Rethinking communication about 'Black Tax" a deconstruction of media and capitalist framings of African communalism

Abstract

‘Black Tax’ is a colloquial term that refers to financial responsibility carried by Black South Africans who send remittances and other commodities to their nuclear and extended family (Carpenter & Phaswana, 2021: 2). It is the expectation of the employed Black South Africans to financially assist their extended family members (Matlala & Shambare, 2017:76). The media as powerful communication platforms in society set an agenda of how particular issues are framed and perceived in a society. When the media frames an issue in a certain way, it raises a critical question about what is left out in a frame. When a concept is framed as a ‘tax’, it projects a capitalist understanding, in this case, of social and cultural ideals that shape African collectivist tradition. The problem is, does the media discourse of ‘Black Tax’ present various aspects of this culture with both its benefits and the problematic character? Drawing theoretically from Derrida’s (1967:196) Theory of Deconstruction; Bateson’s (1972:197) Theory of Media Framing and the discourses of African Communalism from the works of Etta, Esowe and Asukwo (2016:303); Ominde, K’odhiambo and Gunga (2020:283), the study specifically examined how the issue of ‘Black Tax’ is framed in media discourse with a focus on examining the implication of this framing on the understanding of African Communalism. Through the study of selected media archival materials as data, which were analysed using a Deconstruction model, the study shows the media frame ‘Black Tax’ as a financial burden and exploitation that young Black professionals must bear. However, this disregards the fact that Africans have a collectivist culture and look out for one another. The media content analysed also failed to acknowledge the nuanced origins and the complexity of the concept. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with Black professional youth in order to examine the mediating effect of ‘Black Tax’ on Black youth. The results showed that ‘Black Tax’ is the result of South Africa’s triple challenges (Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment). The results also showed that ‘Black Tax’ has an impact on the young professionals’ personal and financial growth and their mental health. In deconstructing the concept of ‘Black Tax,’ the study reveals what is highlighted, negated, implied, and neglected in the understanding of the concept in relation to the historical and social-economic dimensions of South Africa today. This study sheds light on the social, political and economic aspects that have influenced the perception of 'Black Tax' and its effects on families, communities and young black people in South Africa