Racism needs to be confronted
SOUTH Africa has experienced an unhealthy barrage of racist incidents that have grabbed national headlines over the festive period. It seems that such sentiments lurk deeply below the façade of our society, rearing its head with little provocation.
It is clear that race continues to define us and that the reconciliation project of the 1990s has had little purchase in the deeper reaches of our cultural and social structures.
I unreservedly condemn racism in all its forms and call on South Africans to commit to building a truly transformative culture.
Last year, leading online publications closed down their comments sections due to racist, misogynist, homophobic and other discriminatory comments. These incidents reflect a deeper social malaise which the Nelson Mandela Foundation believes is unravelling the post-apartheid project. Of concern are the anonymous faces behind social media platforms that clearly have something to say. It indicates that we haven’t created the forums or structures to allow health discourses.
Deep-rooted structures of power, privilege and belief remain largely in place profoundly reinforcing stereotypes which affects social interactions. This is fed relentlessly by continued inequality which secures economic and social power in the hands of a minority.
The dilemma for many South Africans is balancing the right to free speech with the imperative to eliminate racist and other forms of hate speech. Do we criminalise such speech as Germany has done with Holocaust denialists? Or do we try to change cultures and belief systems through dialogue?
We must draw on the wisdom of Madiba, who said: “In the end, reconciliation is a spiritual process, which requires more than just a legal framework. It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people.”
There is no panacea for the challenge posed by systemic racism. It has to be fought on multiple fronts, including the transformation of the economic and social structures that underpin inequality. Both structures and individuals need to be challenged. Robust dialogue is essential to hear and engage the sentiments expressed, sometimes anonymously, on social media on the need for undertaking the action required.
The Foundation is well aware that after 22 years of democracy, progress towards a more equal society has been too slow. We need fresh strategies and imaginative mediation mechanisms to overcome the scourge of racism. The establishment of the Anti-Racism Network of South Africa (ARNSA) is one appropriate response. In March 2016 ARNSA will promote an antiracism week to underpin its commitment to build the South Africa of our dreams.
I call on South Africans to engage with each other with a greater sense of appreciation and desist from hate speech and violence. Let us challenge racism wherever we encounter it.
Madiba once said: “If there is one lesson we can learn from the struggle against racism … it is that racism must be consciously combated, and not discreetly tolerated. ”