Petty Apartheid – Oxymoron?
The first time I heard the term ‘petty apartheid’ in my 42 years of life was when Alex gave us the topic for September. My first thought, on hearing it, was that it sounds like an oxymoron; my second thought was to wonder what the hell it was.
I have since been informed that petty apartheid covered the more ‘minor’ aspects of apartheid, such as the Immorality Act and those laws that restricted access by black people to ‘whites only’ beaches, parks etc.
While I was growing up, I never knew anything about apartheid, my first knowledge only came, really, when I was around 19 and my friend went to Rhodes and became a political activist. But this only impinged on the periphery of my life and I thought she was doing it to be different, or to make some kind of statement, and as she was there and I was still in our suburb, what she got up to, thought, believed or did had even less impact as time went on.
Of course I knew that black people were not allowed on beaches or in parks, but that, to me, was just normal life. I never noticed anything inconvenient, wrong, untoward or in any way questionable about the laws that were in place at the time. I merely presumed that was how it was. Actually I never even thought about the laws as being laws, if you know what I mean. I never thought about politics, or legislation or any of that kind of thing.
My parents never discussed the politics of our country, they never discussed who they voted for, and I assume it was the Nats but I do not really know. We were an a-political family, through and through.
Black people were treated kindly in our house but we were taught by our mother that they were not as clean as we were; therefore they had to be given different cups to drink from and plates to eat off. All this, to me, was perfectly normal.
I never questioned why black people were not allowed to live in our suburbs. I never knew they were not allowed to live in our suburbs to be perfectly honest. I just assumed they stayed where they wanted to stay.
When I went to a private school we had black people in our class (only two at that time, in 1981) and again I never asked myself why they had not been in our government schools, presuming that as Afrikaners went to Afrikaans schools, so blacks must go to black schools.
This was the way life was.
I remember saying some of this on a forum I belonged to some years back and having a huge fight with a black woman who said there was no way I could ever have been unaware of what was going on in our country; but of course there was a way, we all grow up with our own version of reality and this was mine.
I never asked myself whether black people were badly treated, whether black people in other countries were allowed to own homes in white suburbs, walk, sit and holiday where white people did. Where you do not see a problem, you also do not envisage any solutions or raise any questions.
I am not weighed down with any guilt about all this today, either. I am in no way responsible for the choices and decisions of my government or my parents.
@Jem
that is very interesting, Jem; both points you made. Very interesting!!
@Zak Wood
LOL!
George perhaps today is not the best day for me and I may have overreacted, please forgive me?
With all the apologies, I’m going to change our tag line to “TRC For The Public”
a lot of good points made, and a lot to think about
Hahahhaa the TRC for the public! Not a bad idea actually.
@colleen
I will forgive you, I always do !!! ha ha ha ha
I knew your guilt was in there all along tho !! ha ha ha ha
However, I still believe peoples perception of how things were in the past CAN (not always are) be tainted over time.
I have such great memories of SA and of all the time I spent there. But as you know, I had quite an horrific time during my school years and a few afterwards. But I choose (ro have forced myself to) not to let that be part of my past or to taint my memory of that time.
And who is this Zak person butting in ??
LOL re Zak, don;t pick on HIM now George!
LOL re TRC!
@colleen
what is TRC ?
The truth reconcilliation commission?
Does that actually do what it says on the tin ?
truth and reconciliation commission
Is it a moron of the oxy variety ?
Haha well it has its moments like anything i guess. I’m sure it’s worked for some people and failed for others.
Ul have to excuse my ignorance here, the late 90s were all a bit fuzzy. But was the TRC where they interviewed all the ministers and police chifs etc from the previous “white” government to see what hand they played in all the nastiness that went on in the “bad” years of apartheid ?
Or was that something else ? If not, is that still going on ??
We dont hear so much about that any more over here in “perfect land”/ “high-horse land” !!
@George
yes, you are correct – it’s also a blur to me, I regarded it as a side show at the time and didn’t really pay attention to the outcomes.
however, they were at least good in hearing stories from all sides, ANC included. It wasn’t a court system and amnesty was used to get people to come forward, I can’t remember if anyone was prosecuted – except for PW because he refused to go.
I agree that Petty and Apartheid is an oxymoron. There is nothing minor about the humiliation and awfulness that flowed from law supposedly enacted to benefit everyone. Apartheid and Eugenics are almost synonymous in my opinion. My first real exposure to the brutality of apartheid was at the age 17 to witness two policeman grab a peacefully protesting black man by his arms and legs and swing him violently, releasing him abruptly and hearing him crash with a sicking thud into the back of one of those yellow police vans. I wish I had, had the courage to go and challenge the police officers who behaved like this. There is a lot of truth in this pithy saying:
” All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing”
@John Davidson
That’s the type of thing I remember seeing John, although I was a lot younger. You can never be blamed for not doing anything about that, I can’t even imagine what would have happened if you did confront them.
What would’ve worked? Mass outcry, internal boycotts and sanctions? Was that possible, who knows.
First time it effected me was my black friend Petrus on the farm, when I heard I had to go to school when I turned 6 and said well its ok he can come with me. I was told that he would have to attend another scfhool. We are still friends today…but the sytem never allowed him to fulfil his potential. I spent my younger years trying to ease the way for black people to integrate into white society and was branded a communist by certain of my schoolmates…they were and probably still are ignorant. The only time it returned to normal is when I was in the defence force as a conscript and the battalions of black soldiers who fought alongside us were treated exactly the same as us. So I was acutely aware that there was petty apartheid and grand apartheid. I have never condoned the bombing of shopping centres etc etc and as far as I’m concerned Russia and China have a lot to answer for, for subverting black society in SA. We now have a dissafected couple of generations who are truly lost, somewhere between being truly part of western or democratic society and have removed themselves from their tribal traditions. One can only hope that time will heal this, but we wont see it “normal” in our lifetimes. South Africa weeps aned the rest of post colonial Africa looms.
Norm, “lost” is true, thanks for your comments
interesting perspective Norman, I agree with what you say about lost generations and them having been subverted by Russia and China
Thanks for your input too John, must have been hectic to see the man thrown like a sack of garbage. Even if you were 17 nothing whiteys had been taught encouraged or allowed or gave us the idea that interference with the police or state was a good thng
@John Davidson
I dont think there would be many people who could honestly say they would have been able to do anything in the same situation.
Institutionalised racism is not an easy thing to tackle. Its rife is many many places, not just SA. And combating it is not easy, especially when there can easily be far reaching consequences for the individuals even trying !
One can only imagine the beatings you would have suffered yourself, to no end either I am sure !
It may not ease any guilt knowing this tho.
“I am not weighed down with any guilt about all this today, either. I am in no way responsible for the choices and decisions of my government or my parents.”
White guilt is unnecessary and does no good for anyone. This does not however absolve you from the responsibility of undoing the effects of those choices and decisions of your “government” and “parents”.
A blogger mentioned “ahistorical” in reference to an attitude common amongst most ‘young’ people, in particular white; the present is determined by that history. While the beneficial effects of apartheid may allow you to be ahistorical, the negative effects of it will not allow the black child born in the impoverished townships to be ahistorical.
Its all a matter of perspective!
Mos_Native´s last blog ..Almost white Never black…
Hi Mos Native I don’t recall saying anything about not undoing the effects or not being responsible for undoing the effects.
You shall forgive me then. I read your statement that said;
“I am in no way responsible for the choices and decisions of my government or my parents.”
I took this to mean that you are in no way responsible for the choices and decisions of the apartheid government.
Those choices and decisions are the major determinant of a black child being born in a dusty shack in Khayelitsha, a ‘coloured’ child being born in a run-down shack in Delft and a white child being born in a suburban house in Westville. The effects of those choices and decisions are CURRENT not past. Each of these children LIVES these choices and decisions.
No points for guessing which child chooses not to bother with how it came to be and which two look for reasons.
Mos_Native´s last blog ..Almost white Never black…
I would venture to say you may have read into my statement what was not said, or maybe I should have said that I do not appreciate or support the effects?
I read what you wrote
Mos_Native´s last blog ..Almost white Never black…
It’s nice to see the discussion going on here – but Mos, I’d argue that all three children often end up asking where they came from and trying to find out why they’re different. I teach a number of kids that are inquisitive no matter their place of birth or “status”.
While guilt is not often useful, it can be a great motivator in situations like this where wrongs need to be fixed.
However, and I mean this as a proper question unweighted in any way, does all the blame now still lie with the previous governments for all of the current problems ?
From what I hear, and I know there is a lot of sensationalism included in such reporting, that there is a lot of mismanagement in the government, local and national levels, that is leading to much of the funding and resources not reaching the corrent people.
I have seen so many “funnies” about such things, with Zuma having the showerhead etc, and can only assume that there must be some stories behind these things, whether as sensational as we think or not.
Anyway, my question I suppose was/is, at what point do the past mistakes etc stop being used to all the current issuses.
Ok, I know that is a very generalised question, but is the new government (and the peoples) taking responsibility for what it is not doing correctly ?
Thats a better way of phrasing it.
Hmmmm, I wonder if I should perhaps think these things thru before commenting ?
Nah, the rambling way of commenting often brings out the best ones
I think there has to come a time, a break-even point if you will where the current administration and people need to step up. Strangely, I know of many people who are angry when the current administration blames the former yet these same people don’t seem to get angry with the current administration. So… what’s the deal exactly?
Rob´s last blog ..Enough with the camera shake.
@Rob
Is that turning point anywhere in sight ?
I suspect we’ll only know it was a turning point in hindsight really. I have to say though – based on the kids I’m teaching now, the point shouldn’t be too far ahead. They’re already beyond racism for the most part.
@Rob
Hi Rob,
That analogy was directed @collen because she isnt.
Mos_Native´s last blog ..Almost white Never black…
isn’t what?
eight) Hello you have provided all of us an impressive post which may really assist all of us. I congratulate for your own work.