Why the revisionist forces of racist oppression in South Africa should not be allowed to intimidate Ron and Charlayne Gault 

Gault, the managing director of the international investment bank JP Morgan and one of the most influential African-Americans in South Africa, was scheduled for the United States to pitch for potential American investors to support South Africa. According to eyewitnesses quoted by the Independent newspaper of South Africa, Gault's assailant, a white man in civilian clothes, head-butted Ron as he stood at the door of his car, which was parked across the road from the restaurant. He suffered a broken nose and had been left with two injured eyes. When the assault occurred, the assailant was flanked by the two traffic officers, who had earlier been involved in an altercation with Charlayne (in pix to the right), prior to the attack. She was nearly run over by the white South Africa cops. Gault said the bigger of the two traffic officers was in and out of Moyo's restaurant after the assault. The man had told him after the assault and when he returned to Moyo's restaurant for ice: "You deserve what you got." Gault said the man had also said to his wife: "Get your arse out of the way." After dilly-dallying by the local police for 3 weeks, the assailant has been arrested, and the indolent cops are now under investigation.

Whatever the details of the assault, here are five major reasons why I think the United States, all persons of African heritage, and the business community should not allow the forces of darkness and oppression in South Africa to intimidate, cow and maim and alter the Gaults and others who are involved in the economic and political empowerment process in post-apartheid South Africa.

First, is the fact that apartheid failed as an economic agenda, as a social engineering program as a political scheme. I've been to parts of South Africa. I was there when U.S. President Clinton visited in 1998; and I was in the country only a few weeks ago, in October 2000, for business and other associated interests. I remain amazed by the rank revisionist content of most of the major "Anglo-White-Afrikaans", media; that's the non-Black-owned newspapers and media. They help fester these anti-Black hostilities. Those hoarse apologists, the well-funded spin doctors and shameless minions and choir masters of apartheid are all over the pages of those newspapers writing and speaking as if South Africa never had any recent history of the venal and satanic impositions sanctioned by the "Anglo-White-Afrikaans" establishment and their street vendors of state-sanctioned and funded violence. It's an incredible twist that it almost makes the informed want to cry!

Second, the assault on Ron and Charlene are ugly reminders of even worse actions against indigenous Black South Africans. I recall vividly their system of abominable denial of the rights of Black South Africans to operate business, vote or be voted for, and in any reasonable way be "allowed" by the henchmen of the Anglo-White-Afrikaans political dinosaurs and economic scavengers who worked to abbreviate and deny Blacks the exercise their divine and basic freedoms and access to the immense natural resources of the country in that beautiful, blessed southern tip of Africa, Azania, also known as South Africa. Black folks in South Africa have come too far (although with little to show); and we won't go back there, again. No; not any more!

Third, if these extremists and distorters of South Africa's history and realities continue on this road of returning to their past ways, I am concerned that South Africans will yet see a major bloodbath. It will be worse because there will be no Nelson Mandela running the country as President to assuage and credibly calm Black and White fears, anger and demands. Their unrelenting attack on President Mbeki's capacities as President after Mandela is a foolish mistake they may regret.

Fourth, a network of progressive Africans and African-Americans in business, government and the media should never fold their hands as some of our very best are placed at mortal risk but the uniformed (shall I say more accurately the refurbished) goons of a failed and immoral system, apartheid in South Africa. No. Enough of the nonsense. My Igbo ancestors of south eastern Nigeria, for whom I am proud to say, Ron and Charlene Gault took a name for their affable son, Chuma, said along time ago, "it's only a tree which stands at a place when a mad man wields an axe and threatens to mow it down." To move further, they punctuated it with the words "He or she who have ears, let 'em hear!" By the way "Chuma" is an Igbo name which means "God knows."

God knows that Ron and Charlene have served Africans and Americans, and indeed the world with such class, a pan-human mind and professional dexterity. I recall when she saw me in Johannesburg while we were covering Clinton's trip (she was still at the U.S. National Public Radio as bureau chief, her sense for all of us as members of a common family and support will always remain with me. By a blessed turn of events, she has been succeeded by another first class professional, a rich blessing to our shared African heritage and the craft of media work, Kenneth Walker (former White House and southern Africa correspondent for the ABCNews). Indeed, USAfricaonline.com and The Black Business Journal had the twin blessing of having Kenneth Walker as Executive Editor (Washington D.C) before the NPR offered him the job of reporting Africa.

Back to the issues.

Fifth, on February 4, 1998, Ron Gault led the investment bank called J.P. Morgan as managing director and head of J.P. Morgan's South African office to receive its foreign exchange trading license for its South African operations, completing the establishment of a full branch office in Johannesburg, South Africa.

He knew this was important to create international business options and access for all South Africans, not just the racist archdeacons and gluttons who fed fat through the oppressive laws they imposed on the backs of Blacks in South Africa. "The foreign exchange license will allow us to extend our product range and provide more services to clients."

Sixth, I must address the significance of Charlayne to all of us, citizens of the world, Blacks and Whites, and all. Charlayne was born on February 27, 1942, the first of three children of Charles and Althea Hunter. She wrote a book, In My Place, in 1992.

More significant, recall that Charlayne Hunter-Gault was one of the students who risked her life to desegregate the colleges and universities of the Southern section of the U.S. Carol Sears Botsch wrote about her that "in January of 1961, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes became the first two African-Americans to attend the University of Georgia, following two years of efforts by the state of Georgia to deny them admittance." Charlene works as bureau chief for the CNN. You will recall that in the book edited by Barbara Summers, Charlayne wrote the essay "I Dream a World", where she stated that the contradictions and iniquities of apartheid remained "one of the greatest challenges that we in the media face." Who knew she'll with her husband face a personal close call to death with the same, refurbished racist police watching at their agony, with a wicked glee.

Finally, it is my position that we all ensure that the likes of the Gaults, the Walkers and others should not be allowed to suffer for their professionalism and service to foster the interests of U.S. and Africa, and in fact uphold the dignity of our shared heritage. Our interests are intertwined and must be guarded and , yes, Defended, jealously. I say that by drawing, again, from the fount of the wise sages of Igbo nation that "he or she who does not know where the rain started falling on him/her may never know when it stopped." Those who have ears let 'em hear!

PUBLIC POLICY A trial of two cities and struggle for justice. By Jack E. White, Time magazine columnist for USAfricaonline.com LAW AND POLITICS Johnnie Cochran will soon learn that defending Abacha's loot is not as simple as his O.J Simpson's case. By Chido Nwangwu LITERATURE Since 1958, Achebe's "Things Fall Apart" set a standard of artistic excellence, and more. By Douglas Killam POLITICAL ECONOMY Nigeria at 40: punish financial thuggery, build domestic infrastructure

TRIBUTE Nelson Mandela, Tribute to the world's political superstar and Lion of Africa   Nyerere's life a model Africa's leaders should follow (Houston Chronicle, editorial outlook page) COMMUNITY INTEREST Martin Luther King's legacy, Jews and Black History Month ELECTIONS Gigolos on the Campaign Trail. By Prof. Walt Brasch MEDIAWATCH Should Africa debates begin and end at The New York Times and The Washington Post?