a long road ahead …
the truck broke down today, so instead of heading off to swayimane, i spent most of the day with miranda – running a few miscellaneous errands and shopping for childrens toys that are being donated to the creche in swayimane. among the toys we bought were legos, mini-motorcars, rubiks cubes, a few math puzzles and a bunch of bouncy balls.
it was an absolutely warm and gorgeous day this afternoon. miranda and i decided to break the day and spend an hour or two at a nearby cafe to enjoy a nice cup of coffee with some apple crumb pie. we shared some really good conversation about potential growth opportunities, new development models and some of the ways information technology could be integrated into zimele’s overall strategy. but all operations aside, we couldn’t agree more to the tremendous challenges that lie ahead – those that are deeply sensitive and often make us feel frustrated and at times, defeated — the absolute horror and legacy of oppression, the lack of widespread education, traditional belief systems and disruption of family structures that stifle economic growth and worsen the aids pandemic.
kwazulu-natal is a manifestation of many of these problems and i can already experience its uneasy mix of poverty and wealth. one minute, you’re driving on well-paved roads passing through malls, farmers markets, upscale groceries, shiny car dealerships, craft centers, museums and of course – the corner mcdonalds and the next – you’re passing by the informal settlements embedded in refuse and piles of excrement, dodging goats that meander along the side of the roads, driving around people who dangerously cross busy streets at will, and landing on abandoned roads that make you feel like you’re tumbling through a landfill.
in light of all this, i find it especially interesting to hear how many of the white locals feel about the rich/poor dichotomy, in particular – their view of “african black” culture. many of them feel that the zulu people are a ‘lazy’ people, and possess a work ethic that keep them at the lower rungs of society due to a lack of education, rural life and subsistence. they further cite examples such as government grant/pension policies that perpetuate the hand-out system, granting R200 per child for low-income families that cause a dangerously unintended side-effect of producing unwanted children for the sake of ‘free’ extra money – a fact that is unquestionably linked to the recent and growing trend of south african mothers abandoning their babies due to lack of financial support – a pressing issue just recently covered by CNN last week.
but the most common blow to the zulu people in light of education – that i’ve seen – is criticism to the president himself, jacob zuma. the controversial and equally disturbing comment on his sexual conduct and complete ignorance of the AIDS virus cannot bode well for a vision of renewal and reconstruction.
“the national aids helpline is being inundated with calls about whether taking a shower after unprotected sex can minimise the risk of contracting HIV. This is as a direct result of the ‘misleading’ statements relating to HIV prevention made by jacob zuma during his rape trial last week.
The former deputy president told the johannesburg high court that he took a shower – after having sex with the HIV-positive complainant without a condom – as he believed this minimised his risk of contracting the disease.”
how can this be?
–
is this ignorance on the side of privileged whites?
are we failing to hear and see the perspectives of the african blacks that are struggling to maintain their economic status – as well as their dignity?
or is it not so much a color issue at all – but a very unfortunate circumstance that results from years of oppression where efforts to level the playing field quickly become entrenched in a deadlock of finger pointing and blame?
