When I learnt earlier this week that Tesla boss Elon Musk had overtaken Amazon’s Jeff Bezos to become the world’s richest man, a part of me celebrated. I don’t work for any of his companies. I have never met him. All I know of him is based on snippets of his life reported in the media. In other words, his achievements will not have a direct bearing on me.
Yet I couldn’t help the glow of pride for the simple reason that, though he is based in the US, he was born here, in my country — once dismissed by President Carrot Hair as a shithole nation, as he referred to Africa and Haiti. Yet this shithole has produced a world beater now feted as a manifestation of the American dream.
I’ve heard it said that Musk seems embarrassed about the country of his birth. I don’t know if this is true and I don’t care. If he is, perhaps he has his reasons. It does not diminish my pride in his achievements.
I was saddened by South Africans who took to social media to dismiss him as a product of apartheid. I know jealousy is part of human nature, but such venom! It’s true he attended Pretoria Boys’ High School at the height of apartheid, and that the apartheid state spent more on the education of whites than other races. So technically, yes, he is a product of apartheid. But why be so reductionist, so negative?
Why is it difficult to draw inspiration from a fellow South African who went to a government school but went on to conquer the world in his field? A more sensible, forward-looking narrative might say that, were they well managed and properly resourced, our schools could produce world-beating entrepreneurs and thinkers. Musk is not a Wouter Basson, aka "Dr Death", the former head of apartheid SA’s secret chemical and biological warfare project, who was accused (and acquitted) of using his expertise to make concoctions that killed enemies of the apartheid state.
I am glad that, in the wake of the flurry of news about him, Musk has said he is willing to work on projects to help develop SA to become a successful nation. I hope he lives up to his promises. It would hardly make a dent in his estimated worth of $188bn if he used some of it for philanthropic purposes.
This, among other topics, was what my daughter Gugu and I talked about over a quiet lunch at Ent Eatery in Braamfontein.
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It specialises in what it calls Caribbean Asian fusion cuisine. The place opened last October and has reportedly been building a clientele, mainly students and adventurers who enjoy different types of cooking.
On Gugu’s recommendation, I had the callaloo, a West Indian soup whose centrepiece is a large chunk of crab meat. Gugu had ramen noodles, which were divine.
The menu is simple but flexible. Meat dishes are prepared the West Indian way — spicy.
You could also try the Bake and Shark — basically a pie with a fish filling. The original West Indian idea is based on shark meat. But when there is no shark, hake will do. The Asian element of the menu is primarily Korean. The kimchi is excellent.
The restaurant does not have a liquor licence, but allows you to bring your own booze and charges corkage — when there is no alcohol ban.
Under current lockdown conditions, I would urge you to order in through Uber Eats.
Ent Eatery ****
70 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Joburg
Tel: 083-240-9167
Elon Musk *****
Zweli Mkhize ****
Cyril Ramaphosa ***
Ace Magashule **
Nolizwi Hlengwa *
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