MY BACKGROUND: My parents decided to send me, an opinionated white teen to a private boarding school in Pietermaritzburg to get a quality education. It was here I met several black girls (from the Bam, Ngojo, Nzimande, Moloabi, and Thango families) who taught me about the ANC and the story of Stephen Bantu Biko and the magic of ‘Ziyaduma’ and Stimela. I soon decided I was going to become a journalist.

I began to freelance as a journalist in Gauteng – soon working for Independent Newspapers and CTP Publishers. I proudly voted for the very first time in 1994 in Hillbrow, proudly casting my vote for the ANC. There has never been a question of who to vote for my blood is black, green, and gold.

As my heritage is German and I had hit the glass ceiling as a journalist, I took my family and trekked to Germany, spending 11 years in supposedly greener pastures. The experience was good to give me perspective about how Europeans see South Africa – let me be honest, it’s not good.

All they know is Cape Town, our wine industry, HIV-Aids, former President Zuma, and the marvel that was Madiba – that’s how we are perceived. As 2014 neared a close, I returned home alone – for love; and to commit myself to change the perception of South Africa for potential investors.

HERE AND NOW: I’ve been an ANC member in good standing since 2018. My branch is a rarity – as it is made up of mostly white and brown veterans – heavyweights in the political spectrum who all played a part in our current freedom. While some of us respect our veterans – I feel we do not give them justice. They should be asked for advice and to remain as trusted experts to guide our youth. The lessons they learned in the 80s and 90s should not be lost now.

However, when it comes to general ANC meetings and attending events like Mam’Winnie’s funeral and Cde CR’s inauguration – I am definitely the umlungu in the masses of fellow comrades. Eish, it doesn’t worry me – I’m cool to be the token whitey and pose for pictures – but at the end of the day – we seriously need to think how are we going to recruit white members?

Some might say – we don’t need white members – and seeing how some whites continue to act in this so-called democratic age, I am inclined to agree, leave the Karens for the DA. But there’s a part of me that is saying – we need to think about a plan or a strategy to educate the portion of whites who agree with justice for all – and who have the skills, interest, and know-how to help us achieve that goal.

New member recruitment is a problem that the ANC faces – first, to recruit youngsters who instead rather run to the EFF; as their leaders look like them and listen to their issues – and secondly, to include members with different ethnic backgrounds – to truly reflect our diaspora. Having stood at various stands in the Jo’burg northern suburbs – I think we could win back the black youth – if we listen to them and give them a chance to lead. However, winning over whites is more difficult.

As we have seen in Trump’s America – many whites vote according to fear. Fear that their homes, livelihoods, way of life will be destroyed if the ‘bad blacks’ stay in charge. Education and activism might win some of those over, but I think we have a chance with the white youth who are gender-fluid, woke to politics, and wanting to leave a better legacy to their children. For them, it is less about money and more about quality of life.

This is the sector we should aim for. The million-rand question is – how do we do that? Having listened to exciting youth leaders who work in the social media space – I believe we should use that platform. We also need to do the same that we are not doing for the black youth – we need to listen and then address what we discover. I truly believe there are more like-minded white people in South Africa – it is up to us as a movement to find them and conscript them to the wonder that is the ANC.