South African Epilogue

As I did with Morocco, I wanted to reflect on my time in South Africa. Here goes...

South Africa is an amazingly beautiful place in so many ways. I fell in love with the country from the beginning. The country enjoys the best of so many things from other parts of the world that I value: The weather, the wildlife, the coastline, the surfing and the propensity toward 'Braai'ing' (barbequeing) from Australia; the vaste expanses of beautiful wilderness of Canada, the colonial architecture and democratic/judicial institutions of Europe. And beyond this, these lucky bastards get to enjoy so much more: an immensely rich ethno-cultural diversity and history that not even Europeans, let alone Canadians, typically understand. There are 11 official languages in South Africa, and a heck of a lot more ethnic groups with their own proud traditions that go back millenium.

I've come to really enjoy the S.A. accent with its lingo - 'hectic' (crazy), 'howzit?' (how's it going?), 'it's all cocked up' (screwed up) and 'hey brew' (bro, or brother). African time is something I've very patiently had to deal with but have come to accept. If you set something for 10am, expect it to happen at 11 or 11:30am. Regrettably, the beer absolutely sucks here.

I am very fortunate to have picked up the book "A History of South Africa", by Leonard Thompson. He is a white South African, but that didn't stop Archbishop Desmond Tutu from endorsing his book as a compassionate, balanced look at such a tricky subject. Although I'm only halfway through the text, it's given me a much better understanding of what I would call one of the most fascinating histories in the world.

I look at South Africa with deep sadness but with an even greater optimism. The country and its people have suffered immensely. Millenia prior to white colonization, certain groups (San hunter-gatherers) were oppressed by others (Bantu-speaking farmers). Slavery was instituted after the Europeans' arrival. As white pioneers spread East, tragic wars were fought between Black and White, and ethnic hierarchies were imposed. Black tribes began killing each other. Dutch and British fought wars with each other. Eventually, whites consolidated power over what became modern South Africa, however unlike in North America or Australia, whites never made up more than 20% of the total population. Tragically, the result was that whites continually lived in a state of unease that brought about apartheid, a system that robbed non-whites of all political power and material wealth.

In my opinion it should NOT have taken this long to eliminate apartheid. At the same time, that should not take away from the immensely heartening progress that has been made in 14 short years. Racism still exists. Of course it does. It exists in the black woman working the bus station that refused to deal with me. It exists in the white man that gave the black parking attendant the finger for no apparent reason in front of my eyes when the attendant tried to talk to the driver. It's been entrenched in this society for hundreds of years and it's ugly.

But goddamnit that should not take away from the amazing kindness and love between black and white that I have witnessed over the last 4 weeks. When I smile at a black African, she smiles back with all her heart. When I offer my hand, he takes it without hesitation and with vigour. I have felt welcome everywhere I went. The golden rule is alive and well in this country. When you treat someone like you want to be treated, you reap the rewards.

The wounds of the past are healing before my eyes in this country. It's plain as day to me. South Africa has a long way to come. But still, I consider the way it is repairing its society as a model for change that any country would be wise to adopt. Let me illustrate...

As I mentioned in my last post, I was uplifted by an experience I had today at the District 6 Museum. Two groups of school children were on a field trip there (I'd say grade 5s, all male and the most aryan looking children I have ever seen. Seriously there were only 2 non blondes out of 50). These very well behaved children sat on the floor in front of the 'non-white' guide from the museum, listening intently to him speak about Apartheid, politics and racism, with questions flowing both ways.

I, in turn, stood off to the side for about 10 minutes, also mesmerized by this profound dialogue that was happening before my eyes. The intelligence and understanding in the answers being given was remarkable. I wish I could remember the particulars, but I recall that these 12 year old boys had schockingly good understanding of the country's dark past, of equality and of justice. At the same time, clearly the (now black controlled) education curriculum had not made them to feel guilty or ashamed about it. My faith in humanity was uplifted in that 10 minutes, to know that we as human beings can come such a long way in such a short time (only 14 years since the end of Apartheid).

Another important topic is the large Afrikaaner population in the country. These are the original white pioneers of dutch origin. I am torn between loving and hating these people. In one sense I am saddened because I get the sense that they are still deeply resentful of equality for non-whites and long for the good ol' days of Apartheid. I sense this especially in the older generation but it also exists in those that are university aged. I read a newspaper story the other day about several Afrikaaner kids making a youtube video of them forcing black students and cleaning staff to drink 'urine-soup' to protest integration of black and white in the same dormatories. I still can hardly believe this kind of shit still exists in the world.

On the other side of the coin, I greatly admire and relate to what I've heard termed the 'White Tribe of Africa' (Afrikaaners). These are people who fled religious persecution in Europe to build a better life for themselves on a very inhospitable frontier. Much like the Quebecois, they persevered against incredible odds and to this day have a strong heritage, are fiercely proud of their language And yet these people allowed Africa to shape them into something unique of their past. An incredibly fascinating people.

Because my best efforts to stay concise have failed, I'll leave it here. I love this beautiful country, and encourage you to visit if you ever have the chance. I know I will be back someday...