The world lost one of its truly inspiring leaders and visionaries December 5 in South African President Nelson Mandela, at the age of 95. Mandela’s story is, by no exaggeration, an amazing one. The white South African government’s policy of apartheid was a hideous example of racial discrimination and segregation. Because of his fight against apartheid, Mandela served a 27-year prison sentence. Mandela was able to overcome all of this and bring about the end of apartheid and in 1994 became South Africa’s first truly democratically elected president. But as we say goodbye to this legendary man, South Africa is far from racially equal “rainbow nation” that Mandela dreamed it would be.
South Africa has made positive strides economically since UN sanctions and international pressure to end apartheid essentially crippled the South African economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, while South Africa has been able to host lavish events like the 2010 World Cup it remains very economically depressed for the majority of South African citizens. South Africa currently ranks second behind the country that lies within its borders, Lesotho, for the largest income-inequality gap in the world. Despite the intense debate and outrage over income inequality in the United States, America ranks 41st. While apartheid might have been officially ended politically in 1993, this enormous wealth disparity is in a sense social apartheid. What has essentially happened is that the white minority population that was able to prosper under the policies of apartheid, has continued to prosper with the economy’s reemergence, helped greatly by previous educational advantages and possessing the majority of employer positions. All while the economic turnaround has caused mass urbanization of black South Africans and has led enormous outbreaks of slums or “townships.” Additionally, while in the past whites tended to live within the country’s large cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg because of the economic opportunity and the exclusion of the black population, the mass urbanization of blacks has led to large populations of whites moving to wealthy gated communities outside of the city. This continued separation of the races is a policy of neo-apartheid with the only difference being the lack of political outrage toward it.
It is also no secret that the continent of Africa as a whole is widely affected by HIV and AIDS. South Africa as of 2009 ranked fourth-highest in the world of percentage of adults infected with HIV. While white South Africans are by no means not affected by the disease, the vast majority of infected South Africans are black. An important factor in these high rates is the lack of sexual and medical education. As knowledge about the dangers of HIV crashed into western society during the 1980s, the vast majority of the black South African population remained ignorant to the disease and even passed it off as “white man’s propaganda.” The South African government failed miserably in educating its citizens about the disease as well. Thabo Mbeki, who served as president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008, even went as far as to publicly suggest that beetroot and garlic could help prevent HIV infection. The lack of sexual education in heavily populated black regions will turn the already extremely high level of HIV infection to catastrophic levels if something is not done.
South Africa is a land known throughout the world for its stunning beauty and fierce wilderness. Unfortunately, for most of its recent history it has been mainly know for racial oppression and inequality. Nelson Mandela was not only seen as a savior for the black South African community, but also served as a beacon of hope for the entire nation. His courage, humility, vision and perseverance fostered an intense love for the man that many South Africans referred to as “Tata,” which is the tribal word for father. South Africa faces enormous challenges ahead and if it is to overcome these challenges, it need only look to the wisdom of Nelson Mandela.
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
—Nelson Mandela
The world lost one of its truly inspiring leaders and visionaries December 5 in South African President Nelson Mandela, at the age of 95. Mandela’s story is, by no exaggeration, an amazing one. The white South African government’s policy of apartheid was a hideous example of racial discrimination and segregation. Because of his fight against apartheid, Mandela served a 27-year prison sentence. Mandela was able to overcome all of this and bring about the end of apartheid and in 1994 became South Africa’s first truly democratically elected president. But as we say goodbye to this legendary man, South Africa is far from racially equal “rainbow nation” that Mandela dreamed it would be.
South Africa has made positive strides economically since UN sanctions and international pressure to end apartheid essentially crippled the South African economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, while South Africa has been able to host lavish events like the 2010 World Cup it remains very economically depressed for the majority of South African citizens. South Africa currently ranks second behind the country that lies within its borders, Lesotho, for the largest income-inequality gap in the world. Despite the intense debate and outrage over income inequality in the United States, America ranks 41st. While apartheid might have been officially ended politically in 1993, this enormous wealth disparity is in a sense social apartheid. What has essentially happened is that the white minority population that was able to prosper under the policies of apartheid, has continued to prosper with the economy’s reemergence, helped greatly by previous educational advantages and possessing the majority of employer positions. All while the economic turnaround has caused mass urbanization of black South Africans and has led enormous outbreaks of slums or “townships.” Additionally, while in the past whites tended to live within the country’s large cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg because of the economic opportunity and the exclusion of the black population, the mass urbanization of blacks has led to large populations of whites moving to wealthy gated communities outside of the city. This continued separation of the races is a policy of neo-apartheid with the only difference being the lack of political outrage toward it.
It is also no secret that the continent of Africa as a whole is widely affected by HIV and AIDS. South Africa as of 2009 ranked fourth-highest in the world of percentage of adults infected with HIV. While white South Africans are by no means not affected by the disease, the vast majority of infected South Africans are black. An important factor in these high rates is the lack of sexual and medical education. As knowledge about the dangers of HIV crashed into western society during the 1980s, the vast majority of the black South African population remained ignorant to the disease and even passed it off as “white man’s propaganda.” The South African government failed miserably in educating its citizens about the disease as well. Thabo Mbeki, who served as president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008, even went as far as to publicly suggest that beetroot and garlic could help prevent HIV infection. The lack of sexual education in heavily populated black regions will turn the already extremely high level of HIV infection to catastrophic levels if something is not done.
South Africa is a land known throughout the world for its stunning beauty and fierce wilderness. Unfortunately, for most of its recent history it has been mainly know for racial oppression and inequality. Nelson Mandela was not only seen as a savior for the black South African community, but also served as a beacon of hope for the entire nation. His courage, humility, vision and perseverance fostered an intense love for the man that many South Africans referred to as “Tata,” which is the tribal word for father. South Africa faces enormous challenges ahead and if it is to overcome these challenges, it need only look to the wisdom of Nelson Mandela.
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.”
—Nelson Mandela
