South Africa is a nation with a long history of conflict based on religous, cultural and racial lines. The Dutch settled in Cape Town in order to dominate the vital trade routes with the east. Portuguese struggled to gain a foothold. British triumphed for a while. Boer fought against British. French fled persecution. Xhosa fled persecution. Zulu and Shona fled persecution. White controlled black. Apartheid was institutionalised racism.
Over all these years what did we actually fight each other for? Money and power. Power gave money – an ancient rule that still holds true today.
As a white South African male I stand astride and understand the apartheid and post apartheid era. A bit like the Soutpiel of old I have one foot mired in the past and one foot in the present.
In fact, as far as my dog is concerned I always explain her protectiveness away by saying that she is an “equal opportunity barker!”
Now dealing with my apologetic racist guilt is easy enough as I am comfortable within myself that I do treat everyone almost equally. I say almost as I apply higher standards of expected behaviour to people who cannot accuse me of being racist. This thinking, I am sure, is incorrect and unfair towards all my fellow men. But, it is a necessary survival mechanism within the climate we find ourselves. Too many people in power are quick to accuse people of being racist when it fits their nefarious agendas. The equation is simple – white people started apartheid, ergo white people are bad. The jury is still out on whether this gives the present regime license to put measures in place to strip the adherents of the former regime of wealth.
Murder has become commonplace and hardly seems to ruffle enyone’s feathers anymore, but, a good juicy racist story will instantly garner headlines with numerous column centimetres being devoted to analysis by ‘experts’ in the field of racial harmony. And, even better if that story turns the tables on any of the present regime in power.
Somewhere along the line we have lost that loving feeling (I feel like breaking into song right now!). The first five years of our democracy were wide eyed with wonder as we embraced each other’s cultures and differences and then the long hard slog to actually make a difference set in and, what did we do? We polarised everyone again. Except this time we introduced a new twist in a headlong rush for the money to go with the power and the rot started setting in.
I get the feeling that those in power expect that they are entitled to the trappings of power to the detriment of those that they should serve. Ever get the feeling that a minister is slumming it ‘with the people’ in order to get votes and not in order to actually make a difference?
Do we as a nation have to spend billions on events like the FIFA World Cup in order to become one again? Or, can that not be achieved through simple gestures of goodwill and uniting in a common goal to uplift all? Where is our next Nelson Mandela who, through simple humility and love, will lead South Africa to the promised land of harmony, ubuntu and a better life for all that we seek?
Simple question: If someone had told you 15 years ago that one of South Africa’s next presidents would be a polygamist accused of fraud and rape would you have believed them? But, we all believed that a man accused of treason and incarcerated for 27 years would become president of South Africa. What is the glaring difference between these two men? One through grace and humility has assessed the wealth and love of a grateful nation without even asking, the other appears to be grabbing and holding on to wealth whilst only giving love to lots of women.
I certainly do not want the next president of South Africa to be a rich cadre. I want to see a man of humility, a man of the people, someone with quiet steely determination, prepared to call a spade a spade and show us the benefit of uniting as one nation in order to become what we all dream. Excellence begets excellence. Be excellent at what you do and people will reward you in the long term.
