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WAFTER THOUGHTS GUESVTIWLARNITEER

RITING makes me oddly happy because it speaks to the reality of Africans and supports one of the theories I believe strongly continue to live with us even today. Being African is stigmatised and is not only a racial issue, but it is also a hub for marginalisation because of the stereotypes who live on in different forms post colonialism.

This week social media took a jab at what was a beautiful mirror of what it means to be African and glorifies the diversity of Africans through Dr Qwabe.

Impressed

This is the sensational doctor who has impressed many with his charisma and ownership of being a‘kasi gent’ in a space bombarded with social norms of caucasity. Taking what we presume to be a caucus role and owning it in one of the many diverse faces of Africanism, which is the lifestyle

of ‘lokshion’ culture and embracing it, putting a spin with what we associate of this culture into his every day life and what he does.

However, it is also important to note that this in no way dictates as to his level of professionalism and how great he actually is in his job. The worst part is that these things become a basis of his professionalism and thus there is the bubble that determines the depth and level of Africanism that is allowed.

Strategy

There is a basic strategy that is the foundation of all things and because of this, we want to dictate how much is okay and how much we can allow and when these things do not fit into the constraints of what we think is best we become oppressive. As it is this is the same with the passionate Dr, whose job became nullified and his qualifications questioned based on his outfit and his background, because nothing good can come out of the ‘lokshin’ and so everyone belonging there is already classified. They are classified and packed into categories of waywardness and many terms of criminal activities, that nothing good can come out of this place and so anyone who refuses to let go of and accept Caucasian ways is not welcome to be anything else.

It is because of this controversy that I thought of how the character of a black person is measured by what they wear, not only that, but their intelligence, occupation, wealth and entire identity is minimised to what they wear. When you are walking in the street and you see a man with a folded bucket hat and the first thought is that he is a criminal and will likely mug you so you hide your phone. When you

see your woman going to the shop in a mini skirt and a crop top then she is a prostitute. So basically what she wears, what she does is the equivalent of who she is and thus there is a huge gap that favours the fact that anything that is African is based on the rules and regulations of modernity and Caucasian norms.

The only way that a man or woman can be accepted as an African is for them to be African, but in a Caucasian way, which means only being African through the tone of your skin, but behaving and acting with as little bit of culture and Africanism as always.

Dismiss

The fact that everyone was quick to dismiss a man who is a great doctor on social media for the mere fact that his English is not fluent, his clothes are not the definition of ‘professional’ in the books of society and so he is underserving. He is undeserving of his job, his qualifications, and must not be allowed to treat patients because how dare he be a typical man from ekasi to become a success in a space that is only reserved for the tongue swirling majority?

This is the problem that we have become so accustomed to Americanised things and rules that we hate anything we are born from. It is also because of this that we disassociate ourselves from fellow Africans and glamourise Caucasus living as a definition of luxury. It is okay for an African man to be successful, but only if they move to the suburbs and stop speaking their mother tongue, otherwise we come guns blazing and ready to question that success if they choose not to do so.