Even after 8 months of living in South Africa, I still struggle to wrap my head around the histories and complexities of Apartheid. A government that forcibly discriminated against its people based on race. Apartheid is an Afrikaans word meaning, “separateness or a state of being apart.” For nearly 50 years, Apartheid was the government’s law of racial segregation. During Apartheid you were classified into one of four categories according to your skin color: White, Indian, Coloured, or Black. Your classification then determined everything in your life:
-your voting rights
-where you lived
-where you could or could not travel
-where you went to school (if at all) and what you could study
-where you could work (if at all) and what work you could do
-who you could marry
-where you worshipped
-what toilets you could use
-what public transport you took
-what cemetery you could bury your relatives who’ve passed
And the list could go on.
And if you did not comply with these laws and were caught, you could have been beaten, arrested, or killed. Even for the simplest infraction like not having your identification book with you.
Everyday I witness the wounds still struggling to heal from Apartheid, and the scars that will forever be left behind. I live in a township that is about 45 minutes from Pretoria (town), the nation’s capital. A township where black people were forced to live outside the city. A place where even today, you very rarely see white people walking on the street or speaking the local language. A place where jobs are not, and if you don’t have a car you pay for public transport everyday to get to and from work in town. I listen to stories of people in my community. Of people recalling getting beaten for being seen in town. Recalling not having freedom to have a job or discriminated against based on race and language in the workplace. In town, I’m shown an old “white only church,” that has a sounding alarm that was used during Apartheid to warn people to duck under pews because police are firing at black people being seen in the area.
On of my dearest friends in Mabopane, William, has taught me so much about apartheid through his life stories. William is the kind of friend who can sit with you outside with a glass of water and talk with you for hours. He tells me his stories of growing up, of working, and knowing Apartheid his whole life (71 years in fact!) And there’s one story that I will never forget, one he has given me permission to share with you all:
When William was about 15, he and some of his friends were going to town after school. When they were there, they were stopped by three guys asking what they had in their bags. They told them they just had books. And the three guys responded, “You’re a baboon, baboons can’t read.” Then the guys started to fight William and his friends. An older white man came up to them asking what they were fighting about, saying to William and his friends, “You shouldn’t be here anyways, go back to the farms where you belong.”
But he never said anything against those men’s verbal and physical abuse. He never wished ill of them. And when I asked him why, he said, “We can’t blame each other. It was the government that set these rules to separate us.” He reminds me that, “Before there was no freedom, but it’s better now. If it were Apartheid, you and I wouldn’t get to be here talking about life together.” I sat in awe of his positivity and unwavering hope for the people of his country. “It was tough, but God was with us.” My respect for him is beyond words.
And this is just scratching the surface. There are still so many stories not shared, issues and facts of Apartheid, like gang rape, torture, unlawful arrests, murder, hazardous living conditions, stripping of identity and dignity, acts of dehumanization, and again the list could go on.
So many people lost their lives fighting for freedom from Apartheid in South Africa. And today we celebrate those lives.
Today, April 27th, 2018, we celebrate Freedom Day in South Africa. On this day 24 years ago, South Africa held its first post-Apartheid democratic election. These elections were the first time anyone over the age of 18 from any race group were allowed to vote. Before 1994, only white citizens had the right to vote in South Africa. On this day, Nelson Mandela was elected president. On this day, all people of South Africa had the right to their voice. And in the words of Nelson Mandela:
“As dawn ushered in this day, the 27th of April 1994, few of us could suppress the welling emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation; the great possibilities that we now have; and the bright future that beckons us. And so we assemble here today, and on other parts of the country, to mark a historic day in the life of our nation. Wherever South Africans are around the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future.”
Our hearts beat as one.
And even though we celebrate today, we undoubtedly still have a lot to learn about Apartheid. It is important to note that even though Apartheid has ended, it does not mean that the work is done in South Africa. Apartheid wasn’t just a pesky scab that was ripped off and thrown away. There are still many steps to take toward equality. Today South Africa is going through the repercussions of Apartheid, what many like to call an “economic apartheid.” Unemployment is at an all time high, recorded at 27% in 2017. If you have time check out this article, it touches on these some of these economic issues South Africans face today:
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/10/24/business/south-africa-economy-apartheid.html
I most certainly am not by any means an expert. Please take time to read, do your research, and listen.
Walking Together 