Truth be told, Jacob Zuma is a tribalist. If he was not, he would have reined in his supporters when they use the tribal card.
When he was dismissed as deputy president of the country in 2005 by then president Thabo Mbeki, he mobilised support using the tribal card. We saw 100% Zulu T-shirts worn by his supporters. Threats of violence were made that if Zuma did not become president of the country Zulus would revolt. Zuma has been using tribalism to garner support whenever he is in trouble.
It is unfortunate that the people of SA, blacks in particular, don't like to talk about tribalism. We condemn tribalism in private and not in public.
We don't mind being called a derogatory name by our fellow blacks but are mindful when the k-word is used against us. Even media do not write about tribalism. But media houses are comfortable to publish issues of racism.
What we saw last week in Nkandla by Zuma and his supporters was pure tribalism. But leaders of the ANC in KZN do not agree that Zuma was mobilising along tribal lines.
Yes, tribalism is a natural human set-up. There is nothing wrong with being tribal except when it blinds us to reason.It is unfortunate that many ordinary black people were made to believe that tribalism was introduced to us by white people, the apartheid government. This is a lie. Tribalism was there before.
If it was not, Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme would not have written a piece in 1911 condemning squabbles among different black ethnic groups.
From1948, the National Party government cemented what was already there. The apartheid government divided us according to ethnicity in the townships in then PWV (now Gauteng) because they realised we don't like each other.
I don't buy the notion by politicians that tribalism was introduced by white people to black people. They perpetuated what weaknesses we had and used them to their advantage.
We blacks should blame ourselves for tribalism. We are the architect of it.
Some blacks call other blacks ilwane (animal). Who came up with this? Is it the apartheid government? No. We are comfortable to condemn racism in public. We even organise marches against racism. We blacks believe that tribalism is not as poisonous as racism. We are comfortable with tribalism.
When tribalism rears its head we say it is an isolated matter, but when racism is reported, we condemn it in the strongest terms it deserves.
Tribalism is alive and kicking in the ANC. It is unfortunate that we are denial that tribalism is alive and kicking in the county .
We are no different from white people who deny they are racists. Blacks use tribalism jokingly and in a subtle way, but when a person or people it is directed at show disapproval, we apologise. We even call our fellow black citizens makwerekwere as Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla said while speaking on Munghana Lonene radio station.
Tribalists and racists use the same modus operandi and are quick to deny it and say their utterances were misunderstood.
Some ANC members tried to block Cyril Ramaphosa becoming president of the ANC and the country because he is regarded as an outsider and a MuVenda.
I believe that tribalism can be unlearnt as it is something people were indoctrinated with by wicked minded people in our different communities.
A former colleague told me in their homes they were not allowed to play with Tsonga-speaking children. Tribalism and racism are also taught at home by parents.
The economic situation also exacerbates tribalism. The country still has a long way to go to deal with it.
• Rikhotso is a Sowetan reader
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