Celebrating 20 years of democracy is not as merry as
South Africans portray it to be to the world. While the media played a
prominent role in helping oppressed South African’s conquer apartheid through
their reporting. Recently the same media seem to be using social media as a
tool to prompt racial division among South Africans. In fact, the rise of
social media has become a true reflection of society racial views.
Social
media availed a platform for racial grievances
As a student studying journalism we were taught that
“bad news sells better than good news”. As a result, South African news
agencies on social media instigate racial division, conflict and hatred among
South African’s. What the media is promoting within social media only affects
those who are still holding on the apartheid legacy as an excuse to cause
division among South African’s. Nelson
Mandela once said and I quote “No one is born hating
another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his
religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be
taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its
opposite.” On the contrary maybe the media is not to blame but is just setting
and agenda of what South African’s are really interested in. Therefore social
media availed a platform for ignorant individuals who use it as means for hatred
and disunity to prevail.
Nelson Mandela played a prominent role in uniting
South Africans (Photo Katekani Chabalala)
Racism
prominent in Universities
A recent incident of two Stellenbosch students who painted their faces black
caused a Twitter to erupt. Although the students claimed there were no racial
motives associated with the picture but were portraying Venus and Serena
Williams. Nevertheless people were alarmed and outraged over the image that was
posted on Instagram. However, the disturbing factor is that this is the second
incident at a South African university within two months. Personally I wasn’t
offended about the picture. My honest opinion is that the world may perceive
South Africa as a nation that has conquered racial issues. But in reality South
Africans continue to define people according to their racial status, character
is judged according to race and certain expectations about several individuals
are racially motivated. Therefore South Africans only learned to tolerate each
other.
Stellenbosh students who caused twitter to erupt
after they uploaded a picture with donned black faces. (Photo www.timeslive.co.za/local/2014/09/23/twitter-erupts-as-stellenbosch-varsity-students-don-black-face)
Rainbow
Nation never really existed
One would wonder what happened to the spirit of “rainbow
nation”. A dub coined by Nobel Prize
winner Archbishop
Desmond Tutu to describe
post-apartheid South Africa, where people of different races and cultures
unite. Comedian Trevor
Noah
could be on point when he acknowledged that “we use to be a rainbow nation but
now the colours are going their separate ways”.
The South African flag signifies a rainbow nation
that embraces diversity. (Photo www.biznews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/2013_12South-Africa-Flag-HD-Wallpaper-Desktop.jpg)
Reconciliation
Of course I’m not saying we should forget apartheid
which is part of the history of our country. Nevertheless we ought to find a
way to move forward united as a nation and focus on more serious issues which
are beyond our racial differences. Because it seems as though no amendments
were made to reconcile South African’s although there was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
But then again what do I know since my fellow African brothers and sisters just
refer to me as a typical born
free
who never experienced the inhuman apartheid system.
The
Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established by the Government of
National Unity to deal with what happened under apartheid. (Photo http://www.justice.gov.za/trc/)
Love you all dearly,
Katekani Chabalala
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