Why are we being urged to bury the past by people who are seemingly not willing to do likewise?
Posted by Madibeng Kgwete: 21 September 2009
The massive reaction to the News24 article by one Wayne G, "Our own Animal Farm" (16 September 2009), indicate two things to me: that South Africans not only want to debate the current state of race relations in the country, but also that they have a desire to know and understand each other.
Wayne speaks from the perspective of a frustrated white youth, and he raises a lot of questions and concerns that should not be ignored.
Amongst other things, Wayne blames the media for perpetuating racist stereotypes against whites, arguing that newspapers aggravate race relations “through their constant focus on the loud mouths of our country [such as Julius Malema, who exploit] our differences to sell papers.”
As a black youth myself, there are a number of factors that I wish the likes of Wayne took into consideration when analysing the state of racial integration (or lack thereof) in post-apartheid South Africa; and here’s what I wish we all start realising:
1. Trying to understand black people whilst constantly bashing the ANC is not a good start. After all, the ANC is credited within the black community for having liberated black people from the shackles of apartheid.
2. Needless to say, not all black South Africans support the ANC. In fact, the success of the official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, is in part due to the massive support that the party received from a substantial pool of black voters across the country.
3. Many of us black South Africans see the reluctance by our white fellow citizens to learn our cultures (or at least to learn how to say “hello” in Sepedi, for example) as an emphatic rejection of our way of life. I know the argument against learning black languages. “They are not business languages, etc.”
Since when has the language of your fellow citizens been about business imperatives? It should be about curiosity and a desire to relate to your fellow South Africans in the language that they understand. You can come up with all reasons why you’re not going to learn to say “hi” in Sepedi, but my reading of such reasons can be summed up simply as belittling my culture.
4. As a black young South African, I also do not understand why I am constantly urged by my white fellow citizens to bury the apartheid past and move on. What do I have to do with apartheid? And why am I urged to forget the past by people who are seemingly not ready to do the same?
If I cannot date a white girl for no reason other than that I am black (and that, because I am black, I am presumed to be an idiot), why am I being urged to pretend that my white fellow citizens accept me for who I am and not what my skin pigmentation looks like?
5. Trying to demonise corrective interventions such as Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment with sweeping generalisations about the quality of black leadership in top positions also implants in me a sense of quilt. You assume that I am in the position that I am in solely because I am black.
In essence, you assume that, had it not been for AA and BEE, I would be holding up plackards at the traffic intersections, begging. I see this as a grave insult and a blatant undermining of my intellect and my potential.
Everything that does not work in government is because “skilled workers” (an indirect reference to whites) are being excluded through AA and BEE! Can’t there be other reasons? How did the apartheid government fare in its delivery of public services with all these “skilled” workers at its disposal?
NB: See Wayne G's article on the following link: http://www.news24.com/Content/MyNews24/YourStory/1162/2ec7164e9ae64a498ff14b2f7f4d5ad6/16-09-2009-02-08/Our_own_Animal_farm
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Disguised advertising is deceitful
Posted by Madibeng Kgwete: 16 September 2009
When corporate power dictates how we narrate our daily life, deceit is sure to follow
Advertising is perhaps one of the most exciting industries; and South Africa is renowned worldwide as being amongst the leading creative hubs in as far as advertising is concerned. But there are certain aspects of advertising that border on dishonesty.
One evening, I watched the Venda television series, Muvhango, screened on SABC 2, and the type of advertising that is contained in the soapie, masquerading as parts of the soapie storyline, can mislead unsuspecting television audiences.
Somewhere along the episode, for example, the cast gets together in a room to discuss banking, and not only do they make reference to Capitec bank in favourable terms, large posters of the bank are also placed strategically at the background, and the soapie’s concealed endorsement of the bank is beyond question.
Sometime back, another popular SABC television series, Generations, used to have their cast get regular hair-dos, courtesy of Soft ‘n Free, also concealed as part of the soapie storyline.
There should be a clear distinction between honest and transparent advertising activity and a sincere storyline aimed at dramatising the realities of daily life, free from the pressures of corporate power. We don’t have ad breaks for nothing.
Any form of advertising activity that is contained in soapie storylines, for example, negates our creative spirit and is meant to deceit unsuspecting audiences. Real advertisers do not disguise their products as part and parcel of other people’s popular initiatives.
When corporate power dictates how we narrate our daily life, deceit is sure to follow
Advertising is perhaps one of the most exciting industries; and South Africa is renowned worldwide as being amongst the leading creative hubs in as far as advertising is concerned. But there are certain aspects of advertising that border on dishonesty.
One evening, I watched the Venda television series, Muvhango, screened on SABC 2, and the type of advertising that is contained in the soapie, masquerading as parts of the soapie storyline, can mislead unsuspecting television audiences.
Somewhere along the episode, for example, the cast gets together in a room to discuss banking, and not only do they make reference to Capitec bank in favourable terms, large posters of the bank are also placed strategically at the background, and the soapie’s concealed endorsement of the bank is beyond question.
Sometime back, another popular SABC television series, Generations, used to have their cast get regular hair-dos, courtesy of Soft ‘n Free, also concealed as part of the soapie storyline.
There should be a clear distinction between honest and transparent advertising activity and a sincere storyline aimed at dramatising the realities of daily life, free from the pressures of corporate power. We don’t have ad breaks for nothing.
Any form of advertising activity that is contained in soapie storylines, for example, negates our creative spirit and is meant to deceit unsuspecting audiences. Real advertisers do not disguise their products as part and parcel of other people’s popular initiatives.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Let's ask new questions about 2010
Posted by Madibeng Kgwete: 08 September 2009
On Friday, 04 September, I attended the launch of the “Football Fridays” campaign at the South African Football Association (SAFA) House, south of Johannesburg – and it finally dawned on me that this world cup thing is actually coming our way.
The aim of the “Football Fridays” campaign is to encourage South Africans to wear football jerseys on Fridays and to learn the national anthem, fly the South African flag with pride and celebrate our country’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Just being around the Soccer City area inspires confidence, particularly when you see the tremendous work done on the stadium and the broader precinct. The question is no longer whether or not we’ll be ready to host the event, but what kind of hosts we’ll be.
At the event, the CEO of the Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordan, spoke about the world cup as one of the several defining moments in the making of South Africa; others being the release from prison of Nelson Mandela in 1990, the first democratic general elections in 1994 and the rugby world cup in 1995.
The passion amongst the men and women working on South Africa’s preparations for the world cup, from the top executives to the men and women picking up pieces of litter around the stadiums, makes you proud to be a South African.
I know jealous people around the world, including those who originate from this country, continue to spread false rumours about our country; but those of us who live here know this country better. And some of these rumour-mongers cannot even point South Africa on the world map. I feel sorry for them.
We’re going to make history in 2010.
And, already, we are told that the Local Organising Committee has received applications from over 70 000 people from across the world who want to work as volunteers during the world cup. This is most certainly a resounding vote of confidence in South Africa.
We’re going to do this thing so well that the South African expatriate in London – or Moscow, or New York, or Montreal – wants to get on to the next available flight to Johannesburg, if only to be closer to the rhythm because, by then, all tickets would have sold out.
I know the national soccer team is not doing well on its preparations for the world cup, having recently suffered a 2-0 defeat over the weekend at the hands of Germany. But next year when we talk about the team, we’ll be talking about the broader South African citizenry and not just the 11 men on the soccer pitch.
Now that questions about our state of readiness have effectively become irrelevant, we must start debating a new question: how will the world look at us after the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup? Will they still look at us in the same way that they look at us now? What kind of picture will they have of South Africa?
NB: An edited version of this article was published on the City Press website under the headline, "Sekunjalo, SA's more than ready". See the article on this link: http://www.citypress.co.za/Content/MyCityPress/YourStory/2164/ef11554058704855b7478fa49c607b28/06-09-2009-12-15/Sekunjalo,_SA%E2%80%99s_more_than_ready
On Friday, 04 September, I attended the launch of the “Football Fridays” campaign at the South African Football Association (SAFA) House, south of Johannesburg – and it finally dawned on me that this world cup thing is actually coming our way.
The aim of the “Football Fridays” campaign is to encourage South Africans to wear football jerseys on Fridays and to learn the national anthem, fly the South African flag with pride and celebrate our country’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Just being around the Soccer City area inspires confidence, particularly when you see the tremendous work done on the stadium and the broader precinct. The question is no longer whether or not we’ll be ready to host the event, but what kind of hosts we’ll be.
At the event, the CEO of the Local Organising Committee, Danny Jordan, spoke about the world cup as one of the several defining moments in the making of South Africa; others being the release from prison of Nelson Mandela in 1990, the first democratic general elections in 1994 and the rugby world cup in 1995.
The passion amongst the men and women working on South Africa’s preparations for the world cup, from the top executives to the men and women picking up pieces of litter around the stadiums, makes you proud to be a South African.
I know jealous people around the world, including those who originate from this country, continue to spread false rumours about our country; but those of us who live here know this country better. And some of these rumour-mongers cannot even point South Africa on the world map. I feel sorry for them.
We’re going to make history in 2010.
And, already, we are told that the Local Organising Committee has received applications from over 70 000 people from across the world who want to work as volunteers during the world cup. This is most certainly a resounding vote of confidence in South Africa.
We’re going to do this thing so well that the South African expatriate in London – or Moscow, or New York, or Montreal – wants to get on to the next available flight to Johannesburg, if only to be closer to the rhythm because, by then, all tickets would have sold out.
I know the national soccer team is not doing well on its preparations for the world cup, having recently suffered a 2-0 defeat over the weekend at the hands of Germany. But next year when we talk about the team, we’ll be talking about the broader South African citizenry and not just the 11 men on the soccer pitch.
Now that questions about our state of readiness have effectively become irrelevant, we must start debating a new question: how will the world look at us after the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup? Will they still look at us in the same way that they look at us now? What kind of picture will they have of South Africa?
NB: An edited version of this article was published on the City Press website under the headline, "Sekunjalo, SA's more than ready". See the article on this link: http://www.citypress.co.za/Content/MyCityPress/YourStory/2164/ef11554058704855b7478fa49c607b28/06-09-2009-12-15/Sekunjalo,_SA%E2%80%99s_more_than_ready
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