Restitution and Forgiveness in South Africa
On my last trip in Cape Town, I had the priviledge of meeting with Charles Robertson, a local author and white South African, who is one of the people at the forefront of the restitution movement and had written a book basically giving guidelines on what can be done to ensure that restitution happens and is effective.
The complicated nature of race relations struck me again from our discussions then and from being in Johannesburg on this trip. Every other black South African I met tried to speak to me in their native tongue though I dont look like a South African and given that there are several black South African languages... but I digress.
First off, being a black African whose family has never been indoctrinated into slavery gives me and those like me a very different perspective. I know who I am and where I am from, to at least the fourth generation before me, and am very grounded in that understanding and who I represent.
However, because of the nature of race relations and world history of general subjugation of black African races, when "the world" in general sees me, I am seen first as a black woman and thus stereotyped without any basis in who I really am. The surprise then comes when I not only speak intelligently about whatever the topic of the day is but also express my very valid opinions and perspectives. Even then, acceptance is not always guaranteed and an education process often has to take place.
It is not enough for people who have been oppressed to be set free and be remunerated physically for offenses committed against them; they also need to be taught what it means, looks like, tastes like and feels like to be free and it is partly the responsibility of those who have committed the oppression and are making amends to impart the undertsanding along with the physical remuneration.
Furthermore, in the case of South Africa, almost all the races that exist on the land today have oppressed another race at some point in time; the English oppressed Afrikaaners, Afrikaaners the blacks, the blacks the bushmen who originally owned the land and are by and large still forgotten today.
In My Humble Opinion, until all the races in South Africa come together and truly repent and forgive for the crimes committed against each other, the land will not be truly healed and will continue to bear the weight and express it in the heaviness that is still spiritually prevalent today. One can almost still hear the voices of all that have passed in the air while walking down the streets.
Forgiveness is where true repentance and freedom lies; freedom for those that have oppressed and been oppressed. Anything else is just keeping the lid on things until the "stuff" bag is so full it explodes again.
May South Africa truly be free from the ramifications of its past; not to forget, but to promote awareness so that the same crimes are not repeated again.
The complicated nature of race relations struck me again from our discussions then and from being in Johannesburg on this trip. Every other black South African I met tried to speak to me in their native tongue though I dont look like a South African and given that there are several black South African languages... but I digress.
First off, being a black African whose family has never been indoctrinated into slavery gives me and those like me a very different perspective. I know who I am and where I am from, to at least the fourth generation before me, and am very grounded in that understanding and who I represent.
However, because of the nature of race relations and world history of general subjugation of black African races, when "the world" in general sees me, I am seen first as a black woman and thus stereotyped without any basis in who I really am. The surprise then comes when I not only speak intelligently about whatever the topic of the day is but also express my very valid opinions and perspectives. Even then, acceptance is not always guaranteed and an education process often has to take place.
It is not enough for people who have been oppressed to be set free and be remunerated physically for offenses committed against them; they also need to be taught what it means, looks like, tastes like and feels like to be free and it is partly the responsibility of those who have committed the oppression and are making amends to impart the undertsanding along with the physical remuneration.
Furthermore, in the case of South Africa, almost all the races that exist on the land today have oppressed another race at some point in time; the English oppressed Afrikaaners, Afrikaaners the blacks, the blacks the bushmen who originally owned the land and are by and large still forgotten today.
In My Humble Opinion, until all the races in South Africa come together and truly repent and forgive for the crimes committed against each other, the land will not be truly healed and will continue to bear the weight and express it in the heaviness that is still spiritually prevalent today. One can almost still hear the voices of all that have passed in the air while walking down the streets.
Forgiveness is where true repentance and freedom lies; freedom for those that have oppressed and been oppressed. Anything else is just keeping the lid on things until the "stuff" bag is so full it explodes again.
May South Africa truly be free from the ramifications of its past; not to forget, but to promote awareness so that the same crimes are not repeated again.
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