An Expensive Popularity Contest

After seeing the list of the 100 greatest South Africans, I'm more convinced then ever, that there are those of us living in this country, with severe judgment problems.

That Hendrik Verwoerd, the mastermind behind the concept of modern apartheid, could be number 19 just shows us that this pole didn't really set out to determine the greatness of individuals, but rather their popularity, cause in my book Hendrik Verwoerd does not qualify as being eligible for greatest South African in any way or form.

Some other suspect names were sighted on the list. Those of Brenda Fassie and Hansie Cronje come to mind, both who died in a state of ignored disgrace. I think 94.7 Highveld DJ, Jeremy Mansfield said it best when asked about, drug addict and self proclaimed diva, Brenda Fassie's name appearing at 17, "Would she still have been on the list if she didn’t die?" he asked the viewers at home to consider. I think the same can be said about fallen idol Hansie Cronje who dragged the image of sportsmen and women in this country through the mud and back again.

Celebrities seemed to fill up most of the spots on this list. Has everyone forgotten that there is a difference between celebrity and greatness? Charlize Thoren was number 12, and although I'm as proud of her as any other South African is, I still think so far she has done little to warrant her place on the list.

And what of those pretend South Africans? Those famous people that on closer inspection were never really South Africans, like J.R.R Tolkien who although born here,left the country at age 4, and from then on was raised as an British scholar and never again set his foot in this country.

Any scientist would frown upon the way this poll was conducted. There is not way in hell that this so-called national poll really reached everyone. Just because it was announced on TV, radio and written about in newspapers does not mean that everyone got the message or even bothered to phone in to have vote counted. I sure as hell didn’t, as a student I can't afford the cost of a phone call or sms, and I'm sure many others can't either. And was it even aired in all of our eleven official languages? No, cause frankly, that would be a marketing nightmare for the SABC.

I hate to burst the SABC's bubble but they just aired the most expensive popularity contest in history, not a poll on the true measure of greatness.

The term greatness, much like the term beauty, at the end of the day is nearly impossible to truly define, therefore isn't it logical to say that it would be nearly impossible to define a person as great?