prejected as being inferier and
unwheleseree.
 Us and Them 29

The implicatiens ef this dichetemy are many and varied. An impertant

result ef this state ef affairs was the develcpment ef twe different
secielegical schemas ef the bedy. Une ef these schemas was black and bad
and the ether was white and geed. This distinctien has fer a leng time
affected the texture efinterpersenal relatienships acress the celeur line. It is
understandable why the black bedy generally acted as a berrier te effective
cemmunieatien while the white bedy thrived en its eppeei characteristics.
Altheugh the bedy is distinctly ambigueus in its essential nature, rigid and
categerieal characterisatien in the centact situaticn has resulted in the
limitatien fer indiuidaaiisetien ef the black bedy. Under ideal cenditiens ef
the 'geed bedy”, the bedy becemes fer the individual, a peint ef view
(Mearlau~Penty). This means that the indieideel scheme predeminates
ever the secielegical scheme. This last cenditien is ene which has ebtainerl
in white secieties fer a leng time. In black cemmunities en the ether hand,
threugh the artificial and unnatural prederninance ef the secielegical
schema, the individual schema has beceme traumatised and ceases te be a
peint ef view; eftelling the werld whe ene is.
A desirable balance between the individual and secielegical schemas ef
the bedy is mandatery fer individual psychic balance, cempetence and
pesitive self-steering behavieur. Since the bedy censtitutes the existential
nexus ef persenal existence, it cemes as ne surprise that the black bedy with
its essentially negative prescribed attributes has net always generated cem-
petence. Thus it is that the self-fulfilling preph ecy ef the white man, that he
is cempetent and superier while the African is 'by nature* inferier and in-
cempetent tends te take en the semblance ef a reality (SJ.
There are peeple whe have discredited the *black is beautiful' campaign.
Since this reacticn is a result ef ignerance, ignerance abeut the significance
ef the secielegical schema ef the bedy, it is perhaps pardenable. We as
blacks must new say with all the cenvictien at eur cemmand that a massive
and creative campaign is essential te alter the negative secielegical schema
ef the black bedy. This is net enly desirable frem the peint ef view ef its
inherent aesthetic petential, but alse because ef the unlimited secial-
psychelegical significance ef the bedy as existential fact-situaticn.
It may new be peinted eut that the bedy, in the centact between whites
and blacks, has always previded a splendid medium fer the develcpment ef
the 'uai and 'them' categeries. It, the bedy, has always determined distance
and relatien (dialegue). Threugh the secielegical schemas, it has always
acted en its berrier er appeal characteristics. lfllistancing and relating.
Witheut geing inte details, ene last peint sheuld be made with respect te the
bedy.
A negative secielegical schema and by the same teken a negative
individual schema, inevitably lead te the unhealthy ebj ecti fica tien ef the
:iii Being-hleet:-ia-the-werld

bedy. This means that the individual begins te experience his bedy as an eh-
ject. He expeiiences his bedy as theugh it were semething eutsidc himself.
This is an expected result ef the predeminanee ef the secielegical schema
ever the individual schema. A healthy individual rarely experiences his
bedy as an ehject, as semething eutside himself. It is enly in pathelegical
states (illness) that the bedy is experienced as alien. During acute illness the
be dy is ebjectified te an un usu al extent.. '
As leng as the twe secielegical schemas ef the bedy exist side by side, as is
likely te happen fer a leng time in Seuth Africa, it will remain true te say
that the bedy will centinue te fester and neurish the centinuatien ef the “us”
and 'them* categeries. This means that there will centinue te be being-black-
in-the-werld and being-white-in-the-werld. Twe existential experiences.
Of mere immediate significance, hcwever, are ccnsideraticns cencerning
the black bedy. Nebedy sheuld accuse us ef suggesting that the black bedy
is superier te any ether bielegical type. All we wish te say is that the
negative prescribed secielegical sch ema (with its barrier attributes) must be
replaced by a mere realistic secielegical schema (with appeal attributes)
defined and develcped by black peeple.
Individual in Süciety

Every individual in seciety is related te his fellewmen at a number ef

entry peints: family, neighbeurheed and ideally the whele ef the
cemmunity ef which he is a member. It has been shewn that the fcrms taken
by these primary and secendary fcrms ef relatienships are culturebeund.
In Africa, there has been sufficient decumentatien ef the characteristic
primary greup structures such as the extended family and kinship systems
as well as the secendary grcup precesscs invelved in cemmunalism
(cerperate persenality). At the level ef the relaticnship between the
individual and his fellewmen, we reccgnise a pelarity ef apprcaches. The
white apprcach is characterised by the primacy ef the individual
tindividualisml while the black apprcach was characterised by the primacy
ef the cemmunity. -
The cenquest ef blacks in Seuth Africa and the subsequent secie-pelitical
histery has resulted, inter alia, in the destructien ef African traditienal
apprcaches in this area. The main peint I wish te raise in this respect is th at
eutside the very real preblems asseciated with meney ecenemics, the
pelitical supprcssien ef blacks has had ene everriding effect, which may be
summari sed as fellews:
The effective central ef black pelitical initiatives since the early sixties
has meant that blacks relinquish any cemmunity~eriented ebjectives. This
destructien ef cemmunity feeling was achieved by means ef a number ef
 Us and Them 31

well-studied strategies. One ef these has been the stifling ef effective and
articulate pepular leadership. What became ef this effert, as I hepe te shew
later, was an individualism mere malignant than that feund within white
elitist capitalist secieties.
The rise ef the individualistic and materialistic ethic is semething which
is essentially alien te being-black-in-the~werld. The call fer black cen-
scieusness and selidarity must be censidered a medium fer the creative
develcpment ef individual and cemmunity dignity. Black censcieusness
and selidarity will be meaningful enly te the extent that they ensure the
effective return ef the individual te the cemmunity. That is where he
belengs. In terms ef the existential structure suggested here, being-black-id
the-werld means, inter alia, that we must change eur medes ef relating te
eur black bedies and cemmunities frem these prescribed by the deminant
culture. It ebvicusly must remain a matter ef prefeund indifference te us
whether these changes remain acceptable te the demina nt culture.
Being-in-the-werld with Objects

It was peinted eut that existence is dialegue-relatien. It has been shewn

that this relatien-dialegue (being-in-the-werld) has been and is different fer
blacks and whites. This has been shewn te be the case with respect te the
bedy as well as the larger cemmunity. There is aneth er existential categery
which may be studied in erder te dernenstrate the difference in medes ef
being-in-the-werld. This catcgery is the categery ef being-in-the-werld with
ebjects er things. The issues raised with respect ef man and ebjects are
clesely related te these that were made cencerning individualism. A well-
knewn stable-mate ef individualism is materialism. New, it seems te me te
be a simple matter te recegnise that attitudes tewards ebj ects (alse, material
culturel are fundamentally determined by the general cultural ethes ef a
cemmunity, namely whether it be individualistic, capitalistic er
cernmunalistic.
The neted distertien ef the relaticnship between the individual and his
cemmunity alse meant a dramatic change in his system ef values. Under
ideal eenditiens, man's relaticnship with an ebject may generally be said te
be decided by the ebject's aesthetic and utility value. This principle is
vielated whenever individuals are deprived ef dignity, self-respect and are,
fer seme reasen er ether, unable te activate the spiritual cure fnet
necessarily religieusl ef their selfheed. whenever this neëtic dimensien is
allewed te liedermant er is net activated, a veritable distertien ef the being¬
in-the-werld with ebjects relaticnship arises. Such a distertien may easily
be shewn te arise whenever individuals find themselves in situaticns where
the mere intangible values are relegated te an inferier status. Such in-
32 Being-black-in-the-werld

dividuals have been shewn te develep a tendency te validate themselves in

terms ef external, easily-identifiable criteria. It becemes ebvieus en clese
study ef such peeple that their value system did net arise at any stage frem
the aetivating cere ef the neetic dimensien, but is a direct result ef naked
secielegical ccnsideraticns entirely beycnd their centrel.
In the secially pathelegical situaticns ef the kind described here, it is net
uncemmen te find that a peet is censidered a lesser being than the Mercedes
Bens-driving business tyceen. This universal tragedy is perhaps witheut
cemparisen in its magnitude as manifested in Seuth Africa*s black cem-
munities. The psychclcgical impact ef the white deminant culture en the
relatien between blacks and ebjects may be fcrmulated in the fellewing
way: the white culture has ever a number ef centuries preclaimed the
supeiierity ef its cultural heritage. This attitude gave birth te seme ef the
mest unfertunate *hang-ups* experienced by blacks the werld ever. One ef
the results was that success, being a white preregative, alse became white
by definitien. A white nerm. Fer the successful black man, the relaticnship
between him and ebjects {material culture} meved frem the purely aesthetic-
utilitarian leyel te the distinctly pathelegical cempensatery level. In this
precess, an inversien teek place. Instead ef the given existential relatien-
ship between man and ebjects in which man centinues te decide en the
nature ef the dialegue, this time it is as theugh the ebjects were deing the de-
ciding, assisted, ef ceu rse, by the white demina nt culture.
The develcpment ef a faveurable man-ebject relaticnship will require a
regeneratien ef cemmunity-feeling; the active premetien ef creative,
experiential and attitudinal values which are net censenant with in-
dividualism and materialism. This ebj ective may net be realised within the
current existential structures created by the white deminant culture. It
seems legical fer black peeple te adept a pesture ef pesitive, creative
“iselatiení Greup intrespective analysis - an inward leek - is mandatery
fer us in any attempt at restructuring eur value system F9).
Being-in-the-werld-in-time
A brief cemment en the existential categery ef time is new apprepriate.
The existential character ef time may be fcrmulated as feliews: Time is real
enly in terms ef its primeval relaticnship with space. In this cembinatien,
time and space censtitu te an individual's lived-space (existence). Id eally, an
individual sheuld be free te censtitute his lived-space en the basis ef the
epen appeal ef time. An individual has petential. Time appeals te this
petential te be realised freely. Such petential may enly be realised in
freedem-in-security {a dialectic).
Once the cenditien ef freedem-in-security is net met, a disturbance ef the
relatienship between man and time is intreduced. Witheut geing inte
 Us and Th em 33

details, it may be said that this cenditien has net been met in the black
experience fer mere than three centuries. There has net been freedem-in-
security in eur relaticnship with time; in the ways in which we have been
'allewed' te censtitute eur lived-space; in eur respense te the epen appeal ef
time te actualise eur petential as peeple. ln the absence ef freedem-in-
seeurity, planning becemes existentially meaningless and the individual
life becemes previsienal. When this happens, peeple live as theugh they
were immertal, as theugh death were a fictien. Other disturbances
asseciated with this distertien ef the man-time relatienship are these
relatingte initiative and achievcment. In this respect, it is te be neted that
individual initiative as well as the desire fer achievcment beceme accidental
rather than purely velitien al acts.
The black and white medes ef being-in-the-werld-in-time have been and
are different. The white deminant cultures have enshrined freedem-in-
security fer members ef their kind while ensuring the maximum absence ef
this cenditien fer blacks. Thus it is that the primeval relatienshi p between
man and time is disturbed in the black existential experience. This is indeed
every serieus matter requiring the mest serieus reflectíen and actien en eur
part.
Us and them
'Us* and 'them' remain basic categeries ef secie-pelitical interactien here
and elsewhere. They are categeries ef distance and relatien. The distance
between blacks and whites is real. There is a black mede ef being-in-the
werld. The relatien between blacks and whites, theugh inescapable, is ef a
categericel nature; it is in the nature ef stereetyping ('us* and *them*). Since
these cenclusiens are true, dialegue between these twe greups will remain
superficial fer a leng time. This is understandable because there will always
be twe frames ef reference (twe existential experiences) with regard te any
impertant issue which arises. Te take a tepical issue, there will be ne
immediate agreement between blacks and whites regarding the calls fer
black censcieusness and selidarity. White Seuth Africans interpret this as
raeialism while we regard the sarne phenemena as a medium fer pesitive,
creative and defensive raeialism which is eppesed te the traditienal
negative raeialism practised by whites.
In eur attempt te regain eur lest dignity as a peeple, there are feur
fundamental levels at which an attack must be launched. There is an urgent
need fer serieus reflectien en hew best we can redirect eur ageeld attitudes
in respect ef eur black beautiful bedies; eur cemmunity respensibilities; eur
attitudes tewards the material culture, and eur relaticnship with time.
 Being-black-in-the-werld

F'ÚÚTN OTES
Buber, M., I and Then (End E-ditienl. Translated by RJG. Smith, T. dt de T. Clark,
Edinburgh, 1953.
Niebuhr, R., Mania Nature and his Cemmanities, Geeffrey Bles, Lenden, 1955.
Liften, R.,-J., Thought Reƒerm. and the Psychelegy ef Tetaiism, Penguin Beeks,
1961.
Berg, van den, J.H., De .Psycitiatrische patient, G.F. Gallenbach, N JJ., Nijkerk,
1954.
See, fer example, Fisher, S. dr Cleveland, S.E., Bady Image and Persenaliry [End
Ftev. Ed.}, Princeten, New Jersey, III. van Nestrand, 1565. Anether respectable
treatment ef this subject is available in M. Merlean-Penty's Phenemenelegy ef
Perceptien, Reutledge and Kegan Paul, Lenden, 1952. Shents, F.U., in
Perceptaai and Úegnitiee .aspects ef Bady Experience, New Yerk, Academic
Press Inc., 1969. raises seme pertinent theeretical and empirical questiens
relating te this preblem.
Msnganyi, N.C., 'Bcdy Image Beundary Differentiatien and Self-steering
behavieur in African paraplegicsfl Jeurnal ef Persenniity Assessment, 36, 1,
1972,45-50.
Keuwer, B.J., 'Gelaat en Karacter', in J.H¡. van den Berg en J . Linkscheten
(Redactiel: Persa-sn en Wereld: Bijdragen tet de Phaenemenelegisehe
Psychelegie, Erven J. Bijleveld, Utrecht, 1953, 59-T3, refers te this schema.
This cenclusien is expressed as fellews by L. Schlemmer in Tewnrds Serial
Change, the repert ef the Spre-cas Secial Cemmissien: “... lifeleng experience ef
subservienee, the daily struggle fer existence, the massive prepertiens ef white
pewer and the superier merale ef whites, have preduced divisiens and cenflicts
within black cemmunities, and a general feeling ef disspiritedness and help-
lessness, all ef which are functienal fer the centinuatien ef white suprcmacy” (p.
152).
This is effectively described by Bennie Kheapa in Black Viewpein t, published by
the Spre-cas Black Community Pregrarumea, p. dl-dll.
4

BEING-BLACK-IN-THE-WORLD

The questicn regarding the usefulness and psychclcgical meaningfulness

efthe cencept *African persenality' remains essentially undecided. A recent
review ef its status by a neted schelar, theugh prebably the mest well
fcrmulated in the literature, peses mere questiens than are answered fl).
Levine, whese guarded reserve is evident, has lucidly iselated seme ef the
mest thcrny issues attendant en the cencept and its develepment.
Areas ef specific agreement between this auther and myself are the
fellewing: First, all reasenable and infermed ebservers will agree that part
ef the stalemate in the develcpment ef the cencept may in large measure be
attributed te partisan stereetyping such as is represented in the
centributiens ef Uarethers (2) and the J ehannesburg psychelegist, J .fl. de
Ridder (3). With respect te persenality structure, Levine makes the
impertant ebservatien that there are varieus pessible levels ef abstractien
in the analysis and descriptien ef persenality which must always be
recegnised in any attempt at fermulating persenality characteristics ef a
greup ef peeple. This valid peint is net always recegnised. Thirdly, I alse
suppert the prepesitien that African secieties and cultures as cempared te
ethers eutsideAfrica are in impertant res pects distinctive.
The methedelegical preblems attendant en the cencept 'African
persenality' in its psychclcgical cennetatiens are very aptly expressed by
LeVine in the fellewi ng statement F4):

Thus 'the African persenality' cannet he rnere than a matter ef

statistical tendency and is iikely te shew less uniƒerniity acress African
pepalatie ns than de patterns eƒcaitare.

Centributiens in the area have tended te highlight an ebtrusive cen-

ceptual mix-up between *patterns ef culture* and what seme authers have
described as “persenality'. This mix-up has been a direct result ef the failure
te eenceptualise persenality structure as being essentially stratified; as
being made ef cere and euter pessible levels ef abstractien.
The apparent and real semantic and ether preblems asseciated with the
36 Being-black-in-the-tee rid

cencept “African persenality* appear upen reflectien te be ef a fairly simple

nature. These difficulties vanish frem the scene the mement due recegnitien
is given te the 'fellewing ccnsideraticns: rather than ask the unwieldy
questien: is there an African persenality? it appears mere legitimate tere-
fermulate this aleng the fellewing lines. Is there an experiential reperteire
whiclr may be censidered distinctly African? I will return te this questien a
little later. `
As a secend ebservatien it may be stated that the cencept 'African per-
senality* as defined by white ebservers is fereign te us as Africana. As de-
fined and understccd by leading Africana the cencept refers mere in-
clusively te a lifestyle. In eur view, African persenality sheuld be nething
mere er less than what Sengher has pepularised as Negritude (5). His
definitien ef Negritude makes the identity ef the African persenality
umnist-skably clear:

It is - as yeu can guess frem what precedes - the sam ef the caftarai
eaiaes ef the black werld; that is, a certain active presence in the werld,
er better, in the universe. It is, as Jehn Reed and Clive Wake call it, a
certain- 'way efrelating enesefƒ te the werld and te ethers. '

It sheuld be readily admitted that in this, the enly legitimate inter-

pretatien ef the cencept, there is ne cause er reasen fer any mis-
understanding. Cenfusien has arisen because the de Ridders fd) have
attempted and preferred te see in this cencept strictly psychclcgical
preperties. It appears te have escaped the netice ef the de Ridders that it
may prebably make sense te study the persenality ef an individual persen
but hardly that ef a millien peeple. It sheuld be clear that statistical central
tendencias de net tell us much abeut Africana, let alene their persenality!
Since it may net be se easy te settle se emetienally-charged an issue as the
ene under discussicn, it may be necessary te supply mere suppertive argu-
menta. These whe may be interested in the behavieural manifestatiens ef
Negritude ceuld better eenceptualise their area ef interest as ene which
primarily invelves adaptaticnal life styles. Such a shift weuld ensure the
realisatien ef a number ef ebjectives, ene ef which weuld be a recegnitien ef
the fact that Africans are part ef the human race, and that ccntrary te
pepular nctiens there is a trend mere tewards genetic cenvergence at this
stage in the histery ef man than tewards divergence (7).
This last peint weuld net require decumentatien if we did net have tc-
centend with almest universal racial bigetry in the guise ef respectahle
scientific knewledge. A secend ebj ective appears te be a rather unfertunate
ene since it is net always cerdial to remind peeple that they celenised ene.
 Being-black-in-the-werld 37

Detractcrs will tell us that this questicn cf having been cclcnised is a

histcrical platitude; that, in fact, ncbcdy was cr is tc blame. It remains
fundamentally true' tc insist cn a fresh reccgniticn cf the histcrical fact cf
cclcnialism since this histcrical eitigency may make certain currently less
understccd realities abeut being black-in-the-wcrld understand able.
An apprcach cf the kind suggested here wculd appear tc prcmise a greater
prebability cf meaningfully studying the African mude cf relating, the
African mude cf being-in-the-wcrld; the àfrican mude cf relating (dialegue)
tc the bcdy, tc cthers, tc cbjects and tc space and time. There cannct be any
dcubt that being-in-the-wcrld with a black bcdy has transfcrrned the
essential fcrms cf the relatienships amengst the different existential cate-
gcries such as time and cbjects. The prcblem as I see it invclves the
cntclcgical study cf black existence. Befcre such a radical statement is
made, the fcllcwing further pcints shculd be made.

The active presence that is Negritude

We accept Senghcr's ccntenticn that Negritude is 'the sum cf the cultural
values cf the black wcrld* and that this tctality nf cultural values is a
'certain active presence* in the wcrld (8). Unlike mcst whitc chservers, we
ccnsider this presence tc be a pcsitive cne tc the extent that Senghcr cculd
gc cn tc describe Negritude as a *Humanism' cf the 20th century. Scme
cbservaticns ccncerning the cntclcgical significance cf culture will nct be
inapprcpriate.
Untclcgically, culture may be understccd as ccnstituting the mcst ccn-
crete medium fcr the structuring cf the dialcgue between man and the
universe. This reccgniticn cf culture as the primary medium fcr the ccn-
stituting cfman-wcrld relaticns leads cne tc the ccnclusicn that since there
are many cultural patterns in the wcrld, it shculd cume as nc matter fcr ccn-
trcversy tc say that there are variaticns in the mude cf being-in-the-wcrld.
This ncticn is nct as radical as it appears at first sight since it has been
ccnvincingly suggested that there is a ferninine mude cf being-in-the-wnrld.
Scme sceptics may invcke biclcgy in an attempt tc take the wind cut cf my
sails. This kind cfscapegcating will nut prcve tc be ncvel.
That questiens cf biclcgy, cf heredity, cf biclcgical determinism, cf the
supericrity and infericrity cf nne biclcgical grcup íracel as against cthers
still ccnstitute matters fcr time-ccnsuming debate has been highlighted by
the sc-called Jensen ccntrcversy sc ably presented by Tcbias recently IQ).
We brush aside with gustc the puerile suggcstinns cf the Jensens cf this
wcrld whc wculd let us believe that biclcgical determinism is the main
existential categcry acccunting fcr differences in mcdes cf being-in-the
wcrld. Radical reflectien cn the ccntrary tells us that the issue is much mcre
ccmples. Very little attentien shculd be paid tc these detractcrs. What is
38 Be£ng-bfnck-t`n- the-werld

urgently required is tc establish whether there is a distinctly black mede cf

existing - whether cne may identify an cntclcgical structure that may be
asseciated with being-black-in-the-wcrld.
There are cf ccurse, academics and lay peeple whc will, because cf scrne
unshakeable racialistic cenvicticns, be prepared fcr an cutright inquisiticn
befcre admitting the pessible ez.-tistence cf a strictly African cntclcgy. This
reacticn is tc be treated with cuntempt since it will ccme as nc surprise tc us.
Clur experience has taught us that these are likely tc be the same peeple whc
have cast dcubt cn the pessibility cf early and flcurishing Àfrican
civilisaticns, whc have cast dcubts whether cr nct it was African
civilisaticn which gave birth tc the Zimbabwe ruinsl Such denials sheuld
always remain matters cf the mcst prcfcund indifference tc us since we
have already made the pcint that in the nature cf the US and THEM cate
geries ccmmunicative equivalence between whites and blacks must, fcr the
time being at least, be ccnsidered a prcspective matter, a mere future
pcssibility.

Ccntributicns tc Philusuphical Ànthrupclcgy

The statement may be made that ccntiibuticns purpcrting tn create an
understanding cf man's ewn image (anthrepelegy) are bread] y cf twe types.
There are thcse ccntributicns which are the unmistakeable brain children
ef the naturalistic pcsitivistic ethcs cf the Angle-Sa:-:nn part cf the wcrld.
The primary cbjecticn tn these ccntributicns is that cf reducticnism -
nam ely, the reducticn cf the human perscn tc thcse attributes, traits cr what
ycu will which are suppcsedly available tc ebjective measurement lt will
readily be appreciated that theugh these ccntributicns are mere
scphisticated, they retain very strcng family links with the earlier
psychclcgies cf the picneers. It is, hcwever, gratifying tc ncte that in recent
years there has been a visible emphasis away frcrn precccupaticns with
methcd tc grappling with the enigma that is the human perscn fi LU.
The seccnd grcup cf ccntributicns are thcse which have ceme mainly
frem the ccntinent cfEurcpe articulated in Scuth Africa by Pref. H.l". Nel cf
Pretcria University (I IJ. These ccntributicns include thcse which are
characterised as esistentialistic cr phencmenclcgical. Althcugh methcd is
nct unduly enshrined, it is ccnsidered impertant tc the extent that it may
lead tc a better understanding ef the human perscn. The primary thrust in
these ccntributicns is that cf tctality cr whcleness, nct cnly cf an individual
perscn but that cf the existential situaticn in which he finds himself. Man is
always in a situaticn. He is always in ccnstant dialegue (relatien) with his
life-space. Acccrding tc Van den Berg U2), the ncticn cf dialegue is the
ccrnerstcne cf phencmenclcgical psychclcgy. Nel has given sufficient
attentien tc the differences between naturalistic and phencmenulcgical
 Being-t1tach-in- the-.wc rid 39

anthrcpclcgies (13). These are nct tc be repeated here.

The questicn arises: Is there an African ccntributícn tc philescphical
anthrepelegy? The answer tc this questicn is a decided yes. African
cntclcgy (analysis and understanding cf existence) was dneumented nnl y
recently (14). Its actual life~span remains undated. There appears tc be nc
histery cf idealistic philesephy in Africa; nc cencerns .abeut eschatclngy
andr'cr transcendentalism. This last ebservatien may be debatable. What is
nut ccntrcversial is that the philnscphy nf dialegue, relatien, inter-
dependence; the tetal existential situaticn were the very stuff nf life in
African existence. This truth requires amplificatien.
A detailed acccunt cf African cntclcgy is given by Temples (15).
Senghcris brief ch aracteiisaticn cf this cntclcgy will suffice fcr present pur-
peses (16). He cbserves:

Lihe ethers, mare than ethers, he distirtgaishes the pebbie frem the
piant, the plant frem the animai, the animaiƒrem Man; hat, cnce again,
the accidents and appearances that ttiƒƒerentiate these Kingcinms eniy
iitastratediƒƒerent aspects cf the same reality. This reatity is being and
it is iiƒe ferce. Fer the African, matter in the sense the Earcpeans ander-
stand it, is cniy a system. cf signs which transiates the singie reality nƒ
the Universe: being, which is spirit, which is iiƒe ferce. Thas, the wheie
universe appears as an inƒinitety sm-aii, and at the same time an
infinitety targe, netwcrh aƒiifeƒnrces which. emanate frem Ga.-:i and end
in Gcd, whc is the saarce nƒ ati iiƒe ƒcrces. It is he whc nitaiises and
denitatises aii ether beings, aii the ether iiƒe ferces. fp. 4).

Central tc African cntclcgy is a recegnitien that in crder tc understand

the status cf an individual at any given time {be it in the areas cf inter-
perscnal relaticns, health cr disease) attentien shculd be directed at his
existential situaticn in its tetality. This means that the relaticnship
amengst the interdependent vital ferces (life ferces), elders, anccstcrs and
Ged have tc be fully appreciated in each individual situaticn.
This tetality nf the individu al's existential situaticn was tc be understccd
in relatien tc twc existential categeries. These categciies may be stated as
thcse cf vital fcrce (spirit) hierarchy and interdependence. Vital ferces were
ccnsidered tc be interdependent and cf different pctency. Africans
recegnised relatien (dialegue) as being fundamen tal tc existence - bn being-
in-thewcrld. Withcut elabnrating, I wculd like tc suggest that African
cntclcgy in its cwn right is a significant ccntributicn tc philescphical
anthrepelegy. Its primary fncus is nn the existential situaticn in its tetality;
cn dialegue as the mcst fundamental existential categc ry.
40 Being-htatrh-in.-th e- teeriri

We said at an earlier stage that culture must always be censidered an

existential medium fer the censtituting ef man-werld relaticns. At this
stage, the peint may be made that the *thecry ef ferces” as an cntclcgy cen-
stituted fcr the African a back-drcp against which variaticns ef cultural
mediums ceuld be develcped. Since there has been and is an African
cntclcgy which has created cultural variaticns, there appears tc be ne
scund basis fcr scepticism with regard te the respectaliility and status cf the
cencepts “Negritude` - .African persenality as defined by us. There has
undcuhtedly been ablack, crmcre specifically African mede nfbeing-in-the
werld; ef dialegue, ef relating tc the bedy, te ebjects, tn ethers and tc time
and space.
Une may cbserve that as a result cf a number cf histericai [e.g.
celcnialisml and secie-cultural ccntingencies such as the missinnary effert,
mest cf the valuable aspects cf African cntclcgy were undermined. The
cclcnisers waged a tetal war cn Negritude {African persenality) mainly
threugh the missinnary thrust. When we leck back at these develcpments
we see Africa geing threugh its ewn llark Age. New in the "tus Africa is
geing threugh its Renaissance - its ewn centributien tn werld humanism.
This develcpment is ef the utmest impcrtance since it is beecming
inereasingly clear that Western civilisaticn has gene inte a veritable crisis
H Fl. The civilisaticns ef the West are new appreitimating the cancercus
decline stage nf the Human Empire. That this is the case is easily de-
mcnstrated by the decline in the integrative status ef eur en vircnments; the
dev elcpment ef large scale sub-cultures and ccunter-cultu res.
A shert digressicn intended tc suggest further evidence in faveur nf the
view that Western civilisaticn is new pcst-menepausal will net be in-
apprepriate. Frankl f'tS,l in his three-dimensienal cntclcgy suggests that
man may be characterised, inter alia, by his being suma, psyche and spirit
(neëtic dimensien). He gecs cn tc suggest that a great many peeple
e:-tperience their lives as “eaistential vacuums'. We need net get inte the
details cf l"`rankl's fermulatiens eacepting the additienal ebservatien that
Van den Berg has added flesh te Frankl's threedimensienal cntclcgy, by
suggesting ccnvincingly that Western seciety in its preeccupatien with the
demecratic imperative ef equality has elevated mediecrity te a status ef a
nerm and a virtu e.
Ceupled with this develcpment has been the seeularisatien ef life which
has been expressing itself mest dramatically in the rcj ecticn cf the spiritual
dimensien ef esistenee; ef ideals. During the Victcrian era and beycnd, the
specific areas cf anemic iselaticn (secially disapprcved efl were sea and
aggressicn- As a result ef the then current secial attitudes tewards these
eapressive areas they tended te be repressed and thus censtituted mest nf
the uncnnscicus material ef the peeple cf the times. These affective states
 Being-titarv'-:-in.‹the-alerta' ff I

have been released frem their secial anemic iselaticn after Freud and are
pregressively being replaced in the unccnscieus by the demain ef
spirituality. The demain cf spirituality, cf ideais and values, by being
shifted inte the unccnscieus is being deprived cf its primary functicn in
seciety, namely that ef being the feuntain-head cf human creativity. This
develcpment in itself is sufficient te suppert eur view that Western
civilisaticn is pest-mencpausal, decadent and sterile. Semething may yet
ceme frem the black werld tc inject new vitality inte this beautiful pest-
menepau sal eld lady!
At this stage in eur discussicn, we may pese the fellewing questicn: Tc
what extent is African cntclcgy still eperative in the African mede cf being-
in-the~wcr|d'Ê"Ithas tc be cenceded that in additien tc the pessible pervasive
influence ef this cntclcgy, there have been varieus grcup adaptaticnal
respense patterns which may net be disregarded in any attem pts at
understanding the African persenality (Negritude) and being-black-in-the
wcrld. Itwill suffice tcnete that the questicn pcsed here will be dealt with in
anether sectien ef this beek. Itseerns te us that an understanding ef African
cntclcgy is a requirementfer the pessible fermulatien nf what it means tc be
black-in-thewcrld. The fellewing ccncluding pcints may new be made.
It must be made clear th at the cencept African persenality as und erstced
by blacks is syncnymeus with that cf Negritude as fcrmulated by Senghcr.
We sheuld net be dragged inte the simplistic attempts tc psychclegise the
cencept. Its majer fecus and ceverage is the black experience ef being-in-the
werld. A secend ebservatien tc be made is the fellewing. Just as much as
theclegy has until recently ignered the black experience in its majer
fcnnulatiens, se has philescphical anthrepelegy. If philescphical
anthrepelegy sheuld make any claims tc validity and universality, it will
have tc be reccnsidered in the light cf the black experience. Let it be sc.

FIÍ.`lÚ'l`NClTES
1. 'LcVine, H.A., 'Pera-nnality and Úhangel, in J.N. Paden and E.W. Seya teds.l: The
Africait Experience, Vel. 1, Heineman Educaticnal Hacks, Lenden, l".~l'i'1l, pp. 271111-
iillil.
2. (Íarcthers, J.U., Theƒlƒrican Mind' in Heatth and'Ll'isease, Geneva, WHÚ, lilñfi.
li. Ridder, de J JC-, The Persenaiity ef the Urban .African in Heath Ftƒrica. Luntlen.
Rcc tledge, líegan lfaul, 1951.
i. Leifine, l¬l.A., Ihid.
5. Senghcr, I...S., 'Negritude: A H umanism nf the Zltlth Century `, üptim a, lti, 1, li-ltiti,
1-8.
ti. de Hidder, dll-, ihid.
T. Tcbias, l*-"v"., The .-'lffranirrg crf Hare (End ed-l, Scuth African lnstitute cl' Hace
blelutiuns, Jehannesburg, li-1'T2.
 Being-biach-in-the-ieerid

Sengher, I ..S., Ibict.

Tcbias, P.V., Ibid.
Bugental, J.F.T-, Chaiteages ef Harnanistic Psychetegy. Ivlcüraw-Hill Beck Ce..
New "fcrl-|:, 1957.
Nel, E.F., .Anthrepetegiese aaninep tet 'n Verantwnerdeiihe Psigeiegiese
Pedagngieh, Universiteits Uitgewers {Edms} Epk, Stellenbcsch, 19ti'i'.
Herg, Van den, J.H., “l.f'erantwccrding', in J .H. Van den Berg en J. Linksehcten
tltedactiei: Persenn en Werettf: Bijdragen Tet tie ' Phaenemeneitigisrhe
Psycheiegie, Erven J . Bijleveld, Utrecht, 1959, 1-IU.
Nel, E.F., l't1irt.
Temples, P., Bantu Phiinsephy, Presence Africaine, Paris, 1959- tTransl. inte
English by Ú. King).
Temples, P., tei`a'.
Sengh cr, LS., Ibict.
Eicrckin, P-A., The Crisis ef earflge, E.P. Duttcn and Ce., Inc., New Ycrk, 1941.
Frankl, V.E., The Decter and the Seat: frem Psychetherapy te i'.e,gctherapy t2nd
expanded editicnl, Alfred A. linepff, Inc., New Yerk, 1955.
5

NAUSEA

*The fundamental subject cf The Myth ef Sisyphas is this: it is legitimate

and necessary te wender whether life has a meaning; therefere it is
legitimate tc meet the preblem ef suicide face tc face. The answer,
underlying and appearing threugh the paradexes which cever it, is this:
even if ene dees net believe in Gcd, suicide is net legitimateí Thus declared
Camus, the philcsepher-ncvelist ef the absurd in 1955 tt). A little later, he
gces entesay: '

There is bat ene serieas phiiesephicat prebtem and that is saiciiie.

Judging whether tife is er is net werth tiving ameants te answering the
famtamentat eaestien eƒphitesephy. Ati the rest -- whether er net the
wertd has three dimensiens ccmes aƒterwards.

In mere general terms, the fundamental preblem pcsed by Camus may be

described as that cfsuffering. It is suffering in the mest general terms which
results in 'nacsea* and a sense ef the absurd. Let us, hcwever, return tn
Camus fcr a discencerting dramatisatien cf the absurdity ef human
existence (2).

It happens that the stage-sets eeitapse. Rising, tram, ,fear hears in the
eƒƒice er the ƒactery, meat, tram, fear hears ef tverh, meai, sieep and
Menday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Tharsday, Friday and Saturday,
acceniing te the same rhythm - this path is easiiy fettewert mest ef the
time. Bat ene day the fwhyi arises and everything begins in that
weariness tinged with amaeement.

This sense ef the absurd which is suffering in its mest general sense is
what Frankl describes as the *existential vacuum* (3). When the 'why' arises
it becemes insistent, almest a cnmpulsive neuresis. The answer tc this “why”
asüamus and Frankl wculd tell us takes varieus fcrms ranging frem a mild
sense cf discemfcrt te psychepathelegical reactiens and semetimes te cen-
templatiens abeut suicide. In this essay, I prefer tc leave aside the mere
general preblems cf the absurdity cf human existence in erder that I may
44 Being-e¿eck-ie.- the-we rid

pay attentien te seme specific aspects. Here I wish te refer te that particular
ferm ef human suffering knewn as illness. It must be during these
particularly selitarzv mements in the sick-hed that the 'whƒ articulates
itself with the ferce ef a sledgehammer. Van den Berg gives us a vivid des-
criptien ef the meaning ef being ill (41. The mest dramatic changes in the life
ef the individual which eccur as a result ef a sudden enset ef illness are these
affecting his relatienships with his hedy, ebjects, time, space and ether
peeple. The sick individual becemes estranged frem his bedy and his
envirenment. He tends te live mere in the here and new than in terms ef his
past er his future. I n terms ef an individual's existential situatien, these
changes may he se all-encempassing that perplesity and despair may
fellew. Depending en ene's secialisatien, educatien, time perspective and
premerhid status, the questien “why” is mere lil-:elv te insinuate itself inte
ene's stream ef censcieusness.
It has heen knewn fer a leng time that the meaning ef illness is, like ether
secial reactien patterns, culturally determined. This truism alse gees fer the
experience ef pain. Sternhach, fer example, has suggested that pain has
impertant interpersenal cemmunieatien meanings fer the patient |'"5,J.
Cultural relativitzv with respect te pain and illness is understandahle if we
sheuld cencede that different cultural climates result in different patterns ef
relatien te the bedy, te ethers, te ebjects and te space and time. These
existential categeries tend te censtitute themselves inte specific
cemhinatiens which alse determine the meaning ef being ill. It may well he
argued by seme ehservers that where erganic pathelegzv is demenstrahle the
prebability ef universal patterns ef respense is greater. It may well he that
this is the case. This ebservatien, hcwever, weuld net ge se far as te ehscure
the equallzv valid peint that the suhjective experience ef the same erganic
precess weuld he variant in different cultural settings. Seme ef the reasens
fer these variatiens sheuld beceme clearerin due ceurse.
There is ene peint which sheuld he made at this stage. A censistent theme
threugheut this cellectien has been the cenvictien that there has heen and is
a distinct mede ef being-black-in-the-werld. It has alse been shewn that this
mede ef being-in-the-werld may he characterised as being eapressive ef
Negritude - ef the African persenality. The impressien sheuld he aveided
that ene is dealing with a static secie-cultural phenemenen. Instead, it
sheuld he emphasised that ene is dealing with a dynamic precess. It is fer
this reasen that it was suggested that the secend Renaissance may well
emerge frem the African centínent.
Far-reaching changes are taking place en the African centínent. These
changes are a result ef many cultural change agents such as urhanisatien
and industrialisatien. Ceupled with these are the changes which mazv he
seen te he related te the emergence ef many' ceuntrics frem the status ef
 Nesses 45

celenies te full severeign status. The present century is pessibly witnessing

the last vestiges ef the se-called 'traditienal' secieties in Africa fd). White
ebservers have never tired ef peinting eut that there are several varieties ef
man in Africa such as the 'attentien-getting elites", the 'detribalised mani,
the 'transitienal man' and the *develeping man".
It is legitimate te ebserve that there is secie-cultural change in Africa. Te
say that the individuals expcised te such change are “transitienal” er
'develeping” is highly questienable. This change enlv becemes
'transitienal' if ene presuppeses that the directien ef change will
necessarily be in the directien ef Western standards. This issue appears te
be prejudged as far as the Western werld is cencerned. Since we are net
beund te accept the enthusiasm ef the West, we find eurselves cempelled te
ask: transitienal er develeping in relatien te what standards? This remains
an epen questien. We may new return te the euestien ef illness which we
hepe te discuss very bri eflzv.
Let it he said that suffering, pain and illness as expressiens ef existential
absurdity are a given ef existence. They appear te he ef the same status as
time and space. Just as the censtitutien ef space and time inte lived-space is
variable, se is the entelegical interpretatien ef illness. We find en reflectien
that the status ef being ill in the African is experienced as a state ef in-
cengruence tdisharmenz-,ri between the individual and his fundamental
transactiens with his tetal existential situatien. This means that in erder be
appreciate the meaning ef being ill ene has te have an understanding ef
African entelegjv - the African*s philesephy ef being, his phileseph_v ef
existence. Reference has already been made te this entelegv. lt will suffice
here te limit rnysel f te the fellewing additienal eh serv atien s.
African entelegzv cenceives ef reality as censisting ef interacting, inter-
dependent life ferces. These life ferces are net ef the same magnitude.
Depending en an individual's secial and ether circumstances, his life ferce
(vital ferce) ceuld be vitalised (increasedi er devitalised (decreased). He
ceuld, as it were, be very well er ill. It is understandahle whz,= the aetielegzv
and the pessible treatment ef an individuafs illness must be searched fer
and understeed in terms ef his relatiens with ether vital ferces in his
envirenment. Since we have admitted the existence ef change in Ai"rica an
impettanteuestien which arises and requires clarificatien is the fellewing.
Is African entelegy still valid? Put differently: ceuld this entelegv still be
identified with being-black-in-the-werld? When we Ieek at the changes
which are taking place in Africa we are ferced te admit that this ceuld net be
an idlequestien. In erder te decide whether this enteleg_v is still a ferce te he
reckened with, we have te address eurselves te seme secielegical evidence.
It is beycnd the scepe ef this acceunt te give a detailed discussien ef this
evidence. A brief reference will be made te the Seuth African situatien. The
46 Being-efeck-in.-the-werfd

secial precesscs ef urhanisatien and industrialisatien have been studied hy

several werkers 1'FJ.
Wilsen, reperting en her werk in Langa [Cape Tewn), identified three
greups: tewnsmen, migrants and the Iibari. She alse feund that there were
distinct secial greupings such as heme-hey cliques, church greups, sperting
clubs and savings secieties (8). The cemprehensive studies by Philip Mayer
are referred te later in this heek. Une ether neta hle feature abeut Africans in
tewn is the fact that they live in African residential settings which
accerding te Hellman may he een sidered te he satellite cities such as Sewete
(Jehannesburg) {.9,l. The precesscs ef urhanisatien and industrialisatien
ceuld net be censidered significant in themselves withcut the additienal in-
fluences ef educatien and religien. One ef the facters which suggests the
pessible significance ef African entelegy in the lives ef milliens ef Africans
teday is the neted resilience ef traditienal beliefs in the areas ef health and
disease. This resilience is evidenced by the fact that Africans in Seuth
Africa and elsewhere may be classified inte three categeries en the basis ef
their respense te available medical services, There still exists a greup ef
hideheund traditienalists whe will enly use traditienal African services and
remedies. A secend greup weuld censist ef these Africans whe weuld use
Western remedies and services te the tetal exclusien ef traditienal services.
The third greup eensists ef these Africans whe tend te use a cemhinatien ef
traditienal and Western services depending en circu mstances.
In erder te deal with eur euestien mere fully, it is necessary te understand
the African's perceptien ef heing-in-the-werld; his mede ef experiencing his
phenemenal self; his experience. An exercise ef this kind leads ene te a
recegnitien ef the current validity ef African entelegy as an erganising
ferce in the lives ef the Red migrants, the Amaqaha and seme tewnspeeple.
It appears reasenable te assume that in the lives ef these- peeple ne ether
subjective experience ef being-in-thewerld exists ether than that erganised
areund the theery ef ferces. There appears te be ne pessibility ef a
cempeting werld view. lf and when Western ideas are adhered te, they tend
te he suhjectively experienced within the framewerl-: ef African entelegy.
The relatienship invelved is net ene ef cenflict and centradictien, but ene
which is dialectical - a situatienal synthesis. What abeut the real
tewnsinen? Why de we find that even in their case there is invariahly a
speradic return te African entelegy? This return is represented hy the usual
cemhinatien ef traditienal and Western remedies. In my view, this pattern
ef respense is prepertienately related te the degree ef stress experienced by
the individual and his family since in eur case illness is hardly ever an in-
dividual matter. Heflectien tells us that in these situatiens we are dealing
with cempeting entelegies - twe werld views. lt is net difficult te recegnise
that African entelegy has decided histerice-cultural advantages ever
Western cenceptiens derived frem the current deminant cultures.
 Nettsee. ~l' Í

Our analysis tells us further that explanatiens abeut the resilience ei

traditienal beliefs which are based en the defence mechanism hypethesis -
which understand the African's reactien as censtituting a security
eperatien - de net tell the whele stery. It seems te me that while the
principle ef situatienal relevance acceunts fer a censiderahle part ef the
behavieur, it is necessary te suggest that African entelegy as an erganising
ferce, theugh itmay have beceme disseciated frem the self-systems ef many
Africans, tends te remain latent as leng as stress is suhlimal enly te be
activated the mement the stress is heyend a certain thresheld.
lt is new preper te return te the mere general preblem ef suffering, ef the
absurdity ef human existence with which we started. I de net intend te
spend a great deal ef time en this preblem. I weuld like te make a few
ccncluding remarks. Having been a celenised peeple ever several centuries,
and still being in impertant aspects a celenised peeple, the questicn arises
as te whether suffering and the general absurdity ef life can have the same
meaning fer us as it may have fer white peeple. Put differently, ene may
inquire whether when black peeple ask the questicn *why' they de, in fact,
ask the same questicn suggested by Camus. The difference between the twe
questiens which may he asked appears te he ef the fellewing erder.
The absurd man prejected by Camus directs his duestien te existence
{life}, as it were, er perhaps te Ged. The black man, en the ether hand, directs
his questien te life as impesed en him by the white man. ln the case ef the
black man, it has been the white man whe has systematically created the
specific ferm ef the black man's existential ahsurdity. A further difference
has been that we have net had any difficulties in identifying the seurce ef
eur nausea - ef eur suffering. We have been cempelled te recegnise that un-
like the white man we live with the eriginaters ef eur ahsurdity. The seurce
ef eur suffering may he identified in the streets ef Preteria and J ehannes-
burg. Sheuld it surprise anybedy that the preblem ef suicide recegnised by
Camus as the mest impertant preblem ef phileseph y sheuld be recegnised
asapaltry matter by us? The fact ef the matter is that we live suicide and are
tee invelved in living tu centempl ate it.

FDUTNUTES
. Camus, A., The Myth ef Sisyphas, Hamish Hamilten, Lenden, li_iíiê`i.
Uamus,A., fefd., p. I 1.
Frankl, lr".El. , fbíd.
. Berg, Van den, J . H., The Psychefegy ef th e Sitsbed. Uuquesne University Press,
Pittsburgh, Fa. isss.
Sternbach, H.A., Pain: A Psychephys:`efegi`cef r=lria¿'_vsr's, Academic Press, hltrw
Yerlt, liititl.
 Being-black-in.-the-we rfd

Gutltind, P.G.W. ted), The Pessirtg ef Tribe! Men in Africa, E.J. Ei-ill, Leiden,
IEITU. _
Helleman, J.F. et al (adsl: Preblems ef Trensitien., Natal University Press,
Pietermaritxburg, 1954. _
Wilsen, M., 'The Úeherence efGreups', in J.F. Helleman et al (cds), Ibtrif., 1-211
Hellman, E., Sewete, Seuth African Institute ef Race ftelatiens, J ehannesburg,
1571.
6
REFLECTIONS
OF A BLACK CLINICIAN

This essay is in three parts. The first sectien deals with the bedy beundary
experiences ef a greup ef hespitalised African paraplegics and nermal sub-
iects. This part ef the essay is an expanded revised versien ef a paper
published in 19?? fi). The secend part ef the essay deals with neuretic
diserders and preblems ef psychetherallir* ftreatm ent).
Reflectiens en the bedy

The bedy image cencept was first intreduced inte the literature mainly as
a result ef the centri butien ef the French physieian-surgeen, Am breise Pare,
during the sixteenth century whe had interested himself in phantem limb
phenemena in amputees IE). Benten elects Bennier as the first werker te
develep the cencept ef an erganised perceptual me-del ef the bedy (3). Since
then, this cencept bas been defined and develcped netahly by Gertsmann (di
and Schilder fã).
In the mest general terms, the bedy image may be described as an
individuafs internalised cenceptien, experience and image ef bis physical
self. Much later in the study ef the bedy image, it became apparent that the
experience ef the bedy ceuld be studied en the basis ef its beundary
tperipherali characteristics (6). werkers in this latter meuld cenceive ef the
bedy as having beundary features which may be penetrable er nen-
penetrable. These beundary features are te be understeed as relating te the
distancing ef stimuli in relatien te the bedy. lt was net leng befere these
werkers demenstrated the fact that bedy beundary characteristics were
related te certain persenality censtellatiens and adjustm ent strategies.
C-'f mere immediate cencern was the recegnitien by several werkers that
the bedy image and its beundary features was extremely sensitive te early
secialisatien experiences Wi. Frem this ebservatien, it is neta leng step te
ccnclude that since secialisatien experiences are culturally determined,
such differences sheuld acceunt fer seme measure ef difference in the
develcpment ef bedy beundary features in different cultural settings. ln
recegnitien ef this pessibility, the present writer became interested in the
prebable influence ef these patheplastic facters (cultural) in the ferm
50 Being-bfeck-in-th e-werld

assumed by bedy image diserders in an African greup ef subjects. This

interest was expressed threugh the fermulatien ef twe research hypetheses.
I n the present eentext these hunches may be fermula ted as fellews. lt was
hypethesised that the paraplegics as a clinical greup weuld shew evidence
ef diserder in their experience ef their hedies (bedy imagei when cempared
tea cemparablegreup ef nen~hespitalised nermal subjects. The expectatien
was expressed (secend bypethesisl that the paraplegics weuld give evidence
ef a lifestyle characterised by a higher leading en passive-suhmissien as
eppesed te activeeeping when cempared against a eemparable greup ef
nen-hespitalised nermal subjects. The methed and statistical results ef my
interest in this preblem are refleeted in the eriginal paper and will net be
repeated here.
Fer the general reader, what is mest impertant is a discussien ef the
findings ef that small investigatien. These results and the discussicn will
net he presented in their technical ferm. What is intended here, is te give the
reader a general feel ef the subject. The majer finding, a rather intriguing
ene, was that all the predictiens which were made were net su pperted by the
evidence ef the study. What emerged was a cem pelling suggestien that beth
the sick subjects tparaplegicsl and the nen-impaired subjects revealed
evidence ef disturbances in the twe areas investigated, namely bedy image
ex perienee and lifestyle (self-steeringi.
At this stage in eur discussien, it may be helpful te elarify the idea ef self-
steering behavieur as a life-style. The cempeund werd self-steering suggests
the meaning. Self-steering individuals may be characterised as these whe
are adequate and cempetent in their transactiens with their envirenments.
This lifestyle has alse been characterised as active-eeping. On the ether
hand, there are in any seciety a greup ef inadequate individuals whese life-
style may be described as being highlighted by passivefsubmissien. These
are the secial malcentents whe in the face ef adversity give up hepe and
*despair te drewningfl Anether idea which is wertb clarifying is that ef the
cenditien nf hein g paraplegie.
Paraplegia may arise frem an injury er a disease ef the spinal cerd.
Injuries te the spinal cerd resulting in a paralysis and sensery less in the
lewer part ef the bedy (depending en the level ef the lesien) may eceur as a
result ef industrial, heme and read accidents. Crime alse centributes its
share te the number ef such peeple whe are se inflicted. Besides the ether
physical cemplicatiens and the usually leng perieds ef immehilisatien
which are necessary, there are a number ef psychic reactien patterns which
have been identified (8). Psychelegieal adaptatien in a paraplegic patient is
said te pregress threugh five stages. The first ef these stages is that
asseciated with the psychic trauma which later develeps inte a state ef
depressien asseciated with a lack ef mebility. The secend stage censists ef a
 h'cƒfectr`rins ef e Hfe.t'v'r Cfirticiferi :il

lifting ef the depressien and general imprevement related te eptimism

abeut reeevery. A third stage is characterised by the develcpment ef cem-
plicatiens and pain which impreve gradually. lfluring the feurth stage, the
patient experiences heurs ef depressien with less ef self-esteem and despair.
The final phase is ene in which the mental status ef the patient becemes
stabilised. Charaeteristic ef this stage is a generalised less ef drive and
interest in seciety. Neuretic behavieur patterns and receurse te a leehel and
drugs are net uncemmen at this stage.
It will be evident frem this brief discussicn that paraplegics are very sick
peeple indeed. Evident alse is the fact that these patients must experience a
dramatic change in the images ef their hedies in additien te the ether
psychic preblems which have been listed abeve, chief ameng which is a
generalised less ef drive and interest in seciety. I reperted earlier that when
paraplegic patients were cempared with fully functiening individuals ne
statistically significant differences between the twe greups were feund.
Instead, what emerged very distinctly was the fact that beth greups
experienced their bedies very diffusely tindefinite bedy beundaries) and had
a lifestyle characterised by passivesu bmissien and a chrenic sense ef help-
lessness in the face ef envirenmen tal edds. I must say that I was alarm ed by
the emineus suggestiens ef these findings. This is why I decided te include
this essay in this cellectien. In a treatment ef this kind it is pessible te reflect
mere freely abeut the general implicatiens ef the finding than was the case
in an academic thesis.
A finding which suggests a real pessibility that there existed ne difference
in certain measures between a very sick greup ef patients and pat.ently
nermal citieens can enly generate cencern in all peeple ef geedwill_
Intriguing as this finding may be, the mere impertant euestien which
fellews relates te the pessible erigin efthis status ef being generally unwell
in spite ef all indicaticns te the centrary. The actual psyehelegical
mechanisms which may be inveked te explain the status el' these African
greups are fairly cemplicated and will net be discussed in detail here. ln this
regard, it will sul`fice te peint eut that bedy experience is intimately related
te early secialisatien and perceptual experiences. First, let us deal with the
bedy experience diserder revealed in th ese greups.
What in terms ef the African experience efbeing-in-thewerld dees it mean
te talk abeut the secialisatien ef the bedy image? It means, as was
suggested earlier, that in the African experience there has ever time
develcped a secielegical schema ef the black bedy prescribed by white
standards. The prescribed attributes ef this secielegical schema have, as we
sheuld all knew by new, been entirely negative. It sheuld be censidered
natural under these circumstances f`er an individual black persen te cen-
ceive ef his bedy as semething which is essentially undcsirable (semething
52 Fleing-black-in-the-werld

unattractive); semething which paradexically must be kept at a distance

eutside ef ene's self se te speak. This paradexical feat is, ef ceurse, never
achieved in reality. It expresses itself in reality in a sert ef diffuse bedy
experience, a certain inarticulateness ef the experience ef the physical self.
Anether trick, se eften played en the black bedy, has been the attempt te
impese certain attributes ef the white bedy (appeal characteristics like skin
celeur and hair texture). In spite ef the cestly effert expanded by seme
individuals in this directien, it sheuld never be expected that these external
(external te the black bedy} attributes weuld he integrated inte the black
bedy. Neither ceuld the impesitien ef these attributes en the secielegical
schema ef the black bedy be expected te drastically imprcve its status.
These, I centend, are seme ef the facters respensible fer the neted
pathelegical experience ef the black bedy.
What fellews is wertb repeating because it is ef great impertance. Black
peeple the werld ever have te face the challenge ef impreving the
secialisatien ef the black bedy. It is we whe have te eradicate the negative
secielegical schema prescribed by whites. This might mean that seme
cesmetic empires might find themselves in the red. This certainly sheuld be
ne dear cencern nf eurs. There appears te be sufficient evidence fer these
prepared te see it that the black bedy can stand en its ewn with eut the sert ef
berrewing that has been geing en fer years.
A secie-cultural assault en the hedies ef a whele peeple is perhaps ene ef
the mest vieieus trage-:lies that can befall a peeple. This truth is simply
illustrated. The physical bedy censtítutes an individual's ancher in the
werld. It is the physical bedy which makes it pessible fer an individual te be
given a name, te tell all and sundry whe he is - te censtitute lived space.
The bedy is the nexus ef all the fundamental relaticns (dialegue) which an
individual persen develeps with ethers, with ebjects and with space and
time. Ifthe integrity efthe bedy is vielated, as it has been in the case efblack
peeple, the ether existential relatienships alse beceme disterted. Integrity
ter the bedy is what a selid feundatien rneans fer a geed heuse. Vielate the
integrity ef this feundatien (the bedy) and everything else cellapses after
the fact. Thus it is that we were ferced te experience eur hedies as theugh
they were net eurs; as theugh eur hedies were prcspective and were hiding
frem us in the white suburbs and cesmetic firins.
Anether experience ef the auther may serve te illustrate the significance
ef the secielegical schema a little further. Seme unpublished data en
African albines in a Sewete scheel sample suggested tentative suppert fer
the view that a negative er an ambigueus secielegical schema crcates an
essentially negative self-evaluatien. A technique fer the study ef the bedy
image was used te study this greup which included a requirement fer a self-
pertrait. When the data was analysed and cempared with the ether bedy
 Reflectiens ef e Bfccfz Clinicien 53

image data, it was feund that the albines, unlike the centrel greup ef sub-
jects, had a great deal ef treuble creating a self-pertrait, a fact which
suggested the active interventien ef negative self-evaluatien ideatien. My
ewn experience in the field ef the bedy has leng led me te the cenclusien that
a secie-cultural assault en the bedy will require an equally wide-ranging
effensive en the secie~cultural level. _
Same ehservers may feel that this whele questicn abeut the black bedy
having been abused in many mere ways than ene is nething mere than a
eterm in a teacup. Such detractiens weuld net he entirely unexpected.
Ilisregarding such friveleus claims, I centinue te reflect en the cenditien ef
being-black-in-thewerld. There is anether side te the stery abeut the secie-
cultural assault en the black bedy which requires reflectien. This reflectien
is intended te answer the fellewing questicn. If, as we suggest, the black
bedy has been ferced inte diffuseness and ambiguity what were and are the
related censequences?
One ef the mest impertant findings ef bedy im age studies is the fellewing.
It has been feund, fer example, that individuals with diffuse bedy
beundaries tended te have a lew aspiraticn level, te lack a sense ef
íudependence. In achieving secieties, these individuals ceuld net be
anything but failures ef ene type er anether. In part, this general finding
explains the experience ef an almest malignant sense ef helplessness which
was ebserved in the greups which I studied. Perhaps it must be added that in
the African experience there are ether censideratiens which sheuld always
be kept in mind. Outside the distertiens ef relatienships which have been
asseciated with the negative secielegical schema ef the black bedy there
have been ether unfaveurable experiences.
Why sheuld black peeple experience such a sense ef insecurity and
crippling despair? White ebservers are knewn te believe that this sense ef
ineecurity is a general human cenditien which may beceme acute during
perieds ef mass stresses and strains such as are invelved in urhanisatien
and industrialisatien. Úur ewn view is that while this may be true, it may
well be that there are quantitative and qualitative differences in the
experience ef existential stress. The fundamental difference, as I said else
where, is that the slave dees net er, better still, cannet experience the
absurdity ef his existence as being a cenditien ef life. He rather experiences
it as arising eut ef the cenditien ef being a slave. Amengst ether things, the
cenditien ef being a slave means that ene is tee tied up with the actual
business ef living, ef planning fer temerrew`s supper, te be ccncerned abeut
the se-called terrifying freedcm ef individual existence. Fer a man whese
existential alternativas are se limited frem birth, freedcm, like eternal life,
can enly assume the status ef a catch-werd. The idea ef existential alter-
natives alse invelves that ef persenal grcwth - self-realisatien. Wc as black
54 Being-black-ia-the-werld

peeple have been living en deficiency metivatien; en the metivatien ef

want. Te grew in stature as a peeple weuld have been a centradictien ef
metivatien theery.
We find, therefere, that while the white man is explering the meen, the
black man, deprived ef all active participatien in the histery ef man, is still
suffering frem the enslaughts en his bedy. With limited existential alter-
natives he trades en the metivatien ef want. Ueuld it be that we are deemed
te perpetu al servitude? Th at will be the day!

Reflectiens en the psychiatric patient

ln lEl7ü I reperted a number ef case histeries ef psychiatric patients seen
at Baragwanath Hespital in Jehannesburg. Since that time I have seen
many mere patients. The clinical presentatiens have been many and varied
representing a bread spectrum ef all knewn psychiatric diserders. Acute
and episcdic psychetie ecnfusienal states usually ef ebscure erigin are net
uncemmen. Se is the cenditien knewn as schieephrenia. Neuretic diserders
usually with physical equivalente are prebably en the increase. Amengst
the cemmenest ef these diserders are the anxiety states usually with
reactive depressien cempenents. Cenversien reactiens with ce-existing
anxiety are alse cemmen. ,
The neureses are indeed ne lenger the diseases ef the wealthy. This
recegnitien immediately peses a number ef preblems. The first, which is
related te the secend, is the questicn ef treatment (psychetherapy). Te start
with the first ene, Africana have been practising seme ferm ef suppertive
helping fer several centuries. Psychetherapy as currently practised by pre
fessienals is as yet unknewn in the African cemmunity. Seme ebservers
have used this fact as an excuse fer previding the mest rudimentary ef
psychiatric services. Uth ers have centended that since psychetherapy is net
ef the African culture, it will remain unacceptable te Africana ef all des-
eriptiens. But this sert ef argument dees net held any water since it ceuld
alse be argued that medern metheds ef centraceptien are fereign te the
African experience.
These diversienary tactics must be taken fer what they are. I knew ef ne
greup in the werld which has accepted medical advances ef any kind
withcut seme celd reserve. That this is se is evidenced by the always present
need fer public health educatien. Public educatien fer mental health
amengst Africans will present its ewn preblems, but se dees public health
educatien en family planning. If enly Africans ceuld be taught te have
smaller but psychiatrically unhealthy families: that is a satisfactery state
ef affairs! The cenvictien is streng that the present evidence in the mental
health sphere dees net in any way justify the extent ef public secial negleet
 Reƒfectierts ef c Hfecfa Ciinicien. 55

in se vital an area cf eur existence. Eefere discussing mental health in

general, it is necessary te return briefly te the preblem ef the treatment ef
psychiatric diserders amengstAfricans.
The psychiatric patient presents himself er herself te the decter, let us say
a psychiatri st er a clinical psychelegist. In the case ef the psychiatrist er the
clinical psychelegist,_ the patient is likely te have been referred by a
physician whe will have satisfied himself that the patient is net afflicted
with an essentially erganic (physical) illness. Eince there are ne black
psychiatrists in Seuth Africa te-day such a patient tends te be a prefessienal
nuisance te the white psychiatrist er clinical psychelegist. First there is the
preblem ef cemmunieatien which fer purpeses ef psychetherapy is insur-
Incuntable. In this situaticn, the psychiatrist can enly hepe te have the
faintest ef ideas with respect te the preblems the patient might be having. ln
seme situaticns the psychiatrist's preblem may be alleviated by the fact
that the patient may be an educated black whe may be fluent in languages
ether than his mether tongue. Other difficulties arise in such cases. Une ef
these is usually that the black patient is hardly ever'free te leek at the decter
as simply a dccter. The dccter remains in the experience ef the black patient
awhite dccter- This qualificatien is ef the utmest impcrtance since it carries
se much ef the behavieur which gecs en belew the verbal level. Fer the
decter tee, the relaticnship is net a simple ene because he tee is in velved in a
relaticnship net with a patient but with a black patient. This qualificatien is
impertanttce.
These whe may deubt the validity ef these ebservatiens may enly be
deubting my geed faith fer I have had the experience ef patients saying
*Baas' and 'Mastef te white decters. Never have I ceme acress any decter
whe appeared shecked by this scandaleus suggestienl
I think it is prebably impertant te make the peint that the psychiatric
patient presents special preblems in view ef the fact that the nature ef the
patient-decter relaticnship is ef such crucial impertance. In this case the
tetal cemmunieatien milieux is ef such impertance. It is well-knewn that
cemmunieatien between twe individuals whe may be frem the same
cultural backgreunds as well as language ferms may be a cemplicated
affair. In erdinary circumstances, “vecal' cemmunieatien as eppesed te
'verbal' cemmunieatien weuld invelve such things as tene ef veice, gesture
and facial expressien. This means that the ccmmunicative act may be very
refined and subtle te the extent that ifene is net listening with the *third ear*
ene may miss the im pert ef the message.
There has been a previeus reference tc the unique Seuth African cem-
munieatien preblems. This may new be taken a step further by peinting eut
a few mere interesting aspects ef the preblem. I am net in any way scape-
geating the black bedy. This peint has te be made. It was suggested during
:id Being-black-iii-the-werld

an earlier analysis that the bedy in its secielegical schema may relate en the
basis ef its appeal er barrier attributes. This suggests that the bedy is in a
very real sense a medium fer distancing. This attribute ef the bedy is
maximally expressed in the attractien er repulsien between peeple ef the
twe sexes. The issue we are dealing with new ameunts te the questicn
whether the black bedy is, in inter-racial cemmunieatien, an asset te
effective cemmunieatien er nut. Une cannet escape the feeling that in such
situaticns the black bedy weuld tend te create distance because ef its barrier
characteristics. This means, in effect, that even befere cemmunieatien
refinements such as tene and gesture are intreduced inte the cem-
munieatien mix, the message (er rather ene ef them] has been gressly cem-
municated threugh the bedy. lt is as theugh the bedy has said te the white
decter er psychiatrist: Keep yeur distance, I am blaekl
If there sheuld be any grain ef truth in what I have been saying seme
ebjectiens which may be raised must be dealt with immediately. Une such
an ebjectien weuld seem te be ef the fellewing erder. The questicn may
legitimately be asked whetherl am suggesting that blacks and whites never
really talk te each ether. First, such an interpretatien weuld be te simplify
the issue heyend recegnitien. My first reacticn weuld be te say that blacks
and whites talk dewn and up te each ether. This is anether way ef saying
that what seems te de the talking in the white persen is the master and what
dees the respending in the black man is the servant. In practical terms this
has meant that white peeple always experience themselves as
cemmunicating instructiens even if this appears etherwise in any specific
situaticn. The black persen has tended te cemmunicate an apelegy net fer
any cenceivable palpable reasen. One instructs, the ether ap elegi ses!
All that has been said suggests that te talk abeut dialegue where there is
ne significant pessibility ef healthy relating is te indulge in sephistry ef the
werst kind. Relating in the sense ef beth narrewing the distance and
sharing in the sense ef experiencing the werld as eur-werld is imperative fer
effective cemmunieatien. This is net likely te be achieved in eur life time.
Thus we find that the decter and his patient, the manager and his werker,
are all back at square ene. There is a definite impasse which will require all
the geedwill in the werld te evercem e.
I have deliberately left eut ef this discussicn the actual difficulties
experienced in psychetherapy with African patients because I have dealt
with these elsewhere (9). Frem what has been stated abeve it sheuld be clear
that the treatment ef black patients by white psychiatrists is fraught with
immense difficulties. At this peint it may be stated that, ebvieus as it may
scund, the best hepe lies, fer the time being at least, in the training ef black
clinicians.
 Reƒteetiens ef a Biacft Ciinician. ti?

Reflectiens en cemmunity mental health

The first twe sectiens ef this essay have highlighted the existence ef
psychiatric and ether emcticnal disturbances which are part and parcel ef
the black experience in Seuth Africa. The preblem ef treatment particularly
ef neuretic diserders is net limited te the individual patient but raises the
further questicn ef available cemmunity strategies te deal with mental dis-
erders in the black cemmunities. A meaningful way ef reflecting en this
subject is te first discuss seme im pertant general censiderati uns as a frame-
werk fer a mere fec us sed treatment.
The first issuete be raised invelves the questicn ef the extent te which eur
envirenment as a tetality facilitates er militates against the fleurishing ef
pesitive mental health in the different pepulatien greups. This issue cen-
stitutes an inquiry inte the integrative status efSeuth African seciety. Hew
dees ene judge the integrative status ef a seciety? The answer te this
questicn is previded by Leighten and Leigh ten whe ehserve tt t.l_.l:

Ta find where a eetnmanity tieiengs en this range, ene may use narinas
secie-caitarat' inrticaters: the peuerty-aƒffa.ence dimensien: the eeeraii
cette:-ence er eenƒasien. ef caitaral' nafaes; the eaita iiiftty ef its retigieas
system; the statiitit y ef ƒaniiiies; the teartershtp and ƒe£iewers¡1i,e,'
cemmunieatien netteerks; sappertiueness ef interpersenal reiatien-
ships... theƒindings beth ia the Stiriing Ceanty and afneng the Yeraba
.vapperted the hypethesis te the extent that rnentai health. tt.-'as een-
siderabty better in the integrated than. the a'isintegratea' ecuntnanities.
A cerrettary ef this hypetnesis is th-at if the in.tegratiee .vtatas ef a
cemmunity irnpreees, se wifi' its mental fieaftii.

Langner and Michael have made a related ebservatien. They have

peinted eut that with an increase in the number ef unfaveurable secial
experiences is an asseciated increase ef peer mental health ti t). If ene were
te ge by the eccasienal reperts in the lecal press with respect te such secially
pathelegical phenemena as crime, alcehelism, diverce and drug abuse, ene
weuld be inclined te deubt the integrative status efSeuth African seciety as
a whele. The situ atien is made mere intelerable by the fact th at there are in
Seuth Africa pepulatiens which are at special risk. These are the black
Seuth Africana (Africana, Indians and Celeuredsl. I say that they are
pepulatiens at special risk in view ef the fact that they have always been
afflicted with a prcgressive accumulatien ef unfaveurable secial
experiences asseciated with discriminatery legislaticn and practice. This is
se true that Mayer ceuld ge as far as te describe the status ef Africana in
55 Being-Mack-in-the-werld

Seuth Africa as pariah status, th at experience efbeing in significant (12).

It may easily be demenstrated that seme ef the mental health preblems
are strictly speaking unique te specific pepulatien greups since they are a
direct result ef the current gevernment pesture: the pesture ef the new
demin ant white culture. An example a little later will demenstrate th at this
is true. There can be ne argument abeut the fact that if judged by the
sensible criteria suggested abeve, the integrative status ef Seuth African
seciety must be very lew indeed. The black cemmunities must centinue te be
censidered cemmunities at special risk because it is in these cemmunities
where peverty and starvatien are rife; where there is the greatest erganised
disruptien ef family life and an asseciated decrease in the number ef
suppertive interpersenal relatienships. In such disintegrating cemmunities
there can be ne reasenable deubt abeut the existence ef cenfusien with
respect te cultural values.
An authentic case histery will illustrate dramatically the differential
effects ef the pesture ef the new deminant white culture. In IHTÚ, a weman
aged 35 was referred te the Baragwanath Hespital psychiatric eut-patients*
department. She presented at that stage with the fellewing cemplaints. She
teld us that she had develcped a generalised less ef drive and cencentratien
and that her werk as a midwife had beceme sheddy. Detailed physical
examinatiens by the physicians had failed te reveal any physical pathe-
legy. Psychiatric examinatien, en the ether hand, revealed that a diagnesis
efreactive depressien ceuld ccnfidently be arrived at.
Her persenal histery revealed a number ef special difficulties. She had
been diverced and had been granted custedy ef their five miner children.
After the diverce, she was cempelled by law te vacate the heuse in which the
family had been living. Attempts te secure alternative heusing had been
fruitless and she feund herselfcempelled te live with an elder sister whe alse
had children ef her ewn in a three-reemed heuse. We understeed her reactive
depressien te represent the respense ef a diverced mether te a number ef
un faveurable life experiences.
Adequate psychiatric interventien weuld have meant net enly giving her
medicatien and psychetherapy but alse a much needed restructuring ef her
secial cenditiens. Psychiatry is net expected te supply husbands where
these are net available. Imprevement ef her secial cenditiens weuld have
meant that she sheuld have feund it pessible te werk and bring up_ her
children as ideally as was within her means. She had, in effect, been given
this respcnsibility by the law. In this particular case, psychiatry feund itself
helpless since her secial cenditiens were se inflexible (ceuld net be changed)
since they were prescribed by the “Seuth African way ef life'. With patients
ef this kind and many ethers, it must be admitted that they will net be
helped by whatever rudimentary psychiatric services may be in existence.
 Reƒtectiens ef a Black Ciinician 5.9

The tragedy assumes its preper dimensiens ence it is recegnised that

current estimates shew, fer example, that there are Ill DUO families nn the
waiting list fer family heusing. What ef the divercees; the single wemen
with illegitim ate children? There must literally be theusands ef these peeple
in Sewete and elsewhere whe have ne receurse te the benefits ef psychiatry.
Lay epinien weuld have us believe that the neureses are essentially a
secial class disease. In a sense, this may be sc. Their nuisance value may be
related te secial status; but they have been feund te exist even in rural
African cemmunities. Suppert fer this last statement emerges frem the new
fairly well described hysterical manifestatiens in rural African cem-
munities varieusly described as Ufufunyane by the Zulu and Ilkuphesela
by the Khesa. The nuisance value ef the psycheses has ensured that varieus
institutiens be created fer custedial care and treatment. Facilities fer the
treatment ef the psycheneureses are virtually nen-existent eutsidc the
eccasienal eut-patients' clinics which have se many preblems that they are
natas useful as they etherwise ceuld have been.
The questicn may new be pcsed whether, in fact, there is anything which
may be dene te restere pesitive mental health as a majer secie-pelitical
prierity te its rightful place in eur seciety. Since a great deal ef eur mental
health preblems (particularly differential expressivityl must be censidered
related te the pesture ef the deminant white culture, partieuiarly in its
pelitical expressien, it must be cenceded that the primary preventien
selutien may enly be initiated at that level. That gevernment actien in the
mental health sphere is imperative was demcnstratcd by the American
Cengress. In an histeric meve, the American Cengress debated and passed
Federal Legislatien, P.l... HH-154: the Cemm unity Mental Health Act ef Hit-33.
Since that legislaticn, it has been estimated that by the year 1980, Êtlütl
cemmunity mental health centres will have been established threugheut
the ceun try ti 3)-
The mest impertant features ef the cemmunity mental health apprcach
are the fellewing. First, there is the creaticn ef cemmunity mental health
centres in the varieus cemmunities where the need is greatest. There is a
ccnstant menitering ef cemmunities at special risk. These centres are
expected te previde in-patient facilities; eut-patient care; facilities fer
partial hespitalisatien; emergency services as well as facilities fer public
educatien and mental health ccnsultatien. One ef the hallmarks ef
cemmunity mental health has been its lively interest in preventien.
Preventien may be primary, secendary er tertiary. Primary preventien is
directed at the reducticn ef new cases ef mental diserder in cemmunities
threugh the planned eliminatien ef pathegenic facters in these enviren-
ments in additien te educatienal strategies directed at increasing the
petential ef individuals te deal with stress. Secundary preventien is
dt? Being-tiiacit-in-the-ice rid

intended te reduce the incidence ef mental diserders as a result ef early

identificatien and immediate effective treatment. The third type ef
preventien is directed at the eliminatien ef *residual disability' resulting
frem mental diserd er as well as the previsien ef necessary fellew-up care fer
these patient pepulatiens. Crisis interventien eriented treatment
medalities have been develcped and are in current applicatien. These
metheds are supplemented by the availability ef mental health censultatien
services. Censultatien skills are effered te ether care-giving agencies in the
cemmunity and they prcvidefellew-up care and feed-back tc the cemmunity
men tal health centres.
It seems te me that mental health preblems may be tackled at twe pessible
levels. The first level ef attack, namely the attack en the level ef the state, we
ceuld characterise as the primary level ef attack. The secend level is the
secendary level abeut which I have a few things te say.
First ef all I weuld like te say that it is a shame fer an advanced ceuntry
such as eurs net te have a single black psychiatrist, net even in exile. Usual
explanatiens such as these advanced fer the shertage ef medical perscnnel
are unsatisfactery in the face ef the health preblem. We leave aside such
bickering and cuncentrate en the preblem at hand, namely the preblem ef
what may yet be dene en the secendary level ef selutien. The first strategy
fer adeptien is the 'gem' ef cemmunity mental health - mental health
censultatien. Let us describe this strategy briefly and then ge en te suggest
hew it can find beneiicial applicatien in eur seciety. Mental health
censultatien is teday ene ef the mest significant develepments in the
histery ef cemprehensive ccmmunity mental health. As technique and
methed, it arese eut ef a crisis. In the United States, it develcped eut ef a
realisatien that mental health prefessienals as against the needs ef
cemmunities weuld always be in shert supply. Mental health censultatien
may bri efly be defined as an interactien between a mental health censultant
and a client. The censultant is a specialist in the mental health field and
helps censultees in the selutien ef specific preblems andƒer increasing their
skills in handling such preblems.
The characteristic emphasis ef mental health censultatien is en
preventien (all ferms ef preventien); envircnmental manipulatien; early
case detectien; early crisis interventien and a decided emphasis un brief
effective centacts. Mental health censultatien is geared tewards the
selutien ef specific preblem(s). Since preblems in mental health are many
and varied, it fellews that mental health censultatien must be ch aracterised
by flexibility.
The effective use ef mental health censultatien skills depends in large
measure en the studied iselaticn ef pcints cf entry inte cemmunities. These
entry peints censist ef these individuals and agencies with the utmest
 Reƒiectinns ef rt Hfrirft lÍ.'tiÍnit.'iat1 51'

centact with individuals in the cemmunity. Cases in peint are the clergy,
general practieners, secial welfare werkers, public health nurses, guidance
and ccunselling perscnnel in scheels and universities where such werkers
exist and human relaticns werkers in cemmerce and industry. Mental
health censultatien with respect te these greups weuld censist ef erganised
efferts at increasing their, skills in the mental health field. This may lie
achieved, inter alia, threugh seminars, werksheps and individual training.
Besides the help these peeple ceuld effer te peeple in distress, they ceuld act
as sensitive ebservers and ceuld be ef great help in the early detectien ef
mental and emetienal diserders. Mental health censultatien is particularly
germane te eur lecal situaticn with its neted scarcity ef mental health pre-
fessienals. This appears te be the strategy fer adeptien.
But tirst, I de think that it must be emphasised that mental health pre-
blems sheuld be tackled at the primary level. This demands a serieus
assessment ef eur secie-pelitice fabric te determine in what ways imprcve
ments ceuld be made te heighten the integrative status ef eur seciety. In the
African cemmunities, fer example, efferts ceuld be made te deal with the
secially and psychelegically disruptive effects ef the migratery- labeur
system. There are many ether areas centred arcund discriminatery
practices which ceuld be handled. Fer the present, eur biggest hepe lies in
the active premetien ef mental health censultatien practice. The limited pre-
fessienal skills which exist in this ceuntry may be used te man censultatien
services fer the varieus pepulatien entry peints. I weuld like te make a
special peint ef referring te several target greups which I ccnsider vital in
eur situaticn. Cemmerce and industry may beceme impertant mental
health agents by being mere sensitive te the quality ef life ef their
emplcyees. This ebjective may be achieved breadly in the fellewing way:
Drganisatiens ceuld be mere ccncerned abeut erganisatienal hygiene in the
area ef industrial relaticns. Persennel functiens, fer example, may be
arranged in such a way as te include seme mental health structures in their
primary areas ef cempetence. Prierities fer the training ef industrial mental
health werkers (ceunsellers) ceuld be werked eut tc suit lecal cenditiens.
American experience in industrial ccunselling ceuld preve invaluable_
During the early stages ef this develcpment, industry and cemmerce ceuld
very well rely en censultative services while making use efdemestic mental
health werkers te take care ef emplcyees in distress. In this way, industry
and cemmerce ceuld realise an impertant preventien functicn: the early
identificatien ef mental diserder and crisis interventien. Mental health
censultatien ceuld be practised here en a large scale.
It will net be necessary te fcrmulate in detail what ether areas ceuld be
activated aleng the lines eutlined abeve. Itwill be sufficient te peint eut that
entry peints inte cemmunities ceuld be develcped based en mental health
52' Being-biacfz-in-the-tuarid

censultatien principles. Fer special mentien is the fellewing ebservatien.

The creaticn af ceunselling and psychiatric facilities fer Sewete, fer
example, is leng everdue. Here then is a fertile area far sacial actien. The
churches and ether erganisaticns ef geedwill ceuld realise in a very
cencrete way their secular respensibilities by cemmiting themselves te the
creaticn af such facilities. Symbelic acts hcwever well intended they may be
will net in themselves be relevant ta the lives ef milliens ef blacks living in
this ceuntry.
Same rem arks an the respensibilities ef eur academic institutiens will nat
be eut af place. I weuld like te suggest seme bread pessibilities in this
respect. The first prerequisite I ccnsider ta be the active prapagatien af
cemmunity mental health cencepts in eur universities, haspitals and clinics
and in cemmerce and industry. It means in effect that mental health pra-
fessienals and academics must begin ta define their cemmunity respensi-
bilities in terms ef cemmunity needs and net in terms ef their prafessianal
needs. The fellewing suggestiens may new be made:

1. Prefessienal training in psychiatry and related prafessiens sheuld be

restructured in such a way that the erientatien af practiticners is away frem
the private {effice) practice medel ta cemmunity mental health practice.
Emphasis sheuld be placed en the develcpment af skills in cemmunity
censultatien, pragramme evaluatien and team apprcaches ta therapy.
2. Particular attentien sheuld be paid te the training af nen-traditienal
mental health care-givers. This is the mere imperative in view af the fact
that experience elsewhere has demenstrated the impassibility ef training
sufficient numbers ef clinical psychelegists and psychiatrists ta meet
cemmunity needs.
3. There is a very streng case ta be made far the restructuring ef the
training ef secial werkers in eur scheels af secial werk. Psychiatric secial
werk sheuld be actively encauraged and taught. This weuld help augment
the currently inadequate clinical skills.
4. Under current cenditiens in the black cemmunities, the best hepe lies in
primary and secendary preventien strategies. These sheuld be
accempanied by a cencerted effert in the directien af decentralisatien ef
available psychiatric services. General haspitals and paly-clinics sheuld
have primary psychiatric respensibilities all geared tewards crisis inter-
ventien and a speedy return te the cemmunity.
Beyand deubt, the American experience in mental health is an invaluable
seurce far Sauth Africa. The relevance af that experience tc eur lecal
cenditiens can net be ever-emphasised.
 Refiectiens af a Biacit Ciinician. 53

FCIÚTNÚ'TE S
1. Manganyi, NE., “Bady Image Heundary Ilifferentiatian and Self-steering
Behavicur in African Paraplegics', Jaarnai af Persenaiity Assessment, lili, 1,
1972,45-49.
2. lielb, L.C., 'Disturhanees ef the bedy image”. In 5. Arieti ted.}, American
Handtieak efPsycitictry, Val. I., Basic Backs, N ew Yark, 1959.
3. Benten, A.l...., Right-ieƒt Discriminatian and Finger Lecaiisatian: fleceiapment
and Pathaiagy, Harper and Harper, New Yerk, 1959.
4. Gertsmann, J ., `Psychelegical and Phenamenelagical Aspects ef Disarders ef
the Bady Imagel, Jearnai eƒfsfercaas and Mentai Diseases, 1955, 126, 449-512.
5. Schilder, P., Úantrifmtians ia detletaprnentai nearepsychiatry. internatienal
Universities Press, New Yerk, 19E‹'~l.
Íi. Fisher, S., I. Cleveland, B.A., 'Reappraisak A Review af Develapments frem 1955-
19E'?'. .ln S. Fisher and E.S. Cleveland, Bady Image and Persanaiity. [End Rev.
Ed.) Princeten, New Jersey, D. van Nestrand, 1995.
T. See, far example: Fisher, S.E. and Cleveland, S.E., ft: id.
Kafe L.C'., Ibiti, and Witkin, H.A,, Dyk li-LB., Fattersen, HF., Geedenaugh, Ill-I¬l'..,
and Itarp, B.A., Psychaiagicai Difƒerentiatian: Studies ef Deaeiaprnent. Jahn
Willey and Sans, New Yerk, 1952.
9. Benea, "v'., Spinai Card injury. Elailliere, Rindall and Cassel, Lenden, 1969.
9. Manganyi, NE., 'Psychetherapy and Psychesecial Relativity* Jaarnai af
Behauiearai Science. 19'i'2, l., 4, 159-192.
19. Leightan, DE., and A.H. Leighten: 'Mental Health and Sacial Factars'. In
Free-dman, A.M., and H.A. Kaplan (eds.}, Camprehensiue Textbaek af
Psyehiatry. The Wilkins and Williams Ga., 1957, 1529-1533, p. 1532.
11. Langner, T.S., and S.T. Michael, Tire Mirttaa.-n Manhattan Stady: Life Stress and
Mental' Heaiih, The Free Press affšlencae. Cellier Macmillan, Ltd., Lenden, 1955.
12. Mayer, P., Urban Africana ami the Bantastaas. Alfred and Winifred Haernle
Memarial Lecture, Seuth African Institute ef Race I-itelatiens, Jehannesburg,
19'i"2.
13. Uaplan, G., The theery ana' ,practice ef mentai .lieaith cansaitatien, Tavisteck
Publicatiens, 19'i9.
 7

THE MEANING OF CHANGE

Iluring the year l9T2, there was a great deal af neise here and abraad
abeut what same peeple censidered ta be indicaticns af change in the 'Sauth
African way ef life'. It was suggested that these painters af change ceuld be
identified in the pelitical and ecenemic spheres. Examples ef this change
were given. Twe big banking hauses after the Palaraid treubles decided te
*equalise' salaries ef blacks and whites. There were public demands fer a
general narrewing ef the wage gap as well as the erganisatien ef black
labeur inte trade unians. Un the pelitical frant, peeple were saying that
there was a need fer 'dialegue' with the black cemmunities. Same ebservers
alse suggested that the Scuth African gevernment was revealing a mare
mature attitude tewards the Butheleeis. Others ebserved that the Afrikaner
was beginning ta shew seme restlessness and was beceming mare epen and
critical abeut the natienal pelicies ef his gevernment. 'When ane leaks back
at all these *happenings' ane begins te wander whether this change was
apparent ar real. Can it be truly said that Scuth African seciety is
changing? If this is se, what may be identified as the particular directien
and ferm ef this change? A third questicn may be fcrmulated as fellews: is it
pessible fer black and white Seuth Africans te reach cemmen agreement an
the pessible significance ef this change? This essay cencerns itself with
these questiens since we eensider it necessary ta achieve a black perspective
(interpretatien) en these questiens.
We begin eur analysis by barrewing seme af the refreshing ideas af
Prefesser J .H. Meelman, directer ef the African Institute in Pretaria (tl. In
spite ef the unacceptability ef seme af his views, it sheuld be admitted that
he is an eutstanding academic. Une ef his latest views is that the Republic ef
Sauth Africa sheuld be viewed as a spatial system. He pcints aut that this
spatial system 'censists mainly ef a white and black campanent'.
Hecegnitian is given te the fact that the white cempenent is the deminant
ane in the system. Inta the tetal spatial system was intreduced the pelicy af
separate develcpment which has given birth te the cencepts af 'hamelands'
and 'natienal units' which are new sub-systems in the tetal spatial system.
Same ebservatiens relating ta these views may new be made. It sheuld be
peinted eut that the fact that the white cempenent is the deminant ane in
 65 Being-black-in-the-tt.frirfd

spite af being a minerity greup is very impertant. Impertant alse is the fact.
that the pelicy ef separate develcpment which is creating new sub-systems
was impesed an the black cempenent ef the spatial system by the white
cempenent. Clther issues pertinent te the views ef Meelm an will be raised
later in this discussicn. Let us return te the questicn ef change in Scuth
Africa.
With respect ta pessible change in the spatial system it becemes
interesting te reflect first en the pessible saurces af change. Un reflectien,
ene immediately recagnises several pessibilities. The first and mest legical
seurce ef change is the white cem penent af the spatial system. Since it is the
deminant ene, it may intreduce new inputs inte the system. This is preeisely
what it did when it impesed the pelicy ef separate develcpment en the black
cempenent which created the Mangepes and the Mantansimas. It is well-
knewn that the black cempenent ef the system had na active participatien
in the initiatian af the new subsystems created by the pelicy ef separate
develepment.
Theeretically, the eth er seurce af change in the system is the suherdinate
black cempenent. I say theeretical ly because it is a suherdinate cempenent.
In spite ef its current status in the spatial system, the pessibility ef its
actively and directly intraducing changes in the system may nat be ruled
eut. New inputs inte the system, insignificant as they may appear, are the
recent develcpment af Black Canscieusness and selidarity, cencepts which
are threatening ta undermine the sub-systems created by the pelicy ef
separate develepment.
In censidering the pessible new inputs inte the beundaries af the spatial
system we must first reccgnise that it is the black and white campenents af
the system which may beceme change agents. The questicn arises at this
stage whether there are ether pessibilities which may intreduce inputs inte
the main system while remaining essentially autenemeus ef the black and
white cempenents. In this categery may be lumped such ferces as werld
hastility and epinien against current Sauth African pelicies. Ecanemic
ferces may alse be included in this greup. There can be ne deubt abeut the
fact that these ferces are intred ucing inputs inte the system. This admissian
dees nat ameunt ta a recegnitien ef these inputs as being decisive in
changing the natienal character ef Sauth African life.
When ane leeks at the changes arising eut ef the deminant cempenent ene
recagnises pragressien rather than a definite change in directien. This is
easily shewn te be the case since discriminatery legislaticn is the steck-in-
trade afSeuth African legislaticn. Veting patterns alse shew ne significant
swing te the left. There are several indicaticns af secial inertia in the
deminant cempenent which are expressed threugh current pelicies. One ef
these indicaticns is the determinatien af the Seuth African gevernment te
 The Meaning cf Change 15'?

abide by the land allccaticn cf a 1935 determinatien in spite cf centra-

indicatiens suggested by prejected pepulatien statistics. Anether
indicatien cf secial inertia is the retrcgressive step adepted in the creaticn cf
the hcmelands. In this instance, it may be peinted cut that the impcsiticn ef
tribalism un the black cempenent is a retregressive step since black peeple
are pregressively geing tc reject tribalism as a basis fcr naticnalisms. Jcb
reservaticn prcvides additienal evidence cf the white ccmpcnentis
reluctance tc change with the times. It has been peinted eut that jcb pelicies
are deing havcc te the ecenemy. Even lay pec-ple have begun tc understand
this situaticn and yet nething sf significance in this respect has been dene.
The catalcgue ceuld bedeveleped further. We will return te this cempenent a
littlelater.
The black cempenent is the suherdinate ene in the system. Dces this in it*
self suggest that it is passivs? This is definitely net the case. There are twe
ccnsideraticns which are against this pcssibility. The first is the mere fact
ef it being the secend main cempenent in the system - its mere presence in
the system. This means that its mere presence demands recegnitien frem
the deminant cempenent. The secend censideratien is that, in terms ef
sheer numbers, it cemmands the majority while the deminant system ccn-
stitutes a minerity. This situaticn must be recegnised as ene which crcates
permanent tensicn in the spatial system. The black cempenent is indirectly
a change agent mainly because cf its tensien-creating petential. Úutside
these censideratien, it may be stated that there are speradic indicaticns that
the black cempenent may pregressively increase its tensicn-creating
petential. Indicaticns ef this fact are the eccasienal *illegal' strikes, the
develcpment cf Black Ccriscisusness and cf selidarity as crganising
cencepts. Une may reccgnise that in its tensiun-creating petential, the black
cempenent is currently characterised by the develcpment ef twe sub-
systems. These spatial sub-systems are represented by the inereasingly
articulate urban pepulatien and the hsmeland gcvernments. There can be
nc deubt that these sub-systems will centinue te make demands (eften
ccnflicting cnes) cn the deminant white cempenent.
Presentindicaticns are that the black cempenent may in future intreduce
inputs (impese change) en the main system simply because cf the fact that
black peeple censtitute the bulk ef the labcuring peeple cf this ceuntry.
Inputs may be intreduced inte the system, fcr example, ence the black
peeple reccgnise the significance cf their increasing buying pewer. They
may then decide tc use this pewer fcr leverage in creating changes in the
main system- Similarly. black labeur may begin te exert its latent
bargaining pewer (2).
We said that changes may uccur in the system as a result cf ferces
sriginating frem werld epinien and ecenemic ccnsideraticns. These, as we
68 Bein.g-black- iri- the-world

may see later, are very closely related types of change agents. World opinion
with respect to the policies of the South African government is no longer a
monopoly of the United Nations and the Úrganisation for African Unity.
Hostility against the policies of this country (the white component} has been
expressed to the consternation and surprise of some Christiane by such
bodies as the World Council of Churches. Several other Anti-Apartheid
groups are in existence in several of the capitals of the Western werld. The
cumulative effect of this effort has been so wide in its ramifications that
even the once benig¬n Lesotho government has begun to hammer at our
policies. (The 'our policies* is naturally a speech habit more than anything
elsell. One may now ponder over the implications for change in velved in this
tensiún between South Africa and other world bodies. It should be admitted
at the outset that one may only talk in terms of prebability rather than fact
in so complex an area ofintern ational and other relations.
Present indicaticns are that these pressures will increase as suggested by
the recent change of attitude expressed by the new Australian government.
It is true to say that there are people who are revolted by current South
African policies. With this recognition must follow an awareness of the para-
doxical nature of the situation, which presents itself in the following
manner. There is sufficient evidence of big financial investment in the
South African economy by the major powers of the West. While this is true,
the people who would like to see changes in the 'South African Way of Life”
are citizens of those countries which have a big stake in the future of this
country. Une can only assume that their interest in our problems stems from
motives of a much higher order since this is the only way of resolving the
paradox. For our own part we can only say that the black component must
reccgnise that the dominant status of the white component is maintained
and supported by inputs external to itself, namely the big investments of the
money giants of the twentieth century. This must mean that the black
component has to realise that the fight for self-bettermsnt may not only be
undcrsteod as one which is essentially against the dominant white
component, but one which also involves the inputs of factors outside the
main system.
We are often told that economic pressures at home will lead to domestic
initiatives for change. This may well be. In this respect, it should be made
clear that we as black South Africans should never be deludcd into believing
that white South Africa is changing the moment we come across some
symbolic acts like increases in salaries. These acts represent objective good
(the moral sense) but should not be mistaken for a change of heart on the
part of white South Africana. I may be taken to task for looking a gift horse
in the mouth, but I would like to support my con tention immediately. These
acts are of a moral ly questienable character since we know that they are not
 The Meaning of Change 69

dictated by a sense of the moral and just. We know that they are not inspired
by human decency - they do not spring from conviction. How do I support
such an allegation? l would like to say that it is because white people love
themselves and the life they are leading that they find themselves forced to
intreduce some changes into the system. lt is merely a question of self-love
and self-interest. This view is supported by the fact that the suggested
changes in the economic sphere arise out of the crisis in the economy and not
from the suffering of black South Africans. This means that these changes
whenever they occur should be viewed as being external to the white
component of the system -- as being something which has gone out of
control. These observations suggest that some of the changes which will
occur in the South African system will consist of these unplanned inputs (Ii).
An important issue which should receive considcration is whether there
can be any com mon agreement between the black and white components on
the meaning of change in this country. This, at this stage in our history, is
completely out of question. We should not be shocked by the implications of
this submission. llisagreement arises because white South Africans will
always identify change which arises from unplanned inputs as something
expressive of their own sense of justice. Since change in the direction of
justice is something foreign to the South African system any triviality is
likely to appear as something which is epoch-making. I once listened to a
white South African tell an international conference in New York that he
had succeeded in persuading industrial and commercial organisatíons to
stop calling their employees “boys'. This may be commendable, but what
shocked me was that he reported this with so much enthusiasm and gratifi-
cation that to him it must have been something deserving of a Nobel Prize.
Our response to tokens and symbolic acts must always accommodate a
recognition that the interest of white South Africans in the plight of black
South Africans may only he ofa very superficial kind. This is related to the
fact that they have no direct share in the black experience. lt is also related
to the fact that this interest may only be self-reflexive by which l mean to
suggest that the interest stems from the white people's preoccupation with
security - their own security. l am suggesting, in fact, that change in the
South African spatial system is not likely to come from the white
component. Such a possibility would be extremely paradoxical since it
would involve a lot of altruism of a kind lacking in South African society.
Since the dominant component is not likely to introduce changes
meaningful to the black component -it seems likely that most of the change
which may overtake South African society may be of the un planned variety.
The usual references to revolution as against evolution as a possibility in
the South African society refers to these types of unplanned in puts.
TU Being- inte ci:-in - t ir c-wo ria'

I would like to end on the following note. In the abstract of Professor Mooi-
man's paper, the following important conclusion about the spatial system
RSA is arrived att-af):

Tite formation of sub-systems: a concept based on th e premise that it is

intpossibte - or at any rate unttesirabie - to attempt to irreair up the
system into inttepencient systems and that su.iJ-systems simuid rather
tre formed: a refiection or rnicrocosm, as it were, of the main system but
retaining namerous characteristics of the main system such as
territorial ttistinctioeness, Leah-J intiependence, a (sub-,Í economy ana' a
specific nation as the nucieus nation and chief cohesioe factor. Tite su tr
systems approach is an acknoutiedgem ent of the coiiesioe force of
uniformity in respect of cuiture, tanguage, etc. At the same time, how-
eoer, it is an acitnowierigernent of the fact that each riistinr-tioe nation
in South Africa cannot exert its nationatism without restraint but is
subject to necessary sacrifices by oirtue of the m uiti-na tionai character
of the system and the irnperatioe need for a suiJ~systevn status. Those
who betieoe that separation between white and iJia.ci-:= nations can he
pursueti to the fait conseauences of sooereign inttepenolerice subscribe
to an iitusion which does not accord with the reatitics of the spatiat
system HS.-fl '.

l'1tloolman's conviction about the spatial system RSA in relation to the

possible complete break up of the spatial system into black and white
sovereign independent states is clear from his last sentencc. It seems, there-
fore, that we must recognise that the spatial system RSA will have to retain
unity at certain levels. l would venture to suggest that peaceful coexistence
in this system and its sub-systems will exist in proportion to the amount of
meaningful planned change which is introduced into the system. For
change to be meaningful, itwill have to be meaningful to both the black and
the white components ofthe system. ln the meantime, we will have to keep a
vigil ofan unknown duration since meaningful change has not yet made an
appearance on the South African horizon fã).
 The 11feen.=§:1g ef C`ƒ1.¿1r1ge TF

1-1111'1'1~.'11'1¬1‹::-1
1. MeeIr11:1n, .J.]l., 'Peaeeful l'_Íue1-1íst.e11ee in the 5p11tíé11 E-`šz,fete111 u:I` the l{.5.!'L”,
Hulletin eftl1e.f1.Í'1"ie11 Institute efäcruth .r'*1f1'i1:¿1, K, l(1,lflTÉ,-'ilü--'11Ei.
1-I. See ‹:I11=.eu15:z1i1111 en this i11 Pewer, Pr1`1.'¿Ie_,:,fe 111111' P11¿.=1rr£3:. repurt nf the E-iprfm-:réis
I1Ie1111e111i1:'.-1 IÍ_Í'‹;›n1111íeeinn, e.g. p. 1:1. HT.
H. The H1:pu1't11f the 511111-eê1s Social (_Ie111r11íeeiun, 'Te1.1'11rds .“:ír1e1`11f {`¡1‹:1:1ge. e11p1ere:-1
similare1111eider11tiü11s. 1
4. MeeI111e11, J.Ͷ.,.H11`1f,p. 411
5. E0111 :are Khea ai11"1"he New H11z1eI‹:`

EHI;-1(?l{ Í.-'Íew|'111ir1Í.,
|1r11-em-z IšI111:k t111n1111u 111 1;; F're;.{r11111111ee, p- ETÍL
8

POSTSCRIPTUM-“AFRICAN TIME'

This is indeed an after-theught. My theughts had actually wandered eff

the subject matter et' the essays which I had just cempleted, and I had
started werlting in my study en the preblem ef identity. While reflecting en
this difficult subject, I remembered as an after-theught that a friend had
receunted hew he had been shecked by the centents et' a recent publicatien. I
alse remembered that he had been indignant and amazed that such ideas
ceuld still find their way inte academic print. I knew him te be a very
balanced persen whe is never everhasty with epiniens- Since I had just been
werking en seme aspects ef the African experience, my curiesity was
naturally areused by this bit efinfermatien.
With unusual curiesity, I instituted an immediate search fer “Tyd en
Neurese by die Bentes”, translated in the summary as 'The Bantu, Time and
Neureses' fit Fer the benefit ef these readers whe may be unable te censult
the eriginal., 1 weuld like te quete twe paragraphs frem the English
summary which represent the main theses ef the paper. Enjeelbrecht write:-5
as fellews:

'The ternpe ef tife ef the Bantu is siete ¬- steteer than that ef the tehite.
Yen can see a different tirne in their bedity meeenients, in the things ef
their werld, in their pieces, in the wheie tend-sea,ee in which they exist.
There is a rernarhahie difference between the iieed-time feitai time) ef
the white and the hiach. We find twe different ternpes in twe different
werids. When these ttee different teerids and reatities cerne inte
centact, distertien and disiecatien ef harnan tirne tahes piece. Since
time is a fandamentai dimensien ef harnan existence th.e tetat
existentiai sitnatien ef the individual and seciety teiit aise he affected
and disterted
The iife-teerid ef the Benta is tetaiiy different frern that ef the tehite.
Integratien and eqaatien teenid net eniy create cenfusien hat aiee
,esycheiegicai and seciai disturbances. On the ether hand, the ternpe ef
iife ef the Benta is perhaps tee state fer a tee rapid deeeiejernent and
cha nge'. f'b..'Í.-3,1.
.T4 Being- hiar.'h-in-the-merid

I weuld like te be arregant eneugh te take this celebrity ef philesephy at

the University ef the Nerth te task fer seme ef his unfeunded claims. My
primary intentien is te demenstrate briefly that his paper is in essence an
apelegy fer separate develepment. The writeris assurance that he is net in-
terested in pelitical centreversy is indeed a red herring. Let me avail myself
ef the eppertunity ef saying that Pref. Engelbrecht is interesting himself in
very impertant but difficult preblems. Let me say alse that the biblie-
graphical netes in his paper are very impressive. Ile definitely keeps very
geed cempanyl Perhaps I sheuld add that he is a philesepher. I had really
net been aware that he is interested in psychiatry and psychelegy. Being a
philesepher, his interest in matters psychelegical is perhaps under-
standable. Small wender that he writes with the calm cenvictien ef a
master. In spite ef all these censideratiens, I wendered as I read threugh his
paper whether he had net ventured tee far afield. üf ceurse, this is
debatable. This pessible debate is easily settled. I am a black clinician by
which I de net wish te suggest a menepely ef knewledge in this area. I
simply have beth an academic and existential advantage ever Pref.
Engelbrecht because I am part efthe eitperience which he has been trying te
understand frem his effice desk er his car.
Let me say at this stage that my essays which were prepared bcfere my
familiarity with Pref. Engelbrecht's centributien deal with seme ef the
main issues raised in his paper. My first admissian ameunts te saying that I
am the first persen te agree with the view that there is a black mede ef being-
in-theewerld. This theme runs threugh my essays. This sheuld be censidered
the enly peint ef agreem ent between myself and Pref. Iflngelhrecht.
Te return te his analysis, ene may first refer te his admi_ssien, repeated
several times in his paper, te the effect that he dees net knew the African as
a peeple. He says that Africana always keep him at arm*s length. His in-
qeisitive evertures are always recipreeated with the new-preverbial African
smile. It seems te us that this admissien sheuld, in fact, have cempleted the
paper. Was there a cempulsien te centinue in spite ef this knewledge? The
writer admite te an unusual ameunt ef unrest ever this preblem {*Hierdie
twyfel maak mens enrustig'). There is an eirplieitadmissien ef being an 'eut-
síder* in that situatien. Une may enly assume that he centinued te
centemplate this preblem because ef seme intellectual discumfert. What
may be censidered the mest impertant ideas arising frem his reflectiens?
In additien te the themes cevered in the summary, the fellewing peints
are, inter alia, raised in the paper. It is reperted that the African negates his
identity and strives fer equality and sameness with the white man. The
African, we are teld, is cencrete; he lives with the *things'. He is net abstract
like his white ceunterpart. It is argued that in the rural (semi~rural,`I setting
ef the University ef the Nerth there is peace and calm and the At`rican
 Pestserietarn- “African Time' F5

peeple appear te be in harmeny with their iandscape. In erder te capture the

meaning ef time fer the African, the auther gives a detailed descriptien ef
hew African werkers at the University ge abeut their daily werk. He is
decent eneugh net te suggest, as ethers have dene, that these werkers by
taking their time ever a piece ef werk were simply being laey. The auther
arrives at the cenclusien that Africans live in the past and in the present,
netin terms efan anticipated future. They live frem day te day, he says.
[weuld like te spend a little mere time en these werkers. It is reperted that
they were werking at a snail's pace, they were talking abeut weman abeut
trivialities - abeut the past. It did net matter te them when they finished the
jeb; they even sung seme uninspiring tunes. As usual, this tempe was
temperarily disrupted by the appearance ef the white superviser (white
time). Things changed. The men werked faster. They suddenly had a netien
efthe future, an idea that the werk had te be cempleted. As seen as the white
superviser had made his retreat, they are reperted te have regressed inte
black time. The writer's enly eaplanatien fer this absurd stery is that
African time is slew - 'Slewer than that ef the white”. Ceuld this be an
adequate explanaticn? Decidedly net. I have tried te effer seme
eaplanatiens elsewhere in this beek.
Herel weuld enly like te make the fellewing additienal ebservatiens. It
seems te me that ifthe writer had net been se cempelled te preve a peint he
prebably weuld have remembered a few ideas abeut metivatien,
particularly the cempleaities ef werk metivatien. He weuld have been
ferced te arrive at different types ef cenclusiens- I weuld like him fer a
mement te imagine himself eutside his ebservatien peint this efficel as ene
ef these werkers. He werks a full day at starvatien wages. Let us say he has
eight children and let us add feur wives te that crewd. Let us alse say that he
is enly allewed te werk in Pietersburg and its envirens. Let him ask himself
whether he weuld have plans abeut the future. Let him ask himself whether
he weuld care abeut when the jeb weuld get dene. Let him asle knew th at the
mere presence efthe superviser means that he might Iese his jeb. I-Ie sheuld
knew all that because that is the existential eaperience ef all these werkers.
Ífhfiëfiflerienced all that he weuld knew that the cenclusien abeut fast time
and slew time tends te beg the questien.
I suggested earlier that Pref. Engelbrecht had strayed tee far afield. In his
paper, he alse presents the case ef a patient he “eitaminedl at Pietersburg
hespital. Accercling te his repert, this was an African man whe had
presented at the hespital cemplaining ef palpitatiens, pain in his chest,
fatigue and weakness ef his lewer limbs. Neurelegical and ether
eita min atiens ceuld net demenstrate active erganic pathelegy. I t is reperted
that this man feund himself estranged frem his bedy and his envirenment.
He felt and believed that all ether peeple were against him and that ebjects
F6 Being-htech-in-the-teertd

in the street appeared te be meving tee fast. It is alse reperted that this man
had werked fer a merchant as a messenger using a bicycle fer his errands.
Befere his admissian te hespital, the eutfitter*s shep at which he was
empleyed had been beught ever by an energetic yeung man. It is suggested
that this resulted in a change in the tempe ef werk at the shep. The auther
arrives at the cenclusien that this patient was a neuretic patient whese cen-
ditien must have been asseciated with the change in the time tempe (the
intreductien ef white time).
I did net examine the patient. That much I must aclmit. I de have a
sneaking feeling that Pref. Engelbrecht was dealing with a self-fulfilling
prephecy. He appears te have expected te find a disturbance related te the
time dimensien at the cere ef that neuresis. Indeed that is what he feundl
Even experienced clinicians de find themselves in that kind ef situaticn
new and again. Even ifhe had been a trained clinician, he weuld have feund
it extremely difficult te unearth the mechanism which was invelved in that
man`s neuresis. In fact, I deubt whether he asked the right sert ef questiens
which had a greater prebability ef leading him te mere meaningful een-
elusiens. That manls new empleyer may have been a slave-driver in mere
than ene sense; in mere than the sense ef an increased tempe ef time. He
may have been dietaterial; he may have abused and insulted the dignity ef
that man. He may have had nething te de with it all. Pref. Engelbrecht
sheuld never hepe te knew all that. The smile will always be there te ebscure
the existential realities - te take care efbusiness - te ebscure the seurces ef
the neureses.
I leave aside the preblem ef the future since reference has already been
made te it in Us and Them. What requires analysis is the writerls under-
standing ef the black man's frustratien and aggressien. It is his experience
that Africana are frustrated. He ebserves that the African has a natural
aggressive reactien (whatever that means). Reference is alse made te the
fact that there has been a develcpment ef a Black Pewer mevement since
IEJET. His understanding is that this is net directed against white Seuth
Africa but is merely a symptem ef the black man's frustratien. Se far se
geed. What fellews is prebably the mest interesting secial diagnesis ef the
year. He writes:

Diepertiggend egter is 'n geeeet een frustrasie, 'n seeh na die *eie eh * :eat
eerfere en epgehreeh werd. Die steert gebaide eeis is nie siegs 'n teken
een steertrneg en steert-heteessyn nie, rneer eeei eeder 'n syrnheei een
aggressie - een hetsing in sigseif en tessen drerne en teerhiihheid. Die
swert eeis is nie seseer ,gernih teen die ieitrnen en sy teereid nie, rneer
teen die steert rnan en sy frestresies self - teen sy endersheiti d.1e.s.
teen die geiyhntehers. Bit is eerder "n hand teet gryp in 'n ieegt - na
nihs'{,e. É-l?,l.
 Pestscri,etern- 'African Time' FF

I have queted Engelbrecht verbatim se that I cannet be accused ef having

inisrepresented him. He is cenvinced that the black man*s frustratien is a
result ef lest identity and a search fer that identity. The black clenched fist
sheuld, accerding te him, be understeed as having very little te de with
Black Pewer er Black Censcieusness. It sheuld be understeed as being
directed at the black himself with his frustratiens. The fist is directed alse at
these peeple whe say that we are all the same. The tist, we are teld with
cuntempt, is a hand which is grasping at nething. The prefesser maintains
that the peeple whe say that we are all the same create frustratiens in the
black man and make him dream! Even the mest eerhrernpte Afrikaner will
admit in private gessip that there are many ether reasens fer the black
man's frustratiens which are far remeved frem the issue ef an identity
crisis. Pap, hestels, remevals, pass laws, being beaten up en the highways
It is interesting te nete that Pref. Engelbrecht anneences a lack ef interest
in matters pelitical. In spite ef this beld and unexpected pesture, we find him
wallewing in the pelitics ef separate develepment. As if that were net
eneugh, he tails eff his paper by giving an air ef respectability te his claims
by queting Pref. J.H. van den Berg eut efcentext:

Psycheterepeet si_in enze dagen: het hetehent edeeceat site een

rechteeerdige engeiiihheid *_

I insist this tail-piece is eut ef eentext because I am alse familiar with Pref.
van den Berg's views en the matter ef equality and sameness. His
fundamental thesis appears te be that ene whe is sane may net legitimately
say that Bach er Mecart is equal te the man whe drives a train te Sewete.
This is legitimate. There appear te be ne reasenable greunds fer extending
this idea frem the area efpsychetherapy te bread secielegical planning.
Park Statien, Jehannesburg, in the merning, in the evening, during the
day, a mad rushing abeut ef black peeple in all directiens. Black time? White
time? The questien is absurd. It is my cententien that Pref. Engelbrecht
generalises se friveleusly because he is pelitically metivated; metivated by
a cempulsive desire te defend separate develepment.

I"`fJUTNU'I`ES

1. Engelbrecht, F.J., *Tyd en Neuruse by die Bantee', Reeks A Ne. IE, Puhlikasies
van die Universiteit van die Neerde, 1972.