The following is part 1 of a 10 part series taking a critical look at how the promise of South Africa, the rainbow nation has been destroyed by racism, disunity, intolerance and corruption and proposes an alternative solution.
I have always been a positive and proud person that believes in the dream that the "Rainbow Nation" of South Africa is a possibility. I have always looked forward to and become very excited about an up and coming elections as I believe in democracy. In recent years this pride I feel for my country has slowly been eroded and replaced with shame.
One a regular basis many South Africans, like myself, watch the news just to find themselves putting their heads in their hands cringing, thinking "Is this really the place that I live?".
We have been a so called Democratic country for over 20 years now, but in the last 5 or so years South Africa has become more divided by race than we were 20 years ago. Violent protests where destruction of property and threats to others lives has become the norm once again as we don't listen to each other's side of an argument we just take what we want and force our agenda through violence and intimidation.
Tolerance of our fellow neighbours and countrymen has gone out the window and been replaced with radicalisation of the youth as students are used as political pawns and workers (our labour force) are used as an army and turned into a weapon against the same business they are meant to work for, and all this through violence, intimidation and regular destruction of property.
Split in two by Poverty
Over the last 20 years a scar on the back of this country has always been poverty as it creates two societies - the society that can afford to buy their own home and the society that can't afford to pay for their own home and it is this scar that seems to be at the heart of the shame that fuels this country's divisions.
The largest sector of South Africa is still living in poverty 20 years after being promised a better life of pride and dignity but most of all equality, were each and every South African is equal.
Have the government-created systems in the form of BEE and SETA done anything to reduce this shameful scar of poverty on this country?
Has the Rainbow Nation failed? More people live in poverty today than ever before in our country's history and we are so far from a unified nation that it is now more than ever an idealist thought or memory, as it is hard to see unity when so much hatred is being expressed.
In the parts to follow of this series we will be asking how apartheid really shaped this country in a lasting way, and if the structures created by our current government in the form of BEE have done anything to change this country, and is there may be a better way?
See you next time for Part 2: Are we really a Democracy?