Voices From South Africa

5-22-08: Before the Trip

It took me forever to start writing because after finals were off my mind nervous feelings and thoughts entered. Before sitting in on professor Durington’s class about South Africa, South Africa, to me, was a beautiful country, one of the most successful countries in Africa economically and of course had a unique history because of apartheid. I’d like to think that I’m knowledgeable about the continent but the only real experiences I’ve had have been in my own country. Burkina Faso is a very poor country, one of the poorest in the world, and South Africa has always been to me the older sibling on the continent who was more successful, beautiful, and unique. When I first saw the movie ‘Tsotsi’ a few years ago, I was really shocked to see the poverty and social issues presented. After attending a few of Durington’s classes, and learning about the details of this trip, I began to realize how different South Africa is, being the center of many if not all social issues and how its journey after apartheid has affected many aspects of society such as housing and gated communities*, which I never would of thought of.

 So, for the most part I’m nervous because I don’t really know what to expect. Even after looking at the itinerary a billion times, I still feel like I don’t know what I’ve gotten myself into. But that’s ok. I’m just really looking forward to learning everything I can. I still can’t believe I’m actually going to SOUTH
AFRICA!!! 

5-30-08: Cape Town!
Today was great. I really enjoyed the South African museum because we got to hear more about South Africa an Africa before colonization. This has really interested me. Roddy (our tour guide) beautifully explained how human life began and evolved (in Africa). I knew it all started on the African continent and why people’s skin colors changed, but I could never figure out Asian features, but today cleared everything up and it really touched me and enforced the fact that we create a lot of our differences. Today we also learned about South Africa’s diversity, which I must admit I struggled with. Yesterday was great but internally I was frustrated and angry. My culture shock had more to do with white Africans. I’m not sure what the root of my feelings was but many thoughts ran my mind. I was frustrated with the fact that white settlers came, called themselves true Africans, and just created a mini Europe. Rom the article about assimilation I understand now that this had a lot to do with building a “home”. But still, they took land that wasn’t theirs and made it really European. I as also frustrated about the idea of gated communities and how whites have isolated themselves in eh past and present. They have called themselves African but it seems like it’s mostly about location because they isolated themselves from Africans and their culture (at least in terms of the past). I know I’m not well educated on the subject but it’s really hard to see what about South Africa the Afrikaners (white South Africans of European decent) and Europeans have they really embraced besides its resources. I guess I thought Afrikaners would have been Africans who happen to be white and less like Europeans living in South Africa.

I feel like I could be wrong but these were some of my first thoughts. I think the core of my feelings is that I feel like there hasn’t been a lot of integration. This is obvious in the housing situation. (There is still a lot of segregation). I’m still pissed that Europeans took the land and acted as if it belonged to them but the past is the past and I’m more upset at the present. Before coming I thought I’d be coming to a modern and developed part of Africa but still knowing there was poverty and other social issues. Now that I’m here, I feel like its more westernized than just modernized and that the Afrikaners and other whites benefit more from the development. It bothers me that there are poor black people living in shacks right next to beautiful and mostly white owned houses. I know we haven’t see everything but I’d thought South Africa was kind of like Nigeria where a good amount of the black people are doing well, were developing and successful. Yet here the masses are impoverish, many working as nannies and such in the rich neighborhoods. It’s a little disappointing for me…

There are some questions that I do have. For example, why in South Africa did the white settlers stay? Why didn’t they exploit the resources and people and then leave?Why unlike other colonizers did they not leave and implement systems that would allow them to benefit like it was done in other Africa countries? Why was South Africa different? Also, Oliver Gordon (Mayor of Cape Town when Mandela was released) said that white South Africans have been leaving. Why? And how will that affect the economy and the situation of non-whites in South Africa? I just feel like the presence of whites in South Africa could be better, things could be more equal.

Last, I was really happy to better understand South Africa’s diversity today. The ‘colored’ race is definitely interesting and unique to South Africa. (They are a separate race formed from them mixing of black Africans, Europeans, and Indians.) District 6 (a museum we visited for a neighborhood that was destroyed where a diverse group of South Africans lived before segregation and apartheid) was an example of how a diverse group of people can live peacefully and how we can live with respect for one another regardless of our differences. This neighborhood held people of different backgrounds and religions, and it surprised me that people of different religions got along so great. It also surprised me that people of different religions got along so great. It also surprised me that black South African Christians also kept traditional beliefs and practiced both. That’s crazy because the rest of the world seems to be having serious issues and conflicts when it comes to religion.

I don’t know…South Africa is just so different and complex and everything just continues to blow me away.