Don't speak ill of the dead

Yesterday it was announced that the South African musician Johnny Clegg died. Sad news indeed. But I will admit to being a little mystified by the outpouring of grief on social media and even perhaps the media more broadly. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy his music. Some of it. I have my favourite songs.

He became famous in my childhood. In those days he was radical. He rubbed shoulders with black men as equals (more or less), and in the eighties in South Africa that was revolutionary. In trying to understand his appeal I have a suspicion that he showed my generation that black South Africa could and was in fact cool. He did so with some respect. I guess.

The problem is that it is now 2019. And we are still honoring a white man who had the temerity to see value in the Zulu culture.

Have we come no further?

Judging by a FB post where overwhelmingly white people were delighted at the notion at the South African Parliament would fly flags at half mast for him. My first thought is: what am I missing? Was he really that great? He is also, even in European newspapers described as musician and activist. Except that other for treating black people like humans and equals, what did he do?

This is still not clear to me.

However there appears to be some disagreement as to who actually was being honored by the flags being flown at half mast. Only turns out that Advocate du Toit died in June 2009, so it definition wasn't him, but in fact Mr. Ike Maphoto, struggle icon.

So it turns out my misgivings are well founded.

What he did was show white people, particularly of my generation that there was something cool about our country. That there were aspects of authentic African culture and life we could enjoy (appropriate). It wasn't so bad after all.

Other than a statement from the appropriate portfolio committee in the Parliament, I have yet to see a black person comment much. They appear to be maintaining a respectful silence, no doubt in bemusement as to the response from white people. One should, after all, not speak ill of the dead. I will follow for the discussions as to cultural appropriation which I suspect may come. And if a person really deserves that much honour for treating his fellow South Africans as humans. Especially nearly thirty years later, when we should have come further.

Seems we're still "coming".

Postscript (Friday 19th):

We have arrived.

I fear this is not a correct respect for copyright, but this cartoon was purloined from This Dialogue Thing Facebook group. And all I can really say is: Bingo. THIS is why an overwhelming number of whites (and a few brown, though not a single black as far as I could tell) thought Johnny Clegg was worthy flags at half mast. Once more, we shown how little progress we have really made.