Welcome to South Africa

Welcome 2 ZA, welcome 2 massive poverty, obscene inequality & such horrible outbreaks of disease, murder, rape, malnutrition, suicide, HIV Aids, homelessness & scale breaking numbers of orphans. Welcome 2 the harsh reality of raging racism & the still glowing embers of slavery; the prison of poverty. Poverty defined is the deprivation of those things that determine the quality of life, including food, shelter, clothing & safe drinking water, but also intangibles such as the opportunity to learn & the respect of fellow citizens. Could you imagine living day in, day out, without any of these? Many people in ZA live without any of these things. Perhaps this is why they are only expected to live to 50. Every 10 seconds someone dies of some unquestionable reason that in our society we would find totally unacceptable. Racism is another factor which is adding 2 the instability of ZA. By its simplest definition racism is the belief that racial differences produce a clear superiority over a particular race, religion, colour, ethnic origin or group. Certain sections of society maybe denied rights or benefits, or get special treatment. Before 1994 in apartheid ZA people were classified according to the colour of their skin. The history of racism in ZA is appalling, for example in 1836 inadmissible human zoos were set up to parade the black people which they labelled ‘niggers and savages'. They were forced to do things with no clothes on and beaten to near death if they refused to do so. White skinned people thought they were of more value than a dark skinned person. They honestly believed that dark skinned peoples only use was to slave for them. When a problem occurred it was the black persons fault. Personally I feel that this frame of mind is arrogant and stupid, but also ironic. How can you call someone ‘coloured' when black, brown and white are all colours. The apartheid was a list of restricting rules imposed upon the blacks to segregate them from white people. When it was removed individuals who had previously supported apartheid publicly apologised, including F W de Klerk. He said â€Å"I apologise in my capacity as leader to the millions who suffered wrenching disruption of forced removals; who suffered the shame of being arrested for no reason; who over the decades suffered the indignities and humiliation of immense racial discrimination. As expected the years and years of anger at being constantly humiliated exploded and fears that the change of power in ZA would be violent were confirmed. It was here that the song ‘Beeko' was released by Peter Gabriel which repeated ‘when I try to sleep at night, I can only dream in red, the outside world is black and white with only one colour – dead'. All of this has supposedly passed and now according to the image the govt portrays the country is fine. I know from times out there that this wound has not completely healed. It still very much black and white in many situations. There are black schools, white schools, black shops, white shops, and black houses are of poor quality whereas white houses are of normal, even spectacular standards. I went into shanty towns where houses are made of iron, wood and rubbish. Sidney Smith said † It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little†. Taking out food to kids who are the same age as my cousins and younger, who are orphaned, starving and sometimes HIV positive, even dying, changes your view on the world. If they were born into our country they wouldn't have had these problems. We live in a society where people cannot see just how much they have, but also how much they take for granted. If Gov. like ours all over the developed country world gave a little money to ZA the poverty wheel would could end and the turmoil would be left behinf. Money CANNOT sort out everything. Perhaps if wealthy, stable and lawed coutries showed compassion to the younger generation of ZA who have not seen the horrors of their relatives past the world would change. This is the generation which will change Africa. KOFEEE ANNAN said â€Å"things get better when enough people decide they should. Things change when countries come together in a common purpose† The time to act is NOW. There are many things that could b done 2 correct the injustice. There are things even you and me can do. To quote HILLELL â€Å"If now is not the time to act, when will it b†