BlackBoldVoice

I recently had a heated debate with my blood about divisions within our nation but more specifically racial divisions. We were arguing about how much apartheid slowed down black development. Yes we may say apartheid is over but we are still affected by it. Any black person will tell you that they have had to work hard, it’s like we are born into work. You work hard to get yourself out of your family house, you work hard to get out of the township, you work hard to get your children proper education and it seems like you work twice as harder as your white counterparts. These past holidays I slept over at a friend’s house in Zwide (PE) and I was amazed to see how many people were rushing to work. By 5:30 in the morning, the streets were filled with people waiting for their busses or taxi’s to take them to work, although having a job is regarded as a blessing I felt like there was something wrong with that picture. Have you ever heard cars hooting, engines roaring and loud thumps of footsteps in a suburb at 5:30 am? 

We have become so immuned to uAndisiwe is from the kasi, uJolene is from the Cape flats and uJennifer is from the ‘burbs. I’ve noticed this silent segregation within our people, we are ok with the majority of blacks being located in the dirtiest places, we are ok with coloureds being placed in an environment populated by gangs and we are even ok with white people living the life in the suburbs. Some people say black people bring hardships onto themselves but can you say that is really true? What can a 73-year old with grade 5 do besides depend on an old-age grant? What can the girl who fell pregnant to support her family do besides depend on a child grant? It’s time we realised that jobs are scarce especially to those who have no education. 

Apartheid didn’t only create racial divisions but it also had a psychological effect. It may seem like abantu basekasi are content with working at a Retail store for the rest of their lives but the truth is they don’t see anything beyond that. Our current government needs to focus on economic empowerment, relook issues concerning land redistribution and we as the people need to educate each other. 

PS. We can move on from the past but we can never forget it-not while others are still struggling as a result of it.
-Andisiwe Mtengwane