Sorry for Apartheid

For the past few days I’ve thought intensely about the difference between a verbal commitment to reconciliation - saying that you’re sorry and a physical commitment to reconciliation - being sorry.  Alexander Venter in his book “Doing Reconciliation” quotes Rev. Mxolisi Mpambani :

There were two boys living opposite each other.  John stole a bicycle from Tom and then after a year John came to Tom and said, “Tom, I stole your bicycle and what I need now is reconciliation.” Then Tom looked at John and said: “Where is my bicycle?” He said: “No, I am not talking about your bicycle now, I am talking about reconciliation.”

I’m wondering how you would respons to this specific conversation?

My idea is definitely not to preach, blame or teach anyone anything in this space. As a 31 year old Afrikaner I am currently a ‘victim’ of affirmative action and this situation is forcing me to evaluate and rethink my assumptions and theories about post-apartheid South Africa. As Afrikaners we normally don’t even like referring to something like post-apartheid South Africa, we simply want to talk about South Africa, moving on, forgiving and forgetting! But as the beneficiaries of the apartheid regime we are not morally or logically afforded the luxury to determine when it is time to ‘move on’. As I think about the situation, and try to imagine myself in the shoes of non-Afrikaners, I realize that it will take a very long time for the wrongs of apartheid to be put right.

Consequently, if I have to pay for the sins of my father and grand-father, so be it. Justice is not limited to individual cases, but pertains to era, race, geography, economics etc. The ‘I never voted under apartheid’ excuse simply do not cut it, because our new young post-apartheid Afrikaners are clever enough to make all our excuses and complaints on laptops, in our nice houses as a result of the privileged upbringings we had. Personally, I know that my refusal and resistance to engage with ‘the new South Africa’ was partly due to a lack of consciousness about the reality of ‘the old South Africa’.

These thought are relevant for all Afrikaners, but if you are on of the 90% of Afrikaners claiming to be a Christian and actually think that means following the philosophy and example of Jesus, then post-apartheid South Africa presents an exciting platform for a life of unselfish love and service. I’m discovering that when I am self-focussed, materialistic and negative South Africa is not a fun place and Australia and the USA calls me with charm. Yet, I like to call myself and other Afrikaners ‘African’, despite the whiteness of our skins. However, if I consider the rates of whites running away from Africa to the greener economic pastures of England or Australia, I wonder if we are really as African as we profess.

In the Anglo Boer war we spoke of bittereinders and hensoppers, today I’m wondering “where is the loyalty?” ans what happened that Afrikaners have grown such an appetite for running away and being hensoppers? Why not stay? And if we stay, lets not stay secluded in our white suburbs, white companies, luxury malls, expensive holidays- let’s engage with the real South Africa, becoming part of the solution- not the complaining choir! I’m getting sick of myself and my Afrikaner friends always complaining about the same things, but not willing to say sorry and make restitution by using our enormous wealth and other resources to make a difference!

For the next few weeks a few of us will dream about this site and the real-life journey it represents. What does it mean to live in South Africa as a generation that benefited from apartheid? What is our responsibility as followers of Christ in regard to this question? This site will inevitably draw people who are either excited about the subject or those who feel that it’s an absolute waste of time …