Heritage day reminds us about who we are , what we have done and what we need to do in South Africa . The following are the comments I made at a heritage day event in Elsies River today I am a coloured , I was part of the black oppressed group and I am an African , my political choices are key in defining the direction that the W Cape takes in relation to being part of South Africa and the African continent The W Cape is made up of 50% Coloured , which defines both a cultural and a race identity . In SA we historically define ourselves as racially distinct groups , even though we know that neither whites nor blacks are absolutely homogenous groups . Neither are coloureds a homogenous group, with the exact same cultural practices, displayed by all . Todays coloured group arise from various configurations amongst the first inhabitants of SA and so differ from person to person , but still form part of this broader group. There is no agreed to, set definition, for people defined as Coulored in South Africa, especially in the light of the blurring of the lines between the tribes. But the group defined as coloured [ for lack of a better known word now ] has a very specific and defined origin. Coloured could be defined as the group that was the accumulation of people who before 1834 found themselves working as slaves in South Africa . The traditional Xhosa communities refused to work for the Colonialist . The slaves were largely made up of the Malasian and south and east indian imported slaves, along with the indigenous tribes of the Baster , san and Khoi , and then the intermingling of the Dutch and the British colonialist . The Slaves were a very skilled group who essentially built the Cape we know today. So this group emerged long before the Apartheid state defined people as coloureds , and there identity and culture is a constantly emerging development, as people strive to give meaning to their lives and codify there values and cultural practices. Their accumulation of cultural practices were those of the Malasian culture, infused with the San and the Khoi and others , affected by the colonialist . This is not an unusual phenomenon , as cultures are constantly emerging and is broadly defined as creolisation , a feature of identification underway in africa and many other continents. This is largely the construction of an identity out of the various cultural elements and features, of the merging group. Many Coloureds have some common features, like the 21 birthday bashews tafel and the Bobotie meals , as well as incredible work ethic of artisans , and an entreaoreneural and industrious spirit. This emerging identity has to be engaged and specifically codified , so tthat future generations have a sense of history and legacy that they can relate to . In part this will help them to respond to the sense of social fragmentation underway in a large section of our communities , as well giving hope and direction to our linage. This would responds to a deep desire in a large section of the coloured community, of self identification as a distinct group , as coloured . So instead of trying to destroy how people see themselves , telling them that they are ignorant for seeing themselves as coloureds. It is time to re-imagen what it is to be identified as coloured , through a much broader sweep of history , that takes us right back to the 17 th century. An individual is defined by their identity , which is a broad concept that includes racial , cultural, societal and political identity. This identity for a long time was predominantly defined by race, as previously we were seen as less than white , but more than black , with a focus on the texture of our hair to the shape of our noses. We are not, only on the side of black or on the side of white, as coloured we are, who we are becoming through this emerging identity , because ours is a separate , but not a lesser identity . We have liberated ourselves from the stigmatisation of mixed race , from a racist time, when race mixture was denigrated. We are part of the African continent , where our common sense of humanity and our dreams of being a rainbow nation is the ambition . But it cannot come about by erasing the differences we have , or asserting that one is better than the other. The new normality is diversity , complexity , integration and an active sense of undoing the wounds of our past and bringing our people together as one. In the process of undoing the past , restoring the social fabric and charting a way into the future, we have to examine what defined us politically . SA must show the same accommodation to Coloureds , that were shown to whites/. We must also be really carefull, to not let coloureds feel alienated from the new SA and fearfull of the new Government. So these Employment equity cases in correctional services must see government saying clearly that Coloureds are a designated group and must be advanced in terms of the Provincial demographics , when that was the 1994 political promise . In the unfolding instiitutionalisation of Apartheid , the National Party defined Coloured as better than black and declared the W Cape a Coloured preferential area for employment . This led to many coloureds being complicit in the marginalisation of blacks , in the W Cape in particular and so they started disassosiating from things African. The large part of the Coloured Community started to identify with their foreign roots and there ueropean ancestors , which led to them seeing the African franchise of 1994 as a threat to their special place of priviledge. This has led to many Coloureds siding with the sections of the white community who wanted to defend the Apartheid generational advantages. That section of the coloured Community who were progeressive and fought against apartheid in the democratic movement , fought against racial oppression and identified themselves as black and part of the oppressed majority. This was the dominant discourse amongst the legitimate coloured leaders , who were not colloaborators, But in some strange way this charactiration of the struggle, pushed many coloureds into the camp of the defenders of Apartheid priviledge. That is why many coloureds voted against the party of Mandela in 1994 , which was before the ANC made some of the mistakes it had, that some coloureds use to justify their views today. This historical development still defines a big part of the political agenda and strategies that are unfolding in the W Cape. Some parties talks up the fears in the new Government and promotes the sense of separation from things African, that many coloureds still feel today . We must however realise that we are in Africa and we must be part of the project of building a home for all, that extends prosperity to all . This agenda of defending the generational advantages of Apartheid , serves the interest of those who are not really commited to the values of a new SA . This route of cynicism and separation also feeds into the historical hostility of Apartheid and does not present a sustainable route , in which to realise our ambitions of a united SA. There may be some who can run overseas when things, blow up because of the refusal to share SA fairly , but the rest of us must build a sustainable home for all . Coloureds are part of this Country and this continent , they must play their role in pursuit of their own interest, as part of the whole. Coloureds are not part of some disaffected interest group , who needs numbers to support their defence of Apartheid priviledges, by undermining democracy. The future is only served honestly , when we engage in a manner that persues our interest , mindfull of the social injury of Apartheid, that still permeates all aspects of SA life . It is absolutely essential that coloureds work together with Black, White and all other race groups to advance a more fair and just South Africa. So vote for which ever party you want to ,but don’t vote against a united, fair and equal South Africa, that seeks to undo the terrible legasy of apartheid. This is an extract of a presentation done by Tony to the Cosatu Provincial Executive committee
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 18:12:47 +0000
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