IDENTITY AND UNITY IN SOUTH AFRICA
Categories: community
Written By: mcyb
Today we live in world where very few people if any seem to be still stuck in the dreadful ways and mindsets of the past. Many people seem or appear to have forgiven and forgotten and moved on from the sadistic ways of apartheid. Also most people appear to have healed and the scars of torture and hate have disappeared and they are now satisfied with the way things are today. But the real question is, “Are we really ready for this change that everyone keeps talking about?” Of course the answer to that lies in ones own mind. The one thing I know for sure though is that we, South Africans, will never attain and experience the true success of what unity and togetherness, in a world of uniqueness and diversity, can bring us if are still striving so hard to for distinct beliefs and identity.
Seeing the way that most South Africans lead their lives today it becomes almost impossible for one to really believe that these people are the same people who say that their proud of this country and all the things it has achieved since the beginning of change and the attainment of FREEDOM, and that they fully embrace its diversity when all that they seem to be focusing on is their identities.
Yes people appear to have learnt to come to terms with the newly found freedom and to have adapted to lead new life styles, but that is not true. South Africans have not fully embraced change and they are still leading very congregative lives. A clear example to that would that of how we live, Even though there are no longer any written signs in every toilet, shop or park, people still live in completely black and completely white areas. Schools and churches are still completely Black, White, Coloured, Indian, now tell me where is the true sense of what a rainbow nation is supposed to be in all of this? Clearly, indirectly, people are still leaving life in the olden way of apartness.
Diversity and identity with unity, do they fit together in any way? Are they bringing us together or the driving us even more apart? Of course the answer to that is not simple, but what I know is that it is possible for people of different race and cultures to come together as one take America for example, its country that has come a long way and in many ways that one they are headed to the right direction, OBAMA’S story being one of the many successes they have achieved. South Africans can do it to, as long as we can be willing to come together as a people and form an identity of our own instead having different identities. If can start to teach our children to look at people of different cultures and races and treat them with respect maybe South Africans can start to experience the true sense of what a rainbow nation really is.
June 22nd, 2009 at 5:45 am
You touch on on a very important issue. America is the example tht you gave, and certainly there are others. But since you gave this one, its important tpo note that American democarcy is a lot older than South African democarcy. America went through the abolition of slavery first and then the civil rights movement more than 40 years ago, while we only emerged from apartheid 15 years ago. I can see some changes, but agree that people are sill very much operating in their own spheres of reference. This can change and it will over time and we have to be procartive in bringing around this change. I also want to point out that the national discoursevof unity is in some ways just words, and it is now in 2009 that South Africans ARE probing and proding and talking about the disjunct between what is the ideal (the rainbow nation) and what is the reality (e.g. continued racil and class inequality, racial intoleranec and ignorance). We have a long road to travel, but nothing changes without acknowldging what is.
December 30th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I appreciate your situation. Old prejudice and fears don’t just disappear. In the US Army in World War II troops were still segregated even 80 years after the US Civil War.
In the USA people most whites and blacks are trying to live together peacefully and are shedding old ways. Much of this has come about because of the influence and mutual admiration of sucessful people in sports, politics, entertainment, education and of course the effective teaching of the Christian faith. People both black and white go to church in America and Jesus changes lives. American still has high rate of church attendence. It helps.—When you play, study, work and worship together barriors come down.
One of the most distressing things, to me, that is still holding back healing is the gangster, rap and ghetto identity of many black youngsters in the U.S. For 40 years the government welfare system and irresponsible parents have allowed teen pregnency, drug use and gang membership to increase. These factors are causing continued poverty in spite of trillions of dollars invested in bringing blacks into the mainstream. Self-inflicted poverty brought about by distorted values and unjustified resentment are keeping the racial walls up. Our prison are overflowing with mostly African American men who are pulled into gangs and become antisocial at a young age. It is heart breaking to see lives of young “gangsters” being wasted in jail. As a result we now have a small but threatening resurgence of skinheads and young white supremists. Both of these are cowardly lifestyle choices that need to be stigmatized and condemned.
Education and a rejection of self pity that blames somebody else is needed. Destructive gangster lifestyles are destroying a new generation and holding them in self imposed slavery to sex, drugs and stupidity. Young black men are impregnating girls and killing each other to prove manhood. This mentality has to change. It is insane. If you want success in Africa keep rap and gangster ethics out of your country. Don’t imitate America. It is sadly losing a generation of “gangsters” who embrace hate and alienation not education and social assimilation. Beware!