Movie misses opportunity
I WATCHED Krotoa at the Labia on Saturday evening and left deeply disturbed; so much so that I still struggle to articulate why I feel this way, but here is my attempt to do so.
Krotoa should address, or at least include, the major issues requiring action in our country at present; the land issue, Khoisan identity and the colonial genocide and institutional racism flowing from colonial supremacist attitudes still prevalent in Cape Town and South Africa.
Also, the issue of the rainbow elite’s capture by capitalism and the classist narrative, which allows a nominal democracy for the rich but no justice for the poor, and has become no less than phase three colonialism, after the first English phase, and the second Afrikaans phase up to 1994.
For me it is shocking in that it presents more of the colonial-centric narrative as to how settler colonists established ourselves in Cape Town.
I am disappointed it has not received wider coverage in the press, and I suggest it should, and urge your reporters to address this.
We really need to start focusing on the situation we find ourselves in, and it starts in Hoerikwaggo (Khoi Cape Town) in 1500.
The English and Afrikaans community remains largely seduced by the colonial narrative, and it’s time we all faced and discussed the actual facts.
The indigenous Khoisan experienced a genocide at the hands of first Dutch then English governments, and the successive governments have been based on the threat of violence and loss of life, right up to now.
Our society has become distorted by this threat of violence, and largely characterises the classist narrative of some people, or tribes, being “better” than others, which is the Western colonial view .
Even Afrikaans Capetonians who might have more than 75% Khoisan DNA feed into this colonial narrative, showing how well this narrative has succeeded.
Krotoa needs wide discussion by all aspects of South African society.
I feel it continues the abuse and manipulation based on violence of the local Khoisan descendants.
Until we address the issues of inequality, institutional racism and poverty resulting largely from the colonial model, we can’t proceed to build a new great country that we wish for.