SPECIAL GUEST ARTICLE - THE END OF APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA

SPECIAL GUEST ARTICLE *EXCLUSIVE*

The end of Apartheid in South Africa, namely the end of formal segregation, left the vast majority of South African’s in shambles. A large part of the failure of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), as well as the Mandela negotiations was that these negotiated settlements focused on peace and reconciliation, and not accountability. Accountability regarding white privilege.  White South Africans largely benefitted from and continue to benefit from Apartheid whether they supported it or took a firm stance against it. Only a few perpetrators of gross human rights violations were made to account for Apartheid in South Africa. It was a big mistake we made. 

The notion of a ‘Rainbow Nation’ is an absolutely farce claim. Black South Africans have democratic freedom and nothing else. To put it into perspective, black people make up 80% of the South African populous, whilst white people make up almost 9% of the population. The legal and institutional structure of our economy is rooted in Apartheid, which aimed to benefit white people and exclude black people entirely. Black South Africans were seen as the lowest of the low on the racial hierarchy. 

This is the reason why the average black South African, earns six times less that the average white person. This is further supported by the fact that South Africa has the highest GINI coefficient in the world- an index of the distribution of wealth.  The issue of inequality is exacerbated by the black elite, who are in cahoots with the historical oppressor. Most recently, this was personified by the Marikana mine massacre. This is also shown by the members of the ANC government pussyfooting around basic issues such as land redistribution- the land which was stolen by Europeans needs to be returned to black South Africans, and it makes no sense that this hasn’t been done so.

The black elite are also given small positions on boards by the historical oppressor, to keep quiet regarding reforms that need to be made. It will take grassroots work to facilitate a new struggle. Indeed, I believe that a new struggle will take place sooner rather than later, and it will be the black working class who will facilitate such. The majority of South Africans, whom are black South Africans, cannot continue to live in the deplorable conditions that they do.

One day the truth will come out and people will realise why the real political giants of the struggle like Steve Biko and Robert Sobukwe were silenced, whilst people such as Mandela continue to be messiah-fled.

By NTOMBI NKIWANE