Is it possible to love and hate, to praise and condemn a country within hours with feelings running deeply both ways almost at the same time?
Well, South Africa is such a country which somehow has made it a local sports to elicit the different emotions like a roller-coaster. Murder, military in townships, cash heists, robberies and the inability of politics to really serve the people, paired by a constant flow of information from the Zondo commission can lead to deep depression – the shamelessness of people like the public protector or the flip-flopping Julius Malema adds to the urge to pack up and go, writing off this once so promising country of 1994. Constant use of race as a weapon and apartheid as an excuse for incompetence or outright corruption are cherries on top of the frustration.
On the other hand I just was invited to the cultural evening of the Brooklyn Holy Cross Primary School. The students took us around the world with song and dance, they shared their dreams and watching them and their enthusiasm has exactly the opposite effect of depression: energized we all walked out – knowing that we have to support this generation of kids and youngster to have a chance in the new South Africa. Similar meeting the kids in Blikkiesdorp, Manenberg and other forgotten areas – their smiles in spite of hardship, their efforts while living in broken families, their willingness to learn and to let go – not to forget the many moms fighting to have a better future for their kids – those are the reasons to stay and to work hard so that the next generation can build on what we realistically can achieve in our lifetime.
It is in the so called poor areas, in the townships, at the bottom of society where you encounter all the reasons to stay while the shameless selfishness of most politicians, the ignorance of those “who made it” through all sorts of means using their elbows right and left and those who murder and steal without regret try very hard to push the last decency out of this country.
We need a revolution of healing in this country, a revolution which only can come if we recognize that is is up to us – with our emotions, in our pain and hurt and with our hopes – to recognize the contrast bath of emotions, to persevere and to come out more strong, more determined to make a difference.
Filed under: General, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, South Africa, Uncategorized, Blikkiesdorp, emotions, future, Manenberg, south africa, Zondo commission
God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE 