Still waiting for real meaning of Freedom Day to manifest
President must help unite nation
I AM still awaiting my Freedom Day.
I choose to ignore the irony of April 27, but rather celebrate the path it inspires to our future.
Our Freedom Day is the culmination of years of struggle and although one might label my outlook as “wishful thinking”, I believe that we, as South Africans will soon usher in a similar liberation to what was celebrated 23 years ago.
Speaking on the first anniversary of South Africa’s non-racial elections on April 27, 1995, then-president Nelson Mandela said: “The birth of our South African nation has, like any other, passed through a long and often painful process.” Can this “pain” not be regarded as our nation’s endurance of our government’s nepotism, state capture and corruption?
“The ultimate goal of a better life has yet to be realised,” Mandela continued, which holds true to every South African who harbours even a small amount of support towards the anti-Zuma marches.
I believe that South Africa is waiting on one more Freedom Day, that I as a young South African, will be privileged to witness. I consider this Freedom Day as the calm before the “storm”. The “storm” that we as South Africans have no choice but to endure. Grade 12 pupil, St Martin’s School, Rosettenville, Joburg
Ultimate goal of better life has yet to be realised… WRITE TO US
I AM a white South African male. This means that I am not necessarily the most popular kid on the playground of South Africa’s socio-political sphere.
This is not about me crying out for pity, or playing the victim card.
I am aware of my white privilege and that my white privilege means that life has handed me certain advantages on a silver platter.
But I would be lying if I never said I felt trapped by my whiteness: I am automatically assumed to be a racist because of my white skin; this in spite of the fact that I was born after apartheid.
How can this country truly become one of freedom when there has been minimal effort to create the space to allow each racial group and culture to fully be themselves, to feel comfortable in their skin and celebrate their heritage?
Scientifically speaking, the decolonised or colonised brand of it, every single human on this planet has more in common with one another than differences. Yet for some reason, we choose to divide, and still to this day, discriminate against each other based on our differences – many of them merely perceived.
Unless both black and white citizens establish a middle ground and meet each other half way, there will be no change.
White people need to make more of an effort to understand the pain of living as a black citizen in this country.
At the same time, black people need to realise that not all whites are automatically racist.
Only by establishing this middle ground, will South Africans become truly
Unless we establish middle ground there will be no change
free.
What might help too, is if our president led by example, instead of labelling everyone who doesn’t support him a racist.
He is going out of his way to deepen the divide – that’s not the way to freedom, Mr President. Grade 12 pupil, St Martin’s School, Rosettenville, Joburg