The Struggle After The Release Of Mandela
February 11th was a memorable day in the continued struggle against apartheid in the country of South Africa. After twenty seven and a half years in prison, the leader of the African National Congress was at last freed. This is probably the most positive action to come out of South Africa since the general election there last year, being part of a new policy that President F.W. De Klerk claims will create a South Africa without the need for the present sysem of apartheid.
However what has been achieved in South Africa? From what the television news would have us believe,there has been a large amount of change — but is this really the case? Most of the reforms that have been introduced have tended to be non-controversial high profile reforms that have very little effect in reducing the worst aspect of Apartheid. They are, however, very good at restoring confidence in the goverment, confidence in financial markets to salvage the rapidly diminishing value of the currency the Rand, and to attract new firms to South Africa, to improve the poor and increasingly desperate economic situation for the White population of the country. The reform of the Beach Laws, the legalisation of the ANC and the release of Nelson Mandela.
The actual equalisation between the indigenous black population and the imperialist white population is still as non-existent as it ever was. It is still not possible to choose which area one is allowed to reside in and it is generally the Blacks that pay the price for this, having to commute to the city in dirty, overloaded buses and trucks to get to work every day. Enabling the White people of the city to forget about those who are deliberately kept less well off by a system of unfair education,job opportunities and tax systems. It is still possible for the Police to imprison Blacks as young as 13 for no reason at all — they do not have to give any explanation or need any evidence that the person has committed any crimes. And it is still possible for the White people to protect themselves by endorsing the use of Water Cannons, Batons and rubber and real bullets to keep away the peaceful protests of the people who simply ask to be allowed to live a life of freedom and democracy.
How as Christians can we allow such a policy to continue without at least attempting to do something about it? Jesus asks us to treat our neighbour as ourselves and this means the oppressed Black people of South Africa. What makes the situation worse from the Christian perspective is the continued use of Christian justification for the use of apartheid. The Church has for far too long ignored the cries of these people — most notably the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa.
Things are changing. Attitudes are changing. The Dutch Reformed Church has begun to start speaking out against the use of both Apartheid and violence. The world has begun to take notice that apartheid is a fundamentally wrong system.
How can more change come about? Will it ever be possible that South Africa will become a “normal” country? Or will the strain of the last 60 years be too much for a country who sees the exploitation not only as their right but as a God given Christian right?
I believe that there is a way out for South Africa, that the problem can be solved — indeed there are signs of change. More and more of the protestors are White. However there is still a lot that can be done — moreover must be done to help the people to overcome the struggle of apartheid. Countries must continue their economic sanctions against South Africa and where they do not it is up to us not to support apartheid by boycotting these goods. Make your voice heard by supporting those actively fighting against apartheid, in whatever way is possible. Although the people of South Africa have a lot to do for themselves there is no way that they can do this without our support.
The release of Nelson Mandela is certainly a good start but we should not start praising the South African government too quickly — indeed Nelson Mandela should not have had to go to prison in the first place. With Nelson Mandela free there is certainly a good means to an end, but the release of one person who is only one of many in the province should not be the end in itself. Not until the whole of the people have the opportunity to be classed as equal and treated as such by the government and the police alike can we even start to praise the government of South Africa and even then, this is only how it should have been in the first instance when the constitution of the province was first drawn up. The Church has a big role to play in the abolition of apartheid — with people like Desmond Tutu this may well be possible. Like slavery the Church must look where it went wrong and be the party to rectify the damage.
A lot of mistakes have been made in the past, not only in South Africa, but throughout the world — until these inequalities have been abolished it is up to us, as Christians, to do what we possibly can to eliminate the problems and maybe we could look in our own back yard as well as criticising other countries. As for South Africa the struggle for freedom continues…