South Africa - Peace is a choice

It seems so easy to put people into boxes and label them. Blacks are black, whites are white and that is that.
But it is not that easy, as some are finding out in the new South-Africa. Some blacks are white and some whites are black and there are a few who are both or neither.

Being born in Pretoria, South-Africa, with a white skin and an Afrikaans upbringing would automatically have me labelled as racist and conservative. My non-racist South-African English-speaking mother was raised by blacks in the old South-West Africa, now Namibia. My Afrikaans-speaking father has compassion and understanding towards black people and taught me this, through the height of Apartheid. I am sure this must be incomprehensible to a great deal of black and white South Africans.

In the apartheid years;
I played pool with some black guys in a remote bar in Swaziland. Not once did we talk about politics.
I joked around with border guards in Botswana.
I watched soccer with black families in Mamelodi in Pretoria. 
 I did have to dodge rocks on my way in and out of Mamelodi, but then I also had to endure hate talk and assault because of my non racist view points from people in my own neighbourhood..
There are plenty of white Afrikaans people with no racist bone in their body.
What fascinates me is how difficult it is for the racist whites and blacks to accept this peacefully.
 Race hate is not conducive to happiness, move on.

Due to my love of travel and desire to experience different cultures, I find myself out of South Africa now for 6 years.
The distance has given me a perspective that perhaps I might not have had if I had stayed. It seems from where I sit that crime fuels racism in both blacks and whites, and this fuels hatred.

Having a look back at South-Africa 12 years after the fall of Apartheid, the country is still wrapped up in racist hatred.

It seems the country is still divided into two groups but these two groups are not black and white anymore. One side is made up of people want and yearn for integration. The vast majority of this group wants to forget about the past, because they want to work on the present and future. The other group comprises of people that finds it difficult to integrate for various reasons. Some blame it on the past, others on the incompatibility of different cultures.
The majority of this group live in the past, despise the present and have a vision of violence for the future. They have no hope.

Both groups are made up of black or white  citizens of South Africa.

The future of South Africa lies in the hands of the group who is either the majority and/or in control of the country.

Every single South-African has a choice to make. You can choose your future.

Below are some points to help you make your choice:

1. Every single country on this planet is made up of different cultures and ethnic groups no matter what their skin colour is.
2. Black and White people contributed to the fall of apartheid.
3. The majority of White people want equal rights and voted so in the 1994 elections.
4. The majority of Black people want to have security and live a peaceful life.
5. White and black people worked together in organizations like the Black Sash and UDF to bring an end to Apartheid.
6. The past 50 years have seen a drive towards peace and understanding between South African people of all races.

If you are striving towards a white or black South Africa you are a racist, regardless of your skin colour.
Cultures across the planet are merging, you can not stop this, but you can ensure that is happens peacefully or through acts of violence. It is your choice.
Keeping cultures apart, Apartheid on a legal or social level, is not a practical solution to a country’s security. Security and happiness can only be achieved through mutual respect, understanding and an integration of all people within society.

Doe John