By Shireen Mukadam
I had a dream. I was lying on the grass of the Boston Commons surrounded by three new friends. A Jordanian-Syrian, studying in Australia. A Catalonian Spaniard working in Colombia. And Marube from Kenya — a 52-year-old, who has aspirations of resuming his law degree, which he commenced at 26 in 1986 and then a year later was imprisoned by Daniel arap Moi’s authoritarian regime for six years.
We had met not even five days earlier. It was the day after a mind-blowing shared experience of the Fletcher Summer Institute for the Advanced Study of Nonviolent Conflict, hosted by the International Centre on Nonviolent Conflict. We were all bound by our common humanity. Differences don’t necessarily mean divisions. Dialogue is possible. Tolerance is possible. Understanding is possible. And if all of these are possible, then peace is possible.
The week was spent learning about the history of nonviolent conflict, major concepts of nonviolent conflict including planning, strategising, coalition building, backfire, the role of the media and transitions. (For access to the presentations click here). The course drew on recent case studies of nonviolent movements from around the globe including the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, the power of Otpor in Serbia, the civil resistance movement in the US as well as South Africa’s transition from Apartheid to Democracy.
The South African case of course grabbed my attention. Throughout the course South Africa was referred to as a success story. An exemplar of nonviolent conflict, of how a civil resistance movement successfully achieved its objectives.
While I have enormous respect for this view, and do agree that yes it is formidable accomplishment that our country succeeded to formally transition relatively peacefully from a state of apartheid to democracy, I am wary of showcasing this beyond what it is.
The transition to democracy was a political transition. And a formal political transition, as we know, does not necessarily or automatically translate into the transformation of society on deeper levels, economic, social and psychological.
I am a child of the transition. I was born one year after the United Democratic Front was created in 1983, I moved schools to what was known as a “model C” school (previously white only) in January 1993 which also coincided with my family’s move away from Newfields located next to Hanover Park and Manenberg (areas to which nonwhites were relocated to following the Group Areas Act, and which now have the highest incidences of crime, gang-related violence and drug abuse in the Cape Flats) to University Estate (previously reserved for whites only).
My earliest memory of politics is the euphoria surrounding Nelson Mandela and accompanying my parents to the voting station to cast their first votes in March 1994. I was nine years old.
Today, 18 years later I look at my country, its people, leaders and I am filled with a mixture of pride, patriotism (my beaded South African flag travels with me, wherever I may go in this world, pinned to my favorite denim jacket), affinity and admiration, but also a deep sense of regret, anger, sorrow and concern: for the potential that remains.
Our domestic worker Julia who is now in her 50s travels two hours every day to get to work. To make the journey, she has to wake up before dawn, prepare her children and drop them off at a friend who will see to it that they get to school, then take a combination of a taxi and a train, before walking about 1km to reach her job. Her bread and butter. She repeats this routine on the way home in the late afternoon, and then visits various homes in the city each day of the week, five or six days a week.
Her children receive a gutter education. Arguably a similar education she would have had access to when she was a teenager in the 1970s at the height of the apartheid era. Although access to quality education is no long restricted according to race, today you can buy access to quality education. I would argue that the lines of discrimination have shifted, from race to economic wealth. Discrimination has been perpetuated, just this time it’s not race that holds the trump card.
Julia lives in in Philippi, a township of approximately 150 000 people. In her home, she does not have access to electricity nor does she have running water or her own toilet to use. She makes just enough money to sustain this cycle, and this is probably how it will continue until the end of her days.
A fatalistic view, some would argue. But it is reality. And this is the reality of many hundreds of thousands of South Africans today, 18 years later. At least she has a job, others would say.
But is this really freedom?
I would argue no.
We have a collective responsibility to contribute to creating a South Africa in which each woman, man and child is truly free. As Nelson Mandela, our democratic nation’s forefather said: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
Cartoon by Nathan Mpangala
Shireen Mukadam is passionate about South Africa, human rights, chai lattés and peacebuilding.
Shireen
You have told it like it is, well explained and thought out. It is something that I often think about and wonder for all the changes are some of them for the better?
Yes, in that there is more hamony between people, understanding and a willingness to learn, where there was none before. The youth are the ones who are showing others the way forward, unfortunately as in all places the world over we have the bad elements and that is more often seen and is an item that needs to be seen to as a matter of urgency.
You have spoken about your Char, I have had the same lady work for me one day a week for the last 20 odd yrs, she has her own home and is a pillar of strength in her community and they fight for their way of life that they have been fortunate enough to build for themselves. She has her own home and surrounded by her children and her children’s children, but one thing she has mentioned many times is although Madiba was beacon of light in bringing a nation together after he retired, things did not continue to improve and she says that in many cases they were better off under the NP……..
When I hear this I wonder, when did the promises of a rainbow nation start to dull, who is to blame and why are so many promises being made the people against each other.
I often hear the saying “never over promise and end up under delivering, rather under promise and over deliver”.
I love my adopted home and will see it through thick and thin, lean and the mean…
Well Done Shireen.
I really enjoyed reading your blog. (“,)
The Messenger of Allah said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [al-Bukhari, Muslim]
Nicely done Shireen! Proud of you!
Very nicely written!
Inspiring and thought provoking!!
Well done Shireen!
Thank you Shireen for those worlds.
That is my experience too. Why does the government not see this and resign in shame?
South Africa needs more thinkers like you Shireen. Well done. I am proud of you and proud to be South African.
Thanks Shireen. I think your thoughts on the South African case speak to broader dynamics that should be of concern to us all. Since South Africa started to transition to a post-Apartheid order, economic inequalities in South Africa have in fact increased, following a global trend. While removing discriminatory legislation is important, it does not solve all problems, which must be addressed at both national and international level. I think we all need to be concerned by raising economic inequalities and by the need to find solutions for wealth to be more fairly shared between people and nations.
well done shireen!
lots of love
Aneel
Well done Shireen!
We’re proud of you!
well done Shireen, nicely written. help me understand more about SA. hey , we have the same passion, chai latte !!
Such an inspirational read Shireen and a great eye-opener! Thank you for sharing.
Well said!
Shireen, thanks for a realistic observation packed in a positive note.
When I was young, we had a street corner discussion with friends expressing our ideas for the ideal society. An older police man passed us and overhearing the conversation, he turned back and said: “keep your ideals alive as long as you can and keep working towards achieving them”.
Being in the last quadrant of my first 100 years, I can only give you a similar advice. Don’t loose your ideals in the mud of every day’s life. Find similar minds and support each other and……use your democratic rights and privileges to make changes for the better whenever you can. Keep well and keep smiling.
Said as it is…we are both a success story and a shameful story.
Well said. Poverty still remains with crime on an escalation. A family friend was shot dead in an attempted hijacking just yesterday and I wonder to the extent of proposed change. Its all a vicious cycle… Honestly I shy away from the stark truth because it really angers me… Glad you could voice your opinion
Well written shireen , the aspects on education resonated with me , that’s what we as a society must address and soon, that’s the way to true economic emancipation and true equality.
Beautifully written, Shireen. So sad the reality of the South Africa we live in. We need to strive endlessly to make Madiba’s dream a reality for each and every South African, standing up to the obstacles in our way.
Hello Shireen
You have truly written a beautiful and moving article. South Africa from the outside (myself I can witness this) is exemplary multi racial democracy. As Desmond Tutu said, a rainbow country. He did also say that the country is on a powder keg if things do not start changing economically.
Everyone now has freedom, however easy access to basic commodities, such as education, health and wealth is a major concern. Let us hope these issues change soon so every one can have a wonderful life in your beautiful country.
Well done Shireen!
I agree with Yusuf’s comment. Equality in education is the key to solving our socio-economic problems.
Well done Shireen. I hope more people read your article.
I grew up in the Apartheid era but was a young girl at the time. I was sent to boarding school at a young age so saw nothing of what was going on. It was only when I left school that I saw what was happening to our people in South Africa. I am proud to say that I NEVER voted for the previous government and never would have.
I am deeply concerned with all the promises that our present government have yet to fulfill. One of my main concerns are the children of South Africa. I work in a Government school where over 80% of our children are African. My heart breaks for some of these kids whose parents have given up everything to educate them and yet there are still thousands in the rural areas who are still being taught under trees with no facilites. I get requests for application to our school on a daily basis from parents who are desparate to give their children a good education. Our children are our future and should be given the education they deserve to make our beautiful country into something even more beautiful.
Keep up the good work.
So sad and so true. Well written shir.
Dear Shireen,
This is an excellent article. I am fascinated about the way you describe the South Africa from today.
Married to a white Southafrican man, and after traveling to South Africa, I could perceive several feelings as a foreigner from a developing country.
I completely agree with the fact that discrimination has become economic; the same happens in Mexico, where I come from.
Even though Apartheid was abolished ‘recently’ (in historical terms), I could see that the differences between colours still prevail. As a brown Mexican woman, walking hand in hand with my husband in the streets of little towns, I could feel some ‘regards’ of the locals. I guess some of them were curious and others might have been surprised. This did not happen in Cape Town though.
Moreover I look with sadness, that the Dream of Mandela is still not interpreted with the best hopes and wishes for everyone. It disappoints me to know that many white Southafricans cannot find a job in their country.
I dear to say that counter-racism is seen nowadays as a way of ‘punishment’ for what ‘older white generations’ ‘did’ to ‘older coloured generations’.
I really wonder if the South Africa from tomorrow will really be able to overcome the shadows of the Apartheid and if the generations from today will learn to love each other as much as they all love their own land equally.
“Julia lives in in Philippi, a township of approximately 150 000 people. In her home, she does not have access to electricity nor does she have running water or her own toilet to use. She makes just enough money to sustain this cycle, and this is probably how it will continue until the end of her days.”
I worked for a boss that admitted to paying me peanuts. An admission that winded me. I decided then and there to complete my education and to help others where I could. Changing the cycle of your domestic or any other person starts with each an every one of us. Offer your domestic the chance to teach her kids some computer skills taking them out of that gutter education give them the chance to attend conferences and life altering events even better teach your domestic as well you have the resources.
At my previous job I paid for the tea lady slash cleaners computer course a measley R150. 00
Change the cycle people make a difference help, educate. You dont have to be bill gates to donate billions.
Well done Shireen
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I am very proud of you!
Salaam Shireen
Loved your article! Amazing insight for someone of your era. I love the comment re the hadith of Prophet Muhammed SAW: None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself” (al-Bukhari, Muslim) We all strive for a better life for ourselves here (and in the Hereafter) so we should strive to achieve the same for those around us as well.And there is good in even the smallest gestures/contributions when it is done with a pure intention. So well done on contribution, dont underestimate its impact! Lotsalove,N
I would argue that we are free as anyone given the right determination can become whoever they want to be, albeit easier for the wealthy. Yes it is sad that the political party in charge has done little since coming to power to really free us but I can’t help but feel it is their policies that intended to free the oppressed that has only seen them stay oppressed.
The ANC is obsessed with race and to try and make things equal they destroyed the education system plus put in place affirmative action. Firstly white education was good so why not just extend it to all and secondly a racist would rather higher no one than hire someone they are prejudiced against, so the result is semi-stagnant economy. Add to that the fact that the ANC trusts no one but themselves so this is where cadre deployment came in which has resulted in corruption – give a cheque book to someone that thanks to apartheid never had access to one and you will always get the same results. Singapore put controls in place upfront to prevent this from the word go – sadly we did not.
Fortunately our Constitution is strong and unlikely to be changed, secondly we have people like you and the DA fighting for commonsense We have the freedom to choose and while the majority continues to exercise this choice badly, I believe common sense will prevail and one day hopefully soon we will sky rocket out this hole we are digging. IF we can just find a balance beweeen capitalism and Ubuntu we will be the envy of the…
Points well made and freshly ground! From an Islamic perspective, I am afraid, we have betrayed the mission of the Prophet (saw) which was to reform the world in which we live. However, having said that, I believe that young, vibrant adults, like yourself, should brainstorm some ideas where we can impact society positively and sustainably, and see if we can all get on board and get going! After all, as a community, we have all the resources required to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Well done Shireen! I am so proud of your achievements thus far!
Dearest Shireen, Great article my friend!! I hope our “conscious” generation can now make a difference so that injustice & discrimination will no longer be part of tomorrow’s vocabulary…
Absolutely loved it! Looking forward to reading the next one
So very true, dear Shireen! “You have to be the change you want to see in the world”, and that change includes freedom from hunger, from violence, from intolerance, from injustice… And you visibly are an agent of change.
Congratulations, Shireen, and keep up the good work!
A true reflection of the reality we live in.
Well written Shireen, im proud of you.