South Africa’s May election

What do the election results mean for Jewish South Africans?

By LIONEL SLIER
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa waves to supporters of his ruling ANC at an election victory rally in Johannesburg on May 12 (photo credit: MIKE HUTCHINGS / REUTERS)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa waves to supporters of his ruling ANC at an election victory rally in Johannesburg on May 12
(photo credit: MIKE HUTCHINGS / REUTERS)
“South Africa is so far away” is the plaintive cry we who live in this country often hear from people in Europe, America, Australia, Asia – and the Middle East. It is out of the mainstream of international affairs. In return, South Africans respond in astonishment, “Far away from where?”
Parliamentary elections were held on May 8, and to most locals the result was a foregone conclusion: the black-led and dominant ANC (African National Congress) – the sitting government – was certain to win.
South Africa is a multicultural country of Africans, whites, mixed race, Muslims, Hindus and even a scattering of Chinese. It is the Africans, however, who dominate numerically.
The 20th century for South Africans was one of conflict between blacks and whites. The latter held the reins of government through sheer force (plus terror), but the release of Nelson Mandela in 1992 after 27 years in jail changed everything. He led the ANC into power in the 1994 General Elections, and the rest of the people could take it or leave it. Many did emigrate, mostly to Canada and Australia, while those whites who remained lived on in the hope that the so-called Rainbow Nation would prosper in peace. (There are those who say that it has!)
And what of the Jewish community? Most Jews here are descendants of Lithuanian and Latvian immigrants who arrived in South Africa in the 19th and early 20th centuries, bringing with them as much as they could of their culture. At its peak, around 1970, there were an estimated 130,000 Jews in the country, but the rise of the ANC saw increased emigration and the Jewish population fall to about half.
In the May elections – the fourth since the ANC came to power – the main opposition was the Democratic Alliance for which most whites voted without much enthusiasm or hope. So here we are with the ANC in power with a replacement president – Cyril Ramaphosa, instead of the notoriously corrupt Jacob Zuma – so perhaps the country will settle down under a more capable leader. The Jews can only wait and see what the future will bring.
There are no overt signs of uncontrolled antisemitism. Certainly the situation in the Palestinian territories is not ignored, and there are elements in the ruling party who publicly favor the Palestinians and the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.
However, the new government has not made any comment about the Middle East situation. There are occasional calls to downgrade the embassy in Israel, or for Jerusalem to recall her ambassador, but so far nothing has been done.
In the elections in which only 17 million out of an eligible 26 million people voted, the ANC scored 57% of the vote, not exactly a massive victory. The Democratic Alliance, for which most of the Jews probably voted, garnered only 20%. There were no comments about Russian interference or foreign manipulation or fake news. (Was that because South Africa is so far from Russia???)
The South African Jewish Board of Deputies watches over Jewish affairs in the country, where antisemitism is often hidden under anti-Israel rhetoric, and they never hesitate to raise objections to hate speech concerning the community. Local Jews for the most part strongly support Israel.
“A rainbow is a beautiful thing but it is also transient,” says Joel Padolsky, a political commentator. “Will the local Rainbow Nation be the same? There is not much sign of it nowadays. I mean a recently retired president is now in court on corruption charges!”
A 40-year-old Johannesburg woman who wishes to remain anonymous adds, “I was born in Glenhazel (the most populous Jewish suburb in Johannesburg) warmly referred to as the shtetl.
I went to school there, and to King David high school. I was a typical Joburg ‘kugel.’ I married and still live in Glenhazel. However, I do not feel that safe here. My house could be robbed at any moment. I could be hijacked on the roads. The only time we have any contact with the police is when we are stopped at a roadblock and asked to show our license and proof that our annual car tax is paid. Yet daily almost, I hope and pray that there will not be an uprising against the whites because, quite simply, there would not be anyone to defend us. Most of the police are black and also their officers. Tell me why should they protect white people who treated them so badly before? Maybe I am being overly dramatic and pessimistic. I hope so. For many of us, for many reasons, emigration is not an option.”
So here we are, a mere two weeks after the results – a new president and an ANC in full control. For the Jewish community it seems to be a case of “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Who can say whether this is good or not?