In the bad old days of strict racial separation in schools, a scuffle between two pupils was soon settled with little fuss or bother.
Just another school yard scrap between boys that an admonishing teacher would easily bring under control with handshakes and apologies.
How ironic that some 26 years later, when schools are largely multi-racial, a similar school yard scrimmage involving boys from different backgrounds often gets blown up into a race issue, with attendant media focus that distorts the incident out of all proportion.
A strict warning, a week of detention or an entry into the principal’s disciplinary black book would have sufficed.
But the times have changed.
By juxtaposing these two schoolboy scenarios, I’m simply asking questions that should be on the minds of South Africans.
It’s a given that having to deal with our painful past is an absolute imperative. But it’s also important to ask whether we are going about our task in a manner that helps promote social cohesion and a greater understanding among people of different communities.
Are we doing enough to promote social cohesion or are we being sucked into a dangerous obsession with race?
That’s not to say we’re going soft on racists. On the contrary, those hardened and unrepentant bigots who persist in using derogatory and racially divisive language and hate speech must be brought to book.
Apart from the highly-publicised cases of Penny Sparrow, Velaphi Khumalo, Vicky Momberg and Adam Catsavelos, two more cases of crude racism emerged recently with the crimen injuria convictions of a Johannesburg mother, Marie Basson and Port Elizabeth retiree, Dianne Horwitz for use of the k-word.
In fact, the judge in one of those cases has recommended the government consider setting up a register for race offenders - just as we do with sexual offenders.
Acting high court judge Victor Nqumse said the purpose would be to enter the details of those “who relentlessly treat the foundational values that underpin our constitution with disdain” and who undermine efforts to build a non-racial society.
Give the judge a Bell’s! We cannot allow racists in our society to destroy our dream of a non-racial South Africa.
But at the same time, we should be wary about allowing race to be used for irresponsible or mischievous ends.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Prominent and highly respected figures in the KZN community came together recently to form the UKZN education crisis committee out of genuine concern for the huge structural and reputational damage on the local campus.
But what did they get in response to their well-intentioned intervention? The head of the university’s convocation executive, Fanie Sibisi raising irrelevant questions about the racial composition of the group.
Those weren’t Indians, Africans, coloureds or whites on the crisis committee. They were South Africans.