How South Africa is Drifting Towards Communism

South Africa’s Quiet Drift Toward Communism

South Africa is heading towards a new era of centralised control, state dependency, and ideological warfare with signs of communism disguised as “restorative justice.” For those of us who live here, it’s obvious. What’s terrifying is that many in the West are blind to the fact that they are walking one generation behind us on the same path.

Our ruling elite speaks more openly about accelerated land redistribution, not as a threat but as an “opportunity.” The rhetoric is not about coexistence but about ownership, race, and entitlement. The messaging from politicians is designed to stir envy and to pit poor against rich, black against white in exchange for votes. It’s not about building a nation; it’s about fracturing one.

Stefan Tompson, founder of Visegrád24, recently visited South Africa and spoke to Afrikaner political commentator Willem Petzer. Their conversation cuts to the heart of the crisis as we look at clips of South African Black Land First leader Andile Mngxitama saying, “For each one person that the taxi industry has killed, we kill five white people.” Remarks and incitement to violence like this have resulted in a country where white farmers are being murdered at an alarming rate, where 95% of these murders go unsolved, and where people like Petzer are smeared for simply calling attention to it amid slogans like “Shoot to kill the farmer! Kill the Boer!” These struggle-song slogans go unpunished, reflecting a more profound, more dangerous shift.

Those who can afford it turn to private solutions, such as gated communities, armed response, and private medical care, effectively insulating themselves from a collapsing public system. But this survival instinct breeds deep resentment. For millions who are trapped in poverty, abandoned by the state, and unable to access even essential services, the sight of private wealth feels like a daily insult.

“Under those conditions,” says Petzer, “I would also be envious and angry.” But the anger isn’t directed at the corrupt elite or the dysfunctional government. Instead, it’s channeled by politicians and media toward white people, who are framed as the eternal scapegoats. “Because the ones truly responsible,” he continues, “keep repeating that it’s the white man’s fault.”

Poverty doesn’t just create hunger; it creates hatred. When people live without hope, with no path to dignity or upward mobility, they become vulnerable to ideologies that offer a target for their pain and suffering. That’s why crime in South Africa so often carries the tone of rage. It’s not just theft - it’s vengeance. It's not just murder; it’s a message.

The Rise of Restorative Tyranny

What is 'South Africanisation'? It’s a term that hasn’t entirely gone mainstream yet, but it’s becoming increasingly visible. When we examine political trends in the West, particularly on social media, it becomes clear: the West is about a generation behind South Africa. In the 1990s, many white South Africans embraced liberalism and pragmatism. Many Afrikaners believed in reconciliation. They supported affirmative action, black economic empowerment, and even positive discrimination. They even thought, “Yes, that’s fair. The system was unjust; let’s fix it.”

Restorative justice was written into our Constitution. It stated that discrimination based on race or sex was unacceptable unless it was “positive discrimination” to correct past injustices. That sounded noble. However, what started as a temporary measure evolved into something more perilous.

There is a fear that the West is making the same mistake. They’re adopting restorative justice not just in policy but embedding it deeply into law and culture. Black Economic Empowerment, for example, was initially intended to conclude in 2012. Instead, it expanded. Every year, more racial laws are passed. According to the Free Market Foundation, South Africa now has six times more racial laws than during apartheid. It’s no longer about equality; it’s about control.

During Petzer’s law studies, he examined constitutional court cases from the 90s. The rhetoric used then is identical to what Western left-wing parties are saying now. The similarities are so blatant it’s eerie. The West is not just imitating us; it is becoming us.

Incompetence Saves Us from Full Communism

The man who helped shape this post-apartheid state was Joe Slovo, a radical communist who believed in Marxism as if it were gospel. The ANC and the South African Communist Party have ruled in coalition since 1994. They call themselves communists - just like the USSR. But there’s one big difference.

And here’s where South Africans can be strangely optimistic: It’s better to be oppressed by Cyril Ramaphosa than by Joseph Stalin. Because our communists are too incompetent to implement communism, their ideology is textbook Marxist. Still, South Africa is not a communist country, not because they don’t want it to be, but because they’re too incapable of pulling it off.

South Africans live in a parallel state. In theory, they have free healthcare. In practice, it’s unusable. Billions are poured into it, but nothing improves. The money is mismanaged, and the system is broken. Private citizens and companies have assumed key state functions. Roads, security, and even utilities are privately maintained.

You can see it everywhere. Drive out to the farms, and you’ll find pristine roads, not because the government fixed them but because farmers paid out of pocket to do so. Those who can afford it live in a first-world pocket. Those who can’t are abandoned in a collapsing third-world system.

Two Nations, One Warning

We now have two South Africans living side by side, one built by private citizens, the other falling apart under state control. It is the natural outcome of ideology meeting incompetence.

As South Africa moves deeper into this ideology, the West should pay attention, not with pity, but with urgency. What’s happening here isn’t unique. It’s a warning.

Learn from us before it’s too late.

Heike Claudia du Toit

South African | Content Writer | Linguistics Honors Candidate