Standing firm
Sir: While normally I enjoy Richard West's contributions on South Africa, which portray a certain humorous sympathy with our various foibles, I feel that his article, The Gathering Storm (1 October), requires some comment.
Firstly, the average White South African has no intention whatsoever of leaving this country, partly because he will not be pushed about by what he regards as the evil forces of political expediency and double standards and also because this country has enormous potential, great beauty and, despite the concerted efforts of the world to Plunge it into chaos, its White inhabitants together with, I think, most of its Blacks, realise their strength and ability to defend it. Increasingly the Whites, including the old English community in Natal, support Mr Vorster because he is strong and refuses to bow to pressure and while admitting that there are many wrongs in the treatment of the Blacks, nobody other than liberal theorists is prepared to risk a situation where non-reversible changes are made which would lead to ultimate Black rule. After all nothing, absolutely nothing, which has occurred in African countries since independence suggests that South Africans of any race would benefit from Black rule here. Furthermore the White man's everyday contact with Blacks at their present state of development inspires no confidence Whatsoever in their ability to run the country. The White South African is very aware that he and his forebears have built a modern and, even in these hard times, prosperous country from nothing and that every development from the railway system to the humblest shade tree is the result of his initiative, and that to allow the country to fall into the hands of a people who had achieved so little before his advent would be fatal to all future development.
Altogether White South Africa is much less afraid for the future than Richard West implies in his article. It is also not at all inclined to make obsequious overtures to the Blacks, particularly those whose activities over the past year arouse contempt and increasing dislike. The fact that their sons now have to serve two years in the army in potentially dangerous situations is looked on by most white South Africans as an excellent training in manliness and discipline in a society which increasingly looks to countries like Israel for an example rather than the effete societies of the West. R. G. McDougall P.O. BOX 1 0, Under erg, Natal
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