English version of my opinion piece in Die Burger 11/06/2011

I lived my young life always guarding my mouth, I let people say things like "no offence hey, but..." and nodded my head when they said "those black people man, not like you." And the older I became, the more I questioned things and the more I felt the need to empower myself to say something.

I never understood the depths of racism until the day my father shared his experiences of it with me. Before that I didn't even understand race. I thought we all looked different because we all spoke different languages. I can remember how tears would brim my eyes every time he spoke of the things that happened during those days. The older I became the more I wanted to know and understand how we as young people of different races truly saw each other. If white people truly hated black people in those days, did the white kids carry their parents hatred for black people around with them the same way I carried my parents pain around with me? It was clear to me now more than ever that we unconsciously carried the feelings our parents imposed on us about each other even though they did not want us to.

What structures like the TRC and now BEE have done good for some is good, but what about the rest of the masses who were affected and never had the chance to go through some kind of healing process or benefit from any of these? How does one let go of the past when every day, your current surrounding still resembles your past? And similarly when you are constantly reminded and often blamed for the effects of the past. We continue to fight a battle that was never ours to begin with, a battle that was fought and won on our behalf so that we could coexist in peace.

One of my closest friends did not know much about black people the day we met 5years ago. This was the same day we found out we would be living together. She asked me if she could sniff and taste my skin. This did not offend me, she needed to know for herself if all she had heard about black people was true or not. That put her curiosities about black people to rest and it proved that the differences between us were no different than the differences between her and another white friend. 

Today, I see racism as that beast that continues to evolve, the beast that we want to believe we have stained. It moulds and shapes itself in many ways and it seems to be a ghost that continues to haunt South Africa.  Maybe racism is still prevalent because people never healed from the effects of it. Those very effects now present themselves in the form of inequalities, classification of people, poverty, job scarcity, service delivery and so much more. Regardless of all the problems we face in South Africa, our strength lies in our diversity. The fact that we are racially and culturally different means that there are more ways than one to solve the problems we have, it means unique ways of looking at things and it means finding a way to understand each other.

As a young mother, everyday I think about the kind of South Africa I want to raise my daughter in. I think about the values I want to instill in her and how imp going to raise her to be a young woman that stands for what she believes in and does not wait for things to come her way but goes out and gets it. Most importantly I want to teach her not to hate but to love. I want to teach her to look beyond skin color but always be proud of who she is and where she comes from.

Fools and other stories By Njabulo Ndebele

In his book entitled Fools, Njabulo Ndebele shares five short stories with the reader. The stories in the book are set in the township of Charterson which is also the township where Ndebele grew up. He captures the reader with his descriptive styles that paints a clear picture for the eye while the words capture the ears perfectly.

 The Novella Fools is the title story. Here we are introduced to Zamani, a middle aged school teacher who has lost all respect from his community and can therefore never have the chance to fulfill a leadership role in his community. Zamani lives an impoverished life haunted by the disgrace he had brought unto himself.

We meet Zani, a young activist student from Swaziland who is filled with political anger when he returns to South Africa. He has dreams of mobilising the township of Charterson.

As the readers we are taken on a journey of deep introspection into the lives of both men. We witness how they are linked by an event in Zamani’s past that causes their relationship to evolve during a time where the country was nearing times of heavy upheavals. The men are able to face each other with renewed dignity and pride because of the journey they have taken together.

In the book Fools, which is set in the 1960’s we see how stereotypes of the poor, helpless and victims are challenged as the book takes a different turn and focuses on the everyday lives and daily struggles of the ordinary people living in the times of oppression. The book gets into the issues and events of the apartheid era as well as other political aspects of it too. What is beautiful for me in the book is how the spirit of the people shines through, how they are able to continue living each day under oppressive rule.

This book is beautiful read especially for the focus on the human stories of ordinary people. It is inspirational and has a motivational message of resilience, strength and chances. Ndebele won the Noma Award in 1984 for this book and it is clear why this book is still relevant today.

Profile on Jason Felix

Jason Felix, an aspiring journalist currently studying journalism at the Cape Penisula University of Technology shares his hopes and dreams for the future...

Born on the 22nd of June in 1993, Felix grew up in Eersterivier and has lived there since. Palm Park Primary, also in Eersterivier is where he attended school and later went to Parow High where he matrculated. Now studying at CPUT he describes himself as someone who loves all that he does and does it to the best of his ability.

A hard worker and always vibrant person, Felix throws himself whole heartedly into his work and similarly into the people close to him. His biggest inspiration is his mother because of how she has managed to raise two sons on her own. "Life inspires me too, you know. I love life," says Felix.(138)
Felix sees the need in his community for a voice to represent and inform the people. "I believe there is a voiceless community out there that needs our help. I believe I can be that voice for them and I want to contribute to the development of my country," says Felix.

5years from now Felix sees himself working for a big media company where he will be making a definate difference not only in the lives of the general public but also within the work place. He says the things that he wants for the community are jobs and less drugs and the abuse of it.

"I dream of a society where everybody can live together happily and stand together, work together and move forward together," said Felix.

Sindiwe Magona's Beauty's Gift

With the many campaigns and tv pragrammes aimed at addressing the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS, the media has played a major role in educating us. Sindiwe Magona's book Beauty's Gift tackles not only the stigma that is attached to the virus but also the cultural implications that face the township culture and shows just how many twists and turns the virus can take.

"God knew the African woman was going to have a very, very hard life. That is why He gave her skin as tough as Mother Earth herself. He gave her tough, timeless skin so that her woes would not be written all over her face, so that her face would not be a map to her torn and tattered heart."

Opening the book to this powerful introduction, a climax that carries though out the entire book.  

Beauty's gift is an easy read. Written in descriptive language and easy to understand, this book captured my imagination and touched my heart. It is an inspirational story with a strong message. It is thought provoking and makes you take a look at your life and how you live it in a different light. 

Set in the Gugulethu township in Cape Town, the story is about the gift Beauty, who dies of AIDS after being infected by her husband wants to leave her friends. The gift of life. She wants her friends to live long and healthy lives and not to die like her.

It is easy to relate to the characters, their struggles and how they lead their lives. The journey that the characters go through is about taking control and living their lives the best way they can. Taking their destinies into their own hands. The book is a short read, its main objective being to get the message across in a clear way that paints the pictures and keeps the reader reading.

Beauty's Gift carries a theme of courage, hope and strength. Beauty leaves her friends wanting to take control of their lives, and making sure that they live long lives filled with purpose. They take charge within their relationships to make sure that they are protected and that they protect their partners by taking HIV tests. This is not an easy task and in their efforts to get the results they want, many secrets are discovered and as the story unfolds the women learn valuable lessons about themselves and what it is they want out of life.

A beautiful yet touching story with a strong message will have you captivated from the powerful opening to the end. A quick, entertaining and educational novel that will have you thinking and taking a deeper look at your life, the people in your life and discovering your strengths through the journey that the five fearless friends take us through. This is a read I would recommend to young women any day!