Independent Media, through its Young Independents initiative, has partnered with Buti Manamela, deputy minister in the Presidency for Monitoring & Evaluation, to host a series of dialogues called Backchat, in which young people (18-25) meet to discuss some of the country’s |most pressing problems. In the opinion pieces, participants give their views on the challenges of racism and reconciliation.
Gugu Malope
REIMAGINING a non-racial, non-sexist, free and equal South Africa; I think it must be the most refreshing and motivating statement I have heard in a long time.
It is a statement that evokes a deeply rooted hope for the future of South Africa in any patriot. If this were to come to be, we would be ridding our land of many of its ills perpetuated by history and we would consciously decide to move into a place of discomfort in the aim of finally reaching our South African utopia.
But in order to reach this point, South Africa and all its inhabitants needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and see not only the beauty of the rainbow nation but the open wounds, unhealed stitches and below-the-surface bruises that are blanketed by our progressive constitution and the lyrics “in South Africa our land”.
Racism and racial inequality is an ideology, principle and lifestyle that is frowned upon by many and by our constitution, but it is unfortunately a harsh reality of the experiences of many South Africans today. In contemporary society we see the racial construct as a means to separate South Africans but also as a method of exclusion from the wealth of our land.
Colonisation and apartheid set the tone for racial inferiority complexes and superiority complexes, coupled with economic inequality based on race. The foundation set by these regimes set the perfect playing field in South Africa for a racial tug-of-war and an endless race to emancipation.
A failed land reform policy, failed empowerment initiatives and a struggling economic and education system have tipped the scales in favour of one race and, by the lottery of life, the disempowerment of the other. In our South African utopia where these ills have finally been cured, race becomes an identity and heritage. It is no longer a tool of segregation and modern-day oppression.
In this setting, by virtue of one’s race, one no longer has more access to imperative resources than the other. Furthermore, the aftermath of history and its implications on one’s life according to one’s race is no longer a determinant of one’s circumstances in democratic South Africa.
In our ideal South Africa, there is no place for sexism. In any case, one’s sex should not be the defining factor of one’s abilities, remuneration or how far they may go in pursuing their dreams and passions. Patriarchy has been a highly corrosive agent to the development and health of South Africa. It has been the catalyst for correctional rape against women in the LGBT community. Patriarchy has been the door that closed off women to industries such as engineering, mining and science.
Sexism in South Africa has young girls scared of walking in shorts through Johannesburg’s Bree Street taxi rank during the day. Sexism has shackled some of the minds of the men in the LGBT community to thinking that their sexuality defies the standards of masculinity. Sexism, like race, has been a tool to segregate and to make certain groups in South Africa inferior.
In order to finally root out sexism we need to look back at our traditions and customs, and see the sexism they have taught us. We finally need to enforce equality and an attitude of tolerance and acceptance through all our communities. Lastly, like race, one’s sex needs to be an identity and nothing more or less.
Never an indicator of one’s intelligence or abilities but always a reminder of heritage or an indicator for statistical use.
Equality is a highly debated issue within the South African context. You can never pin it on socio-economic dynamics or just recognition of all people as equal in society. It encompasses all of these issues and the nuances in between. Equality would entail that every young woman like me have access to higher education in any form she would wish to pursue.
Equality would mean that the education provided in the town of Modimolle, Limpopo, is of the same standard as that given in Sandton, Gauteng. Equality of all citizens means that a standardisation of all public service provider sectors takes place. That no matter your location in South Africa your access to education, health care, water and sanitation is of a good quality as it is a basic need and right of all people.
Equality would mean levelling the playing field for small and medium enterprises to be able to compete and thrive in the South African economy. Their prosperity would not be deterred by bureaucratic systems or the institutionalised monopolisation of certain industries. In order for this to be achieved, a stronger sense of urgency needs to be established in South Africa for the provision of these needs. The leadership of the country on all levels, from community-based organisations to national government, need to be held accountable for their responsibilities and failures to deliver to the people of South Africa.
As a young person I believe that as refreshing and hopeful the sounds of a reformed South Africa may be, it is not possible without the rigorous involvement of the South African youth. The #FeesMustFall movement is a clear indication that the youth of today do not fulfil the stereotype that we are uninformed and unconscious of issues surrounding us. Rather we are the same youth that can use the racial construct as a tool of unification and as a means of a shared identity and strength to work against the confines of race.
We are the same youth that defied the norms of feminism being confined to women, but rather as an all-inclusive ideology against sexism in society. But most importantly we are the same youth that will lead while we are young. We will fight inequality from all levels. We will breed a set of leaders rooted in accountability, honour and integrity as well as servant leadership.
Our obligation as the youth was never to attain democratic freedom, but it has always been to fully exploit democratic freedom to heal South Africa and finally make it our own.
l Join the conversation. Go to stopracism.iol.co.za
l Malope, 19, is a student at the University of the Witwatersrand