Stanlib Chairman, and ex-African National Congress (ANC) MP, Saki Macozoma has said this of the emerging black middle class in South Africa:

"It is a [mere] conceptual construction"

A mere conceptual construction?

Forgive me for going into what you must fear is a Marxist-revival post, but this is relevant to how we see and speak of ourselves (which incidentaly happens through narrative).

For those not familiar with the changes in South African society, the recent legilsation around Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment has resulted in a group of well-paid, yuppy-like black folk becoming more of an economic force in the country. There has been much said of this group, termed as the emerging black middle class … a position previously held by us "whities".

Macozoma has listed these reasons for making such a bold statement (I for one would not like to be told that my understanding of my place in society is a mere conceptual construction!) :

• because the group does not have much of a "class consciousness", it should rather be described as a category
• the group cannot sustain its own continued existence as members either rise rapidly into the high-income group or fall back into the lower-income groups
• the group lacks the organised political mobilisation required to defend its economic progress
• the white bourgeoisie also does not see its own survival as being dependent on the success of a black middle class
• the so-called black middle class is still dependent on the goodwill of the government
• Many people labelled as black middle class are actually a cheque away from poverty

Some pretty heavy statements!

Being a fan of Steve Biko 's writings (often heralded as the father of Black Consciousness ) I'm really not sure how to take this argument (not that I have to, really … I'm as white as Rene Zellwegers thighs).

For a "group", oops … category of people, there is one sure way to undermine the formation of their identity … tell them they do not have enough of a consciousness to qualify for being a class. But not only this, you need to infer that they are a pseudo-class … one that exists and flourishes on the benevolence of government and is at risk of falling apart because they really don't know how to spend their money.

Biko was all for black people rediscoverng their worth as people and rejecting the messages they were told by people who wanted to retard their consciousness of being black.

It seems that Macozoma is lamenting the loss of the meaning of black counsciousness as black people move through socio-economic levels. Then say so! It is even offensive to me the way you undermine the class.