Amandla Ubuntu vs Black Tuesday

Amandla Ubuntu! means “Power to Togetherness!” Ubuntu also stands for interconnectedness, as defined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an important role-player in South Africa’s fight for truth and reconciliation with the key phrase: “I am who I am because of who we all are.” It became an important term during South Africa’s long walk to reconciliation.
Vanessa Smeets examines how ubuntu works today in South Africa…

22 November 2011 will be marked forever as “Black Tuesday” in South Africa. This is the day its government (the ANC) voted in favour of an Information Bill aka Secrecy Bill, a bill which may allow government officials to censor anything before being broadcasted or printed in the future.

END OF THE RAINBOW: Filled with ink, but unable to write freely again...

My Facebook status update was a little overly dramatic, but true:

“Our long walk to freedom starts again… Crippled by our own government. Tata Madiba, they have stolen our eyes and ears under guise of your party. *tears*

One has to recall South Africa’s past to make sense of why this is such an issue in its present and why it holds chained consequences on its future:

“If the people of South Africa elect us to office, we firmly undertake that an ANC government will strive for an open society in which vigorous debate is encouraged through a free press and other media.” Nelson Mandela, 14 February 1994.

The year 1994 marked not only the collapse of the Apartheid regime, but also our first democratic elections, which aimed to bring together eleven very different tribes. The Afrikaner tribe, the minority, had been in power since 1948, aiming to keep the poorer majority submissive by giving them unequal rights, especially in education. They were trained for hard manual labour, instead of skills that would benefit them.

EYE TO EYE: Our first democratic elections meant hours of standing in the hot sun to cast our votes. Millions of people voted for the first time.

For decades, the black majority itself was at war, preventing them from fighting for freedom sooner. Zulu and Xhosa ethnic hatred became increasingly worse through acts of extreme violence like necklacing (pouring petrol into a tyre, placing it around the neck of your enemy and setting it on fire). Such acts were finally given international attention after “the Bang Bang Club,” made up of four white photo-journalists who integrated themselves within black townships, sent their photographs to international news agencies in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

One man held the words and ideas to change such hatred into communication: Nelson Mandela, imprisoned 27 years for treason. He is known for his beautiful speeches:

“If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.”

Mandela, fondly known as “Tata” meaning father of the nation, became an international icon for peace and solidarity. Whites, blacks, Indians and coloureds stood hours in line on the 27^th of April 1994 to cast their votes. That day is commemorated today as Freedom Day. It was no surprise when the ANC (African National Congress), Nelson Mandela’s party, which stood for democratic socialism, liberalism, social democracy and left-wing populism came to power.

JOKE'S ON YOU: ANC's Wikipedia page was hacked yesterday, showing the detrimental effects censorship could have on the press.

In 1995, South Africa won the Rugby World Cup, thanks to Mandela promoting rugby in poorer townships through rugby clinics, which captivated young children by the sport. Rugby was once considered a racist sport of Afrikaners. Black South Africans were known for supporting any team that did not support South Africa.

Today, the values of freedom, equality and solidarity are highly important to South Africans who acknowledge the historical difficulty millions went through to see freedom and ubuntu achieved. Black Tuesday to many will be a day of mourning; where we start to grieve our loss over freedom of speech and expression.

We worked so hard for Heritage Day or Braai Day (Barbeque Day), celebrated on the 24^th of September as a day which celebrates our 11 heritages – which have now become one. This day is often celebrated by watching our favourite sports like rugby, cricket or football while standing around a “braai.” Also, the 16^th of December, which once celebrated the Afrikaner/ Boer victory over the Zulus, is now called Reconciliation Day, promoting national unity.

VIVA AFRIKA! Known fondly as the "Rainbow Nation" for being an interesting blend of 11 tribes (excluding minority tribes), South Africa's bright future may now be compromised with censorship laws. PIC: Online

As much as lecturers try to convince me here, globalization does not seem to threaten these holidays or South Africa’s identity, as we are only in the second decade of our democracy. National identity’s importance is constantly reminded by such holidays that aim to keep this ubuntu intact! Viva Afrika! Viva! But will Black Tuesday taint this ubuntu completely? And, will our democracy survive without the full watchdog role of the media?

>> News article on the Info Bill: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/MPs-vote-in-favour-of-info-bill-20111122

>> Nelson Mandela’s full speech: http://blogs.businessday.co.za/peterbruce/2010/08/01/nelson-mandelas-view-of-press-freedom-read-before-you-leap/

>>>><<<<