Mpele and the Myth of the Superior Nigger

Reading the posts of Mpele and, particularly, his compatriot RSA, you would think that South Africa is indeed some Canaan land. Mpele, truth to say, intersperses his posts with some refreshing nuggets of honesty – I suspect he has someone who taps his shoulders when he is typing. RSA, on the other hand, does not suffer from such weaknesses.

This view is pervasive among South Africans. To them, they are the lucky ones, the favoured Africans. They live on the European patch of Africa and that, in their mind, confers superiority. Issues for which the country, like every other in the Third World, is renown, such as rampant corruption, police brutality, crime and shocking levels of poverty and unemployment, are fall off the radar while this myth is being celebrated. This notion is not a novelty. I recall Pieter Botha (RSA President from 1984 to 1989), one of the worst of the country’s apartheid overlords, saying to African leaders back then that the black people of his country have the benefit of a far higher standard of living than those in the so-called free countries. That statement, of course, was egregious nonsense, but the African leaders believed it. Africans believed it. And black South Africans believed it. Today Botha is long dead but his words have since taken on lives of their own and live on in the outlook of Azanians black South Africans. As if whatever the country achieves will not always be seen as the achievement of the whites and the world will ever respect Africans for it.

This phenomenon is called the myth of the super nigger and is far from being the sole property of the South Africans. If you really want to experience the myth of the super black man who is singularly gifted with intelligence, ebullience, and industry, you ask the Nigerian. “Anywhere in the world, we are never afraid to ask for our rights,” they would say. “We are the only Africans who look whites in the face and talk to them.” And, in case you haven’t heard, “we are the giant of Africa.” As if all their putative boldness, intelligence, industry, and err… giantness have stopped them from celebrating those who steal from them; or improved their infrastructure which places them in the great company of war ravaged countries like Sierra Leone, Liberia and Congo; or stopped their country from that which makes you shake your head when you consider its potentials and missed opportunities, an embarrassment to its thinking citizens.

The third group of people most likely to vociferate this chaff is the African-Americans. Of course. They live in the Unired States, “God’s own country”. To these special ones, three are three grades of blacks: the ones in Africa, the place worse than death where people are yet to catch sight of electricity; the other blacks in the West, such as those in the Caribbean; and, finally, the super blacks, the Americans. One of them even wrote that he was happy his grandfather was enslaved. It doesn’t matter, of course, that they are the harassed underdogs in their wonderful country, the average male of which race is more likely to end up in jail than a university. And you wonder if they think “cold-shouldering” other blacks will help them catch up with the whites.

There are indications that the Ghanaians are catching the bug. I have heard some interesting statements from some of their nationals lately. You see, in recent years polls have been placing that country ahead of everyone, including the likes of Nigeria. “A country on the march.” “A middle income country.” “An African success story.” To complement all these is the fiction about NEPA (whatever it is called there) not having “taken light” for 10 years. Who won’t feel like the super nigger coming from such a land of milk and honey?

By why should those sitting squarely at the bottom of world ladder be the ones fighting rather than building bridges? Can it not stand in the way of progress since it can hinder cross country cooperation in the effort to uplift the continent?

“You are beautiful for an African!”  I guess it’s just human nature. But I sometimes enjoy reading Mpele, although I am a tad surprised his signature is in Afrikaans. Funny chap.

Unfortunately this is a reality that faces all "Africans" in general including the diaspora in America


It is quite unfortunate but a human flaw none the less.

The answer lies in Education. Only this can cure the ignorance that exists within Africans. There are no more excuses. We live in an age where information is accessible at the touch of a button ( mind you information can be twisted by powerful media such as that propagated by the west concerning Africa which  focuses on the negatives while at the same time painting rosy pictures of the West as well as turning most of us into consumer zombies willing to do anyting to pop a bottle of moet, sit in expensive restuarants ordering meals we cannot even pronouce the names to and flashing our latest black berry's phones when we are out  )

There are real positive reports about African that the Indigenes should expose themselves to, latch on to and continue to inspire others towards.

We are each guilty of this paradox that exists amongst Africans and noone is going to solve the issue except ourselves.


MORPHEUS SAYS "FREE YOUR MIND"

What baffles me the most about Nigerians is why there are over a million of them in South Africa if we're such bad people! The fact is most South Africans, don't even know some of the countries in Africa, we generally don't care about what happes in Nigeria or Sudan!
I've people saying Nigerians are just cocky, but no I differ, I think they have this tendency of thinkin that they are the superior black race because they have more degrees than brains! If then have University degrees is the best thing a man can have, then we must see the results of that! What your country can boast about is black on black violence, muslims v christians! At least with us it was black v white!

People must not use the xenophobic attacks as a reason for hating us! Africans have always dispised us, for wat reason I don't know! I mean we never even want to visit your countries.
People have a choice to choose who to live with, it is our right to choose not live amongst other Africans, that is why U'll never see a South African relocating to Senegal or Nigeria!

Nigerians have a tendecy of talking about our economy being controlled by whites, so what! those whites are South Africans! This is cheap talk, there are now so many black multi national companies in SA. If then it is a bad thing for whites to control the economy of SA, then all Nigerians must leave in protest of this.

Some are even so stupid to be happy the SA have one of the highest HIV rate in the world! The this shows stupidity, because even in Nigeria HIV is there! We are doing things for our selves we don't need anybody's help, that's why we stay home to make our country work, that is why some of we're gonna take leave and become volunteers during the first world cup in Africa, which U tried to bid for, only to realise later that U don't have the capacity to stage a tournament.

What Nigerians are good at is to invade other people's countries, then end up languishing in their jails. My advice is actions speak louder than words, what U could start by doing is to clean up that slum U call a city (Lagos)

@ MyJoe,your views made me think,and thank you for that,I think it was wellthought and balance.

Nigerians are known allover Africa for bullying,esspecially in their host countries and I think South Africa is the only country where its blacks tell Nigerians where to get off,and you guys cannot understand why,because in your Degrees mind you think we're stupidd,whitewashed iidiots.

I don't think South Africans think they're better or Superior to other blacks in Africa,what I know is they think most African States are badly run,there's a feeling that because of that if borders are opened the whole of Africa will want to come in.Yes we all know that is not true.But we have all nationalities in South Africa,all 53 states in Africa have someone in Azania(RSA).

@Mr Mo before you tell people to free their mind?you must start with yours first.Maybe a trip to Soweto will help you.

Mpele:

What baffles me the most about Nigerians is why there are over a million of them in South Africa if we're such bad people! The fact is most South Africans, don't even know some of the countries in Africa, we generally don't care about what happes in Nigeria or Sudan!
I've people saying Nigerians are just cocky, but no I differ, I think they have this tendency of thinkin that they are the superior black race because they have more degrees than brains! If then have University degrees is the best thing a man can have, then we must see the results of that! What your country can boast about is black on black violence, muslims v christians! At least with us it was black v white!

People must not use the xenophobic attacks as a reason for hating us! Africans have always dispised us, for wat reason I don't know! I mean we never even want to visit your countries.
People have a choice to choose who to live with, it is our right to choose not live amongst other Africans, that is why U'll never see a South African relocating to Senegal or Nigeria!

Nigerians have a tendecy of talking about our economy being controlled by whites, so what! those whites are South Africans! This is cheap talk, there are now so many black multi national companies in SA. If then it is a bad thing for whites to control the economy of SA, then all Nigerians must leave in protest of this.

Some are even so silly to be happy the SA have one of the highest HIV rate in the world! The this shows stupidity, because even in Nigeria HIV is there! We are doing things for our selves we don't need anybody's help, that's why we stay home to make our country work, that is why some of we're gonna take leave and become volunteers during the first world cup in Africa, which U tried to bid for, only to realise later that U don't have the capacity to stage a tournament.

What Nigerians are good at is to invade other people's countries, then end up languishing in their jails. My advice is actions speak louder than words, what U could start by doing is to clean up that slum U call a city (Lagos)

OMG! Did you write this? Good luck!

RSA:

@ MyJoe,your views made me think,and thank you for that,I think it was wellthought and balance.

Nigerians are known allover Africa for bullying,esspecially in their host countries and I[b] think South Africa is the only country where its blacks tell Nigerians where to get off[/b]and you guys cannot understand why,because in your Degrees mind you think we're stupidd,whitewashed iidiots.

Nigerians are pretty much in every country within Africa and the world in general. Why is there some sort of specia case in SA you might ask?

The above statment is easy to dissect and interpret. There is an inherent fear of other Africans overrunning SA which is the reason Saffers fight harder against other Africans(not other nationalities) especially Nigerians who are viewed as aggressive in nature.

This feelings is very much validated. However it must not be used as an excuse to discriminate against people. Reasonable civil solutions should be sort concernign this matter otherwise the SA are just as guilty and no better than the people they despise.

RSA:


@Mr Mo before you tell people to free their mind?you must start with yours first.Maybe a trip to Soweto will help you.

I believe that statement should be directed at your setswana half caste brother "Mpele" who seems to want to live in bubble and is content with perpetuating ignorant ideas about people he does not understand.

As for SOWETO. I already get jittery around too many black SA's especially in the townships. I've been around a group of Somalian muslim extremists and I didn't feel that scared.  Goes to show doesn't it.

I think I'll stick to the major cities.

Mpele:

What baffles me the most about Nigerians is why there are over a million of them in South Africa if we're such bad people! The fact is most South Africans, don't even know some of the countries in Africa, we generally don't care about what happes in Nigeria or Sudan!

Thats why you will remain a Buffoon!. If you can't answer simple questions like the one you state above.

Mpele:

I've people saying Nigerians are just cocky, but no I differ, I think they have this tendency of thinkin that they are the superior black race because they have more degrees than brains! If then have University degrees is the best thing a man can have, then we must see the results of that! What your country can boast about is black on black violence, muslims v christians! At least with us it was black v white!

You really are an uneducated fart. Making statements like the one above. If I judged your contry men inthe same light as you now that would be a tragedy. it is obvious you donto use your faculties when thinking.

Mpele:


People must not use the xenophobic attacks as a reason for hating us! Africans have always dispised us, for wat reason I don't know! I mean we never even want to visit your countries.
People have a choice to choose who to live with, it is our right to choose not live amongst other Africans, that is why U'll never see a South African relocating to Senegal or Nigeria!

Again really silly reasoning. You are bordered by all black African countries. How can you choose not to live amongst them or even consider that their politics and economical activities are not intertwined with yours . You really do exemplify the ignorance and isolationist thinking the afrikanners subjected you to.

Mpele:

Nigerians have a tendecy of talking about our economy being controlled by whites, so what! those whites are South Africans! This is cheap talk, there are now so many black multi national companies in SA. If then it is a bad thing for whites to control the economy of SA, then all Nigerians must leave in protest of this.

You really are a confused child.

Mpele:


Some are even so silly to be happy the SA have one of the highest HIV rate in the world! The this shows stupidity, because even in Nigeria HIV is there! We are doing things for our selves we don't need anybody's help, that's why we stay home to make our country work, that is why some of we're gonna take leave and become volunteers during the first world cup in Africa, which U tried to bid for, only to realise later that U don't have the capacity to stage a tournament.

They really bounced that soccer ball on your head a good number of times. Its affected your abillity to reason. It is very clear you cannot think pragmatically. The reason you stay home is because you lack the ability to survive outside your borders cause you are not condition to do so, are unfamiliar with the workings of global markets and how factors of labor move to where they are most efficient and lastly you just got the country back so why would you want to leave something you are just familiarizing yourself with.

lets assume your statement were true. Why is it there are a high percentage of young White SA's emigrating to Canada, The UK and Australia. If conditions are so condusive for them they would stay with you and build your beloved as well Don't  you think?

morpheus24:

You are bordered by all black African countries. How can you choose not to live amongst them or even consider that their politics and economical activities are not intertwined with yours . You really do exemplify the ignorance and isolationist thinking the afrikanners subjected you to.

The reason you stay home is because you lack the ability to survive outside your borders cause you are not condition to do so, are unfamiliar with the workings of global markets and how factors of labor move to where they are most efficient and lastly you just got the country back so why would you want to leave something you are just familiarizing yourself with.

l[b]ets assume your statement were true. Why is it there are a high percentage of young White SA's emigrating to Canada, The UK and Australia. If conditions are so condusive for them they would stay with you and build your beloved as well Don't  you think?[/b]

Brilliant!

I think this guy has a one-dimensional viewpoint. I find his utter misapprehension of op strange, thinking anyone has any problems with whites being in his country. I never saw more myopia!

^^Morph you've said it all.

It's hard to take Mpele and RSA seriously. Scarcely have I read a post from either of them that is not vitriolic in nature towards any and all things Nigerian, while failing to look in the mirror and apply those judgemental standards to themselves.

but anyways,

Joe, great write-up. I was cheering you on until I came to the secong group and felt the whip come out lol. It's so much more fun when someone else is being chastised when you yourself committed the same sins. I think the AA's are by far the ones who feel with unbelievable arrogance, a sense of entitlement. When the supposedly intelligent ones like Al Sharpton are still crying for reparations, their 40 acres and a mule, what can we expect from the rest of the population?

Nevertheless, I love my AA's. They have some great qualities about them still.

This phenomenon is called the myth of the super nigger and is far from being the sole property of the South Africans. If you really want to experience the myth of the super black man who is singularly gifted with intelligence, ebullience, and industry, you ask the Nigerian. “Anywhere in the world, we are never afraid to ask for our rights,” they would say. “We are the only Africans who look whites in the face and talk to them.” And, in case you haven’t heard, “we are the giant of Africa.”
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The problem with us nigerians is our arrogance and a grandiosity. We have an over-inflated ego of self-importance, but the truth is that we are becoming irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
I am tired of living a LIE.
I am sure you must be kidding by referring to Nigeria as the giant of Africa. Rather than wasting time comparing ourselves to SA, let's focus on our array of problems.
What is the point of being 'intelligent, ebullient, industrious', but cannot fight for a good government in your own country.

idiopathic:

I am sure you must be kidding by referring to Nigeria as the giant of Africa.

I did not refer to Nigeria as the giant of Africa. I find that phrase repulsive. When you read, note the general flow of the prose and pay attention to the punctuations marks.

^^ see how these smart, rational fellas are stripping us of our "Giant of Africa" fantasy, a dearly beloved and long held delusion with which we use to caress our egos and massage our failures. You fellas should be reprimanded immediately! we cannot have this kind of truth being shamelessly told.

Nigerians cannot hold SA hostage because they played a role in their struggle against apartheid.
SA was very welcoming to Nigerians until we started exporting our crime, faud their, which obviously will breed resentment.
Nigeria chased Ghana nationals back in the 80's, which was a state sactioned policy. what moral right do we have for accusing SA of xenophobia.

You guys accuse the SA of being slaves to the whites, but at least they fought the unjust aprtheid system. In Nigeria, we are slaves in our own country held hostage by a very 'corrupt cabal'. Instead of quarelling with SA, let's fight our war and restore our nation to it's former glory.

I am tired of fellow nigerians wasting their energy quarelling with SA, when our country is on the verge of becoming a failed state. We boast of being 'gifted, educated' etc, yet our country is on a precipice.
Where is our President? We are spineless at even demanding he resigns, but come online to boast of being the 'most intelligent blacks'. Please, give me a break. Let's stop living a LIE.

Let's leave South Africans alone and direct the energy at solving our multitude of problems.

The above was written by a level headed Nigerian!

Mpele:
Nigerians cannot hold SA hostage because they played a role in their struggle against apartheid.

I agree. While the Nigerian government rendered assistance to the South Africans during apartheid (something young Mpele dismisses as serving tea to Mbeki in Lagos), it must be borne in mind that the South Africans liberated themselves. They were the ones who were hunted down on the streets of Soweto and either gunned down or jailed. I personally find statements like "we liberated them" to be highly embarrassing. Nigerians have no right to latch on to whatever sacrifices we made. While I think South African leaders themselves ought to include it in their history so their youths know, I believe the time has come to move on.

Mpele:
SA was very welcoming to Nigerians until we started exporting our crime, faud their, which obviously will breed resentment.
Nigeria chased Ghana nationals back in the 80's, which was a state sactioned policy. what moral right do we have for accusing SA of xenophobia.

SA was never really welcoming to foreigners at any point after the demise of apartheid. From day one, they resented Mozambicans "invading" their country to look for jobs now the country was theirs. In my opinion, this is quite understandable and can happen anywhere, especially among the less educated segment of the population. That is what the BNP does in Britain. The fact that this often plays out as bloodshed all over the South African Republic should be a matter of concern to the leaders of the country. What happens in civilised societies to cut down on illegal immigration is that the government tightens border control. Those found for crime are prosecuted and jailed. There are Nigerian criminals in Western countries just as there are foreign criminals in Nigeria. They are not setting up mobs and we are not. And the unfortunate Ghanaian incident was carried out by a misguided government looking for scape goats in hard times. It was carried out in an orderly fashion. No Nigerian mobs killed, maimed or burned Ghanaians. Comparing it to the South African situation sounds desperate.

Mpele:
You guys accuse the SA of being slaves to the whites, but at least they fought the unjust aprtheid system.  In Nigeria, we are slaves in our own country held hostage by a very 'corrupt cabal'. Instead of quarelling with SA, let's fight our war and restore our nation to it's former glory.

The highlighted part is a shocking misinterpretation. Nobody, to my knowledge, is accusing anyone of being slaves. Whoever does is myopic. In my opinion, the white South Africans are Africans and are welcome. If you read my op, the only reference I made to whites is in the area of respect for Africans. In case Mpele and whoever wrote this piece find that hard to comprehend, let me reiterate it: In the understanding of the everyone, South is far ahead of other African countries in terms of infrastructure because white brains did it. Therefore, anything achieved by South Africans will always be seen as the achievement of the whites. The black will only start gaining respect when countries like Nigeria wake up and pull themselves out the doldrums to show the world that blacks can do it and colonialism and apartheid were unnecessary. This assertion of mine is far more an indictment on Nigerians than on any other people.

Mpele:
I am tired of fellow nigerians wasting their energy quarelling with SA, when our country is on the verge of becoming a failed state. We boast of being 'gifted, educated' etc, yet our country is on a precipice.
Where is our President? We are spineless at even demanding he resigns, but come online to boast of being the 'most intelligent blacks'. Please, give me a break. Let's stop living a LIE.

It is not my view that Nigerians are uniquely gifted. All that claim is nonsense. It is to declare it all as nonsense and learn from Mpele that I opened this tread.

Mpele:
Let's leave South Africans alone and direct the energy at solving our multitude of problems.

Thank you. Nobody is obsessed with South Africa. Personally I would not live there under apartheid or after it. If I was born there, it would have been different. But Nigerians have a right to want to live there and the South African government has a right to use their discretion in refusing. The fact that you are culturally disinclined to emigrate (for whatever reason?) will not stop foreigners from coming to your country. If Nigerians enter illegally, the government has a right to deport them. But the South African mobs have no right to attack them. And it is wrong for Mpele to come here and spew hatred.

Personally I have nothing against anyone and am not a part of "my country is better than yours". It isn't. And I think Nigeria, as it is currently, sucks. But I should not be to afraid to tell Mpele some home truths for fear he might accuse me of hating his countrymen. The problem South Africans have can be summed up in one word. It was what drove the Afrikaners in their apartheid project. Shortly after apartheid, I borrowed from a friend who returned from the country a copy of one of their magazines, and I saw it there, being nurtured with zeal all over their media. A part of it can be traced to the Christian Protestant reformer, John Calvin. I guess when I have some time on my hands I will open a tread to address it.