Is The Rainbow Nation Just A Myth?
January 10, 2010 by Nzinga Qunta
Guest Column: Nzinga Qunta.
Last week a Reverend Theunis Botha started a Twitter and IOL comments storm when he said that Jacob Zuma’s marriage was taking us back to the dark ages. I don’t know why everyone is acting shocked because we live in a country where although Black people are in the majority, “Black” things are considered, primitive, ridiculous, and uncivilized. These include natural hair (that’s another blog though) seeing a sangoma, worshipping your ancestors, and polygamy. People were furious, but, as usual, in three days, the righteous anger will die down because Black people don’t do anything except talk about how angry they are. This for me is a bigger problem than the offensive comments of the Reverend.
Black people seem to have the same conversations at braai’s, parties, and gatherings. There are angry discussions about the constant onslaught of racism that they experience. They are bankers, scientists, lawyers, gardeners, taxi drivers. The discussions are passionate, valid and true but pointless as they rarely leave the circles they are discussed in.
Post 1990 my view of Black and White interaction is that Black people have taken a deferential public position. Like: “ Yes you raped, stole land and put us in townships, homelands, and tortured some of our brightest minds….but we forgive you”. There has never been a proper public conversation, debate about the crimes that white society (I’m lumping white people together because Apartheid was something that was for their benefit) inflicted on black society. There has never been an acknowledgement by white society that a government that they voted in, continually, made sure that black people lived in disgusting, inhumane, violent conditions. And this is the problem. Black people are angry’, and White people are like “what, we gave you the government and look what you’ve done with it? Crime, BEE and stealing” (I’m being glib but you get my point).
South Africans may have a different government but people’s prejudices and superiority complexes remain, and to raise an issue about them often gets one called “bitter” with ” a chip on your shoulder” “stuck in the past”.
Our society was told that Apartheid was over and now, we were a rainbow nation, living harmoniously together and loving each other as equals. This is obviously not the case, and our lack of understanding of one another is increasingly showing up in the media and interactions people have with one another.
I think our problem in South Africa is that white society has been conditioned to view Black people as less than, other, simple. And giving respect does not factor easily into that. This is why we have incidences like the Gareth Cliff, Manto Twitbeef. (which is another blog).While I respect people’s rights to share their views I believe that these should be done in a respectful manner.
I also believe that it is possible to have a debate without degenerating into hate speech, name calling and the ugliness that is so often disguised as debate (read the comments section in the Times online to see what I mean).
South Africans have unfortunately not gotten to this point and therefore when people of different races disagree; it ends up leaving both sides with more anger and racial prejudice than understanding.
We need to get to a point where if a comment is offensive, we debate, rationally, why it is offensive and get to a point where even though we may not agree, we come away with an understanding of both parties. So if we were to address the reverend on his comments we would say:
“Dear Reverend, while we understand that you are a Christian, and believe polygamy is taking us back to the dark ages, please understand that not everybody shares your belief system. By dismissing it as other, less than and primitive, you are being offensive and disregarding someone’s way of life because you don’t believe in it. By trying to dictate how someone should live, you are disrespecting a way of life that people have practiced for a long time.”
And so on. Instead, the debate on the comments section of the article is littered with comments like ‘primitive Africans, want to take western bribes and live their “culture” ‘ and ‘go back to Europe’, ‘piss off I’m not from Europe’, ‘you are being a donkey’ and so on. Funny, but not getting anyone closer to understanding one another.
We need to find a way of engaging in debate that brings us closer to understanding that we are different people, we can’t impose each other’s way of life onto one another but we should just respect the differences. Unfortunately what I feel tends to happen is that deference and forgiving, without accountability is showcased and applauded as you are not a cheeky native (ask Professor Jansen).
It would be a great day in South Africa when we can debate an issue that we disagree on in a rational, intellectual manner. We don’t seem to have reached that point, and knee jerk reactions, stereotyping and name calling persist.
Here is my two cents on the issue:
If Black people continue to accept racist innuendo from mainstream media, their bosses, neighbours and randoms, they have to stop complaining about it. We don’t have to accept or agree each others practices. The problem in South Africa is that the lingering disdain of people’s culture has been given a powerful voice and people do not challenge that voice. By allowing that voice to go unchallenged, you are validating it.
You may think that’s ok as you know better but the history that your grandchildren will be reading will be one that portrays you as other, less than, simple, thieving and primitive. And you may be ok with that but I am not. The next time you see something unsavoury, offensive, write a letter, do a petition, engage and complain about it (and no an angry twitter post and Facebook update don’t count).
By Nzinga Qunta ©
_______________________________________________________
ABOUT NZINGA:
Nzinga is a South African Model, TV presenter, soon to be hotshot Lawyer and owner of gossip & entertainment website www.Jucy.co.za. She previously hosted Oboma on Channel O and is currently the host of social adventure reality show, Imagine Afrika on SABC 1.
You can get in touch with her via the following, & oh, we’ve also heard that her site is looking for writers so hit her up!
Sbozh on Sun, 10th Jan 2010 11:52 pm
I read the comments too, they just make a farce of the whole Rev. issue because of insults. Superiority complex will be hard to address because being equal means BEE, only then you receive some shred of fake respect. Even my subordinates seem to think university degree is also part of window dressing.
GA on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 4:15 am
Interesting i read this article just after watching Sarafina…on youtube:-( and reading some of the comments there was much like the Times online comments.
Im also busy reading Steve Biko’s i write what i like…and reading the article reminded me of something he wrote. Some may argue tht is is extreme relative to the article or even our times, but based on what i have observed it is still very much relevant.
“..But the type of black man we have today has lost his manhood. Reduced to an obliging shell he looks with awe at the white power structure and accepts what he regards as the ‘inevitable position’. Deep inside his anger mounts at the accumulating insults, but he vents in the wrong direction……..In the privacy of his toilet his face twists in silent condemnation of white society but brightens up in sheepish obedience as he comes out hurrying in response to his master’s impatient call. In the home-bound bus or train he joins the chorus that roundly condemns the white man but is first to praise the governemnet in the presence of the police or his employers…..This is the truth, bitter as it may bseem, we have to acknowledge before we can start on any programme designed to change the status quo…”
At the end of the day actions do speak louder than words. CONSTRUCTIVE ACTIONS THAT IS. The onus is on us to defend our humanity (unfortuntely we have to), culture and history (the positive part that is fading into obsCurity in favour of western culture). So that the next generation will have have a strong sense of who they are even as they compete in the global busineness/busy-ness.
Otherwise as you say Nzinga, “..the history that your grandchildren will be reading will be one that portrays you as other, less than, simple, thieving and primitive..” the major implication of which will be self hate.
uberVU - social comments on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 8:27 am
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by Anddiswa: RT @JustCuriousZA Is The Rainbow Nation Just A Myth? http://bit.ly/6nqzv1...
Raymond Maboe on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 10:17 am
I totally agree with You!
Last week i started a debate on Leon Schusters comedy and it was interesting to see the replies that i got. Non of my white friends participated, i think it is because they were scared that their opinions might be construed as racism. Black peoples views ranged from “Its just comedy” to “He’s a racist and mocking black people”.
I think that we have to debate the issues in order to move forward.
If we dont acknowledge the problems than how can we solve them.
Naomi on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 12:55 pm
Interesting read, in deed.I agree with you fully, this whole “rainbow” nation thing is a myth.Its all just a front and I don’t know if we South Africans are trying to convince ourselves or the reat of the world that the whole thing is working.It obviously is not, and probably never will work.Look I am a young, black female and to be honest, I know as much about apartheid as the stories we hear about and read about.I have no bone to pick with any white person, not do I want to rape or even kill white people, but white people carry on like I am some monster who is out there to destroy them! I have soooooo much going on in my life, I am on this planet for a much bigger purpose that to “take from them”! I am making my own, and do not feel entitled to anything that they have obtained, which ever way they obtained it.Likewise, a lot of people will say that makgowa are making things difficult for them, makgowa are racist, makgowa are pretentious blah blah, I say enough it enough! People of all races (yes that includes white males too) roll back your sleeves and work!!! Black brothers, should stop hanging out in the corner waiting for a job to come to them and start working on earning a living! Sometimes I think the white people are just bitter that things don’t “just happen” for them anymore, they actually have to sweat for things to happen, and batho ba rona are sooooo busy complaining about ish that went down in 19-voetsek they can’t even see the countless opportunities that are passing them by!!!
GA on Mon, 11th Jan 2010 1:46 pm
yo!…well said Naomi.
In my very wide circle of friends who are mostly in engineering,commerce and Law, i know for a fact that we all worked very hard to be where we are now. Yet we are being made to feel like we got everything on a silver platter. My friends and i laughed at how at first we all focused on getting our qualifications undre hard conditions and on the first year of working, most hustled to get their drivers licences (ALL ON OUR OWN) and eventually bought rides , which we have to finance our self. And yet there is this self pitying tendency ya mkakgowa were they feel like we were given all this things.
Most complain that they are ALL being prejudiced for the faults of their fathres or forefathers, which may have grounds because sometimes when u think back or when u are suffering the concequences of apartheit which most people still are, the next white person you come across will remind you that it was either for them or because of them that things are hard for you.
Yet at the same time when they do cry about reverse racism, its all black people who are being painted. The xenophobic attacks…ist all balck people..you blacks this and that.
God i pray for wisdom for all our people. Wisdom is informed by knowledge,so maybe if all people took time to learn about everything,even the things that we are uncomfortable to hear or learn,we’d have a more objective view of issues,especially the touchy ones and maybe the ridculous insults that are being hurled go bo times online and ko di braaing will be progressive….
Jay Q on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 8:22 am
we can post lng comments complaining and being intellectual but the moment we start mentioning color we being racist ourselves.when someone writes an article on what he thinks dnt look @ race rather analyse their opinions in a normal and unbiased manner
Naomi on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 10:54 am
Jay Q, so should we pretend that South Africa is not black and white when it so obviously is?? Does the face that I refer to white people as “white people” make me racist? I also refer to black people as “black people” that’s just how it always has been and always will be.I can say something positive about white people and still say something positive about black people…That’s just how it is, it doesn’t make me racist that I specify the race of the person.We see each other in terms of colour and I don’t blame anyone for it.That’s just how it is, South Africa is black and white and that’s just a reality that we can’t just wish away…
Fruity on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 1:00 pm
The writer wrote: “I don’t know why everyone is acting shocked because we live in a country where although Black people are in the majority, “Black” things are considered, primitive, ridiculous, and uncivilized”
people cannot help but ridicule us and our ‘things’ because we are the ones distancing ourselves from them. I know for a fact that it is not just the reverend– (who just happened to be white) who was commenting about JZ’s marriage. Worse things have been said about that issue by black people who happen to be zulu and swati. Why am i mentioning Zulu’s and swati’s specifically? because it is in their culture to have isthembu(sp).and if they knew their culture they would have known that it is part and parcel of who they are, assuming that people regard their culture as their heritage.
If those who practise their things can do them openly and proudly then there wont be a reason for other people to criticize us but if we hide in a corner and feel ashamed or if we make other people who paractise their culture to feel inferior then that is how the world will view us.
Nzinga on Tue, 12th Jan 2010 1:56 pm
Sbozh: I honestly dont think BEE means being equal. I think that we are equal and dont need anything to be equal. When it comes to work do you *shine on your degree* If you work hard, are good at what you do and know you have a plan, it doesnt matter that people with prejudice think of you as less than. Just shine, thats the best thing. There will always be negativity, if anything use that as fuel for excellence. You cant argue with fools, people from a distance cant tell who is who
Naomi: Thank you, valid points, but I think that events that happened in “19 voestek”still affect people today. The reason that a lot of people cant find work and or oppurtunities is because they were (and still are) denied basic oppurtunities. Its hard to think when you have no food security, basic shelter, no electricity and education, which is a proble a large majority of our county is still facing. I’m not saying Apartheid must take full responsibility for these type of people, but it played a huge rule in where they are and their mental state now.
GA: nicely put.
JAY Q: Unfortunately in South Africa race plays a huge role in people’s lives, their histories. You cannot put race aside as you will be saying that the majority of poor black people are like that because they are lazy and we all know that is not the case. History and its effects do not go away because we wish them away or dismiss them. And if you read the Rev’s comments, imo, those are the views of a racist hiding behind Christianity dismissing Black practises as primitve.
Fruity: *co-sign* on being proud of the things you do and not hiding them
Thanks for the feedback guys!