Tense race relations in South Africa, is almost a sure thing as paying taxes. Yes we have a sombre past when it comes to various racial backgrounds and it tends to creep out to the surface (social networks, politicians and gyms) these days.
Virgin Active has had its own fair share of scandals regarding racial spats, FHM model Jessica Leandra recently caused a commotion when she refered to someone by the K-word in her tweet and the other day I was sent a Facebook link about a white varsity student venting as how black people are lazy and will not get anywhere with that attitude in life.
This got my ever curious mind racing! Are whites secretly racist towards blacks? Are blacks resentful towards the white folk because of Apartheid regime? Or are we as the 21 Century generation trying so hard to present a united front that we sweeping racial incidents under the carpet in the name of a united nation?
These are questions that need to be answered individually as well as collectively. Julius Malema (when he was still relevant) often used to say he didn’t despise white people, he just wanted them to distribute the wealth they amassed on the other racial groups expense. Desmond Tutu even climbed on the same bandwagon and urged the white population to do more to empower non-whites who suffer daily largely because of being denied opportunities by the capitulated regime.
A while back my cousin and I got into a heated debate about outspoken DA leader Helen Zille’s remark that some Eastern Cape people were academic refugees in the Western Cape because of the dire education circumstances the former is embattled with. Suffice to say my cousin wanted to rip Madam Premier’s head off for labelling ‘black’ people as refugees.
When I commented on her post that I happen to agree to the statement to an extent, she thought my being based in Cape Town was corrupting me. When I asked her if it is Zilles’s statement that angered her or the fact that a white person said it she relented that it was both.
It’s a common fact that most black students, who come to varsity in the Western Cape, want better standards than the EC is able to provide. Was Zille wrong in pointing this out or is it downright callous of her? If a black politician had said that? Would it have garnered the same condemnation as madam Premier did?
Racism is something that needs to be discussed openly and condemned fiercely in our adolescent democracy. I was quite impressed by the lashing miss model Jessica received on social networks following her ill-fated utterance by calling someone a k*ffir. Radio personalities, politicians and ordinary tweeting South Africans immediately called her out. Her week later (I stand corrected) apology rebuffed because many believe that she wasn’t being sincere.
Is this incident simply to be dismissed as just another ignorant racist bigot or are there deep fundamental issues we still need to attend to as a nation when it comes to race. I have friends who say Nelson Mandela was quick to offer an olive branch to white people following his election to the highest public office in the land. Some on the other side maintain that if he hadn’t, the country would have been plunged into a civil war which would have been disastrous for then vulnerable state.
18 years since the birth of our democracy, racial prejudice, stereotypes and discrimination are still prevalent in our 50 million inhabited country. Was reconciliation rushed in order to dismantle the oppressive regime? Are these the ramifications of a past that was not dealt with swiftly and delicately?
We as the Facebook generation are quick to dismiss things as primitive, irrelevant or buried in the past. Tradition and our western ways continually clash but we attribute it to the new South Africa. We document everything, rushing everywhere and constantly connected to the net. Perhaps we have rushed to embrace reconciliation rather than addressing the problems among racial divides.
To what extent is criticism by anyone of any colour fair or discriminatory? Are black people way to sensitive when it comes to dealing white people criticising them? Or are the white callous when it comes to acknowledging the extent of the damage the apartheid government inflicted on their oppressors. Was Silklour justified in his controversial BlacksRFools song or is he another democracy kid with no idea of what he is talking about?
All I know is South Africans need to deal with their racial divides in order to move forward. How we do that is the million dollar question!
Well done this is piece is well written....
ReplyDeleteOk let me put my 2cents worth in.. I think that and I always say that South Africans are way too sensitive and especially when it come to race issues. This of course is consequence of the decades of racial divide that occurred in our country so I don't blame the people because I think that it would take way longer than 18 years to erase the damage caused by apartheid, with that said we as the younger generation need to start thinking and acting in a way that leads to a non-racial and tolerant of one another's differences and in that way we will not be haunted by the mistakes of our forefathers.