Black Economic Empowerment is a policy to benefit Previously Disadvantaged Individuals (PDIs). These are individuals who emerged from an era of dire poverty and exclusion haunting the poor black majority.

PDIs include the ‘have it all’, the ‘have it’ and ‘the delusionals’ - who maintain the appearance of having it but don’t.

That is why most of them are the "who’s who" of the hanging-out spots, where they grab some top-branded beer, whisky, cocktail and rum, while engaging in some "business" conversations.

Others give waiters a hard time as they behave like feudal lords who mistreat their slaves.

As some waiters will remark, most of ‘the delusionals’ don’t even tip but they are too demanding and they sometimes stare at each other when they must pay the bill. Instead of waiters getting excited that the tip will be there just to boost the taxi fare for the following week or so, they get nothing when they open the bill book.

The popular excuse ‘the delusionals’ put forward, with a smile, is that they don’t tip because of the recession, so they are tightening their belts.

Others talk as if they are holding "please help, no job" boxes at the intersections, fighting for the spot with other beggars.

But no, they are still kicking it and making it in the social scenes pages of the weekend newspapers, which show how the partying continues non-stop. Unless the banks can tell me that they are still repossessing their cars and houses due to a failure to pay...?

Some of ‘the delusionals’ will swipe a card just to buy a round of beers even though they know that they will not have enough for petrol. Do you know those who fill their tanks of their luxurious cars with R30?

They’ll claim to have so much money but their fridges have only a cold bottle of water and a half onion.

But what’s worst of all is that ‘the delusionals’ often look down upon the ‘have not’ - since what matters to them is the status of being seen to be better.

If needs be, some will approach you and say "eish mfana it’s bad". Without just saying hello, you will know that they are in that borrowing thing and you must open your wallet by being a Good Samaritan.

The ‘have it all’ live a luxurious life with fat bank accounts and investments. The ‘have it’ are not that rich but they can be ranked as middle class. It is not clear where to put ‘the delusionals’ PDIs.

- Tendayi Sithole is a guest columnist on www.sowetan.co.za