Is President Thabo Mbeki obsessed with race?

Is President Thabo Mbeki obsessed with race?

When whites made the claim that Mbeki was obsessed with race, I was among the first to spring to his defence. As blacks, we couldn't afford to let our former oppressors publicly insult our leader.

But now I'm beginning to wonder if I did the right thing. Mbeki sees racism everywhere, even where it doesn't exist.

It's also true that whites want the issue of racism to be swept under the carpet. Unfortunately it will stay with us for a long time. However, we're managing this demon fairly well as a nation.

Mbeki recently sprang to the defence of cabinet ministers said to be part of the companies that stand to benefit from the Gautrain. Strangely, he blames racism for the Gautrain saga. What does racism have to do with it?

The ANC leader seems to be using his weekly letter to deal with his detractors. Remember how he attacked Bishop Tutu on ANC Today? Tutu's sin? He said debate was suppressed within the ruling party.

It seems Mbeki's policy is: Either you are with me or you are against me.

Mbeki has lost his authority within the ruling party and is being challenged by party members . Part of the problem is the power struggle in the party.

It's difficult to tell if Mbeki holds something against our white compatriots. We can only hope this is not the case.

Thabile Mange, Johannesburg