Everyone is talking of 20 Years into Democracy but do we really know what it means for us as South Africans? That’s the question I keep on asking myself every time I see anything to do with it. Perhaps I am just a confused soul trapped in the word “free”.
Yes I do understand that we are a free nation however the question still remains, are we really free? And if we are then what is happening to this so called free nation and are we really willing to brag to other nations about being free while we don’t even know the real meaning and what we are doing with that freedom. What gets to me most is the race card that is being played wherever one goes there will be something to do with skin colour.
So much is happening in South Africa, if it’s not racism that has become the normal word on our vocabulary then it’s fraud, corruption and power hungry monsters who don’t care about anyone but themselves. Aren’t we tired of all this? I think it’s time we all look in the mirror and ask ourselves “what am I doing to contribute towards change in this beautiful nation”. The South Africa I would love to see is the one that would allow me to walk with my head held up high for being a South African regardless of my skin colour.
It appears that racism is no longer an issue but we as human are the issue for not wanting to take responsibility for our own actions and deal with the world and its ups and downs. We are living in a free world where one should use their intelligence to do something productive with their lives and stop blaming everything on apartheid and government, yes it happened and it was immoral and ruthless but what is the day of reconciliation for, what is this 20 years of democracy all about, aren’t we enough of a rainbow nation that we ought to be?
If there is one thing that my father thought me is to forgive, live in the present and work towards the future without dwelling in the past. I am sincere about who I am and what I want in life, the only way I will get to the top is to turn a blind eye on people who do things haphazardly for the sake of pointing fingers.
I have friends from different races and nationalities but does that bother me? Not a chance because to me what makes a human being is a soul, I appreciate their well-being not their physical appearance. I have been a victim of racism in social networks but that didn’t break me because that’s not what I’m all about. I am proudly South African that is made up of different cultural groups. Shoot me if you think I’m being a hypocrite after all we all have our opinions.
I have been verbally attacked by people of my own kind because of the group of friends I have, I have witnessed my friends being attacked by people of their own for making friends with me. That’s when I learnt that racism doesn’t only originate from one race however all races have their own racists. If you don’t agree with this statement, we might as well just agree to disagree.
There is only one way I have decided to live my life freely as a free South African by standing for what I believe in, humanity and humility is what I believe in. I don’t dream of living a life that’s determined by a skin colour but rather by what I have achieved standing for what I believe in. The South Africa I dream about is the one where everyone is united and together as one, perhaps I am just dreaming a pipe dream but it is all up to us now.