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RaDical MiDDle - ColdType

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146 | denis beckett<br />

close and hissed in my ear: “Both right and Left dump on PW<br />

Botha too, did you ever think of that?”<br />

Trevor is an excellent reason to want a sound foundation<br />

and to want it now. The first time I met him was at a soccer<br />

final where we were joint guests in a company box. It was<br />

Pirates/chiefs as usual, and it happened that our host’s box<br />

was behind Pirates’ territory. Pirates was the “working class”<br />

club, supported by solid wage-earners who wore hats and turnups.<br />

chiefs was glamour and crossover, for the trendy and the<br />

upwardly mobile. Trevor and several other guests were rooting<br />

for chiefs. They saw themselves in friendly competition with<br />

the Pirates fans on the other side of the rail; all fun in the spirit<br />

of the sport.<br />

except that Pirates didn’t know about fun in the spirit of<br />

the sport. They were there to win. Growing numbers of angry<br />

Pirates turned back and glowered. Then chiefs scored. Glowers<br />

turned to pointed fingers and then to shaking fists. I realised<br />

with shock that these were directed at one person: Trevor, the<br />

sole indigenous african face.<br />

chiefs scored again. Trevor and co did a jig of jubilation.<br />

The Pirates started climbing up over their seats, making for him<br />

with violence in their eyes.<br />

fortunately the kick-off was prompt. further jubilation was<br />

not expressed.<br />

I suppose that potential violence goes with soccer fans.<br />

Maybe people will forever beat people up for shouting for the<br />

wrong side. But not for being the wrong colour and shouting<br />

for the wrong side. Trevor was a further spur to find the sound<br />

foundation; the one that lets a black person be ‘black’ if he<br />

wants or ‘person’ if he wants, or any combination, unchained.<br />

However, the sound foundation wasn’t moving noticeably<br />

forward and nor was Frontline. The Weekly Mail had come along,<br />

providing actual news and abundantly grabbing the mantle<br />

of new journalism. Leon and frances Louw had cornered<br />

the alternatives market, not least by boldly calling their call<br />

for Swiss cantons “The Solution”. Hugh Murray’s Leadership

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