The Psychology Of Our Oppression – Part 1

(By Simphiwe Dana )


There is a systemic problem in the make up of black society in South Africa, and in Afrika as a whole. That there are a lot of other factors at play is clear to all but the ignorant. The levels of disunity, violence, powerlessness, helplessness are epic

... it seems that we left something along the journey to our emancipation. Something that no money can buy. The interrogation that must happen here cannot be under the scrutiny of a hackling public. It is deeply personal and opens unhealed scars.

I always say Afrika needs one big shrink. Afrika is a people in shock, a people feeling withdrawals from the violence that was visited, as if a normality, on their bodies, implanted in their collective memory. It is a shock that some think they have managed to escape. It still haunts them though…because the window is a mirror. No amount of money will get you out. No shopping sprees in Paris, no accolades, will help you maneuver your way out. The only way out, is in. Even God is impatiently waiting for us, whispering through our ancestors, loud voices…words that get stolen from lips by the whirlwinds of our forgetfulness. We have travelled for so long with our heads to the ground we have forgotten the beauty of our path.

I cannot quite put my finger on it…how we so quickly fell apart at a moment that should have been our triumph. I can try but I feel it is not my place to do so.

It is time to interrogate what we are now, what we were before, and what happened in between. We should not fall into the trap of glorifying our pre-colonial existence, or of underplaying its relevance. Rather, we should be analytical without judgment so we can find sight of our true selves and value.
This is why this is a private undertaking. Because your pain, your shame, your prejudice are yours to own and own up to.

And this is also why it is difficult to quantify the outcome of this interrogation. This is why it is difficult to brand package it for the masses. It is a personal journey. No two experiences are the same, but the outcome of the interrogation will be.
 

...aught to be pondered by the public!

The following note was written by Simphiwe Dana and I am posting it here as I believe the ideas have merit and aught to be shared- and educate the masses (about Gogo Helen Zille's party. YES!).

 

What is Liberalism?

 

Posted by Simphiwe Dana ⋅ August 2, 2012

 

Liberalism is the idea, born out of a privileged existence, that if you can do it anyone else can. A skewed idea of equality that is blind to the socio-economic issues on the ground. An idea that, in fact, treats those mired in the most poverty with contempt. – “We’re equal so pull yourself yourself together man!” – is the liberal idea of equality. An idea that will give birth to a police state. Because it is oblivious to reality, but, must enforce law and order to protect its privilege. Liberalism post colonialism, is neo colonialism.

 

Now you know!

 

Please do visit her blog.

Thanks

The truth behind the silence

So… I’m aware that I haven’t blogged in,  well 'a minute' would be a gross understatement- so I’ll just leave ellipsis dots and let you do the math.

And I thought I had succeeded from mulling over that fact until an acquaintance questioned it’, and to which I retorted ; “well my mind’s frozen into a paralyzed lump, so…”

Such garbage! Made my conscience cringe! Sometimes I worry about myself, really. Anyway, here it is, the truth behind it all:

I keep a diary.

Go on, have a good laugh- I always do.

Yes, acquaintance- I lied. My mind's not frozen into a paralyzed lump, NO! It hasn’t shriveled into a tiny ball, it still is what it's always been- whatever it has been. I have been writing, but there are pieces that I feel like I need to save your eyes and mind from.

“Then why write if you’re not willing to share?” I can hear that!

Well, sometimes there are words that, try as you may to keep them inside on some pretext and in attempt to see if they can perceptibly cool off, they just rattle into view.

Try as you may to wrench yourself away from the 'need'- you're pinned to it!

And so, helplessly, you give in- and like an idiot, you find yourself dancing to their rhythm, drowning yourself as you try to analyze the art swarming through the mind. And seemingly never in the mood for elucidation!

So kick me for being so powerless to fight the delighted sigh that escapes through the fingers- plucking my being, and leaving words beautifully strung together with gravelly delight.

Call me silly, a coward, but this pink thing right here is like a gull soaring in the wind. It's my therapy and in it, I'm reborn! 

 

Kenny Kunene’s letter to Zuma - The Star | IOL.co.za

Kenny Kunene’s letter to Zuma - The Star | IOL.co.za

The Land Question

Okes. Hope I meet you all in good health? anyways... so I have finally plucked up the courage to write this rather unsettling political piece. You see, I’m a very political being- but being invested in debates and arguments that are centred in the idea of race. Mate- I have had little interest in all of that.

Unfortunately, recent events have been a stark reminder that we still have people who suffer from the stereotypical mentality that racial dissonance was designed to achieve in the first place

Just recently- I was called a ‘white messenger’ for saying we need to work with each other to find ways to ensure ‘equitable distribution of land to ALL present inhabitants.’ The Pile of Excrement!!! Of course I was tempted to swear and belittle his ignorant, insensitive and political illiterate self, and for having the audacity to show the world his reasoning capacity smaller to that of a nut!!! But I didn’t.

You see, the land question is another thing bedevilling race relations in this country. It really halts us from reaching racial integration, social unity and harmony. Every time the subject comes up, most people just show their lunacy.

It cannot be denied that most blacks in South Africa were dispossessed of their land through apartheid policies. And yes, white people did leave their ancestral land & came to brutally murder & harass black people in Africa. Our grandparents- parents, sisters and brothers, like animals- were assassinated- that issue CANNOT be taken blithely; its history- our heart-wrenching history and we will NEVER forget! And I'm ALL for people being compensated for wrongs done to them in the past.

Someone said- “The rights of the original owners are paramount and cannot be disputed.” And that is truer than the truth! The past few weeks I was in Sterkspruit, the sadness I felt when I saw places like Ugie, Indwe and Elliot with so much land, but with white predominance!! It was depressing, and even more heart wrenching when I saw black people squashed up at some filthy street corners, buried so deep in the vicious cycle of poverty that they don’t see a way out. The sight was even more despicable knowing that they demand ‘their’ land EVERY day, the land that will allow them to live in dignity. It made me think, ‘we haven’t risen up against our oppressors.’

You see, Black people were Promised Land in the run-up to the first election during 1994, and the government has the power to enforce the acquisition of the desired land to live up to that promise [and I’ll try and deviate from the fact that involved various government departments and institutions such as the Landbank fail to oversee this crucial matter. I’ll try!]- However, be that as it may, I find inhabiting 80% of it downright selfish!!

Yes- maybe whites have no claim to the land in this country but why dispossess one ethnic group in order to give to another? Do we really need to change the system to anarchy?

The issue is sensitive, but its matters we don't really comprehend that we solely approach with raw, primitive emotion. South Africa, you cannot rectify one mistake with another. And not occupying the rest of the country does not mean we don’t own the rest of it. We and I mean rational people of ALL races should determine how we could save our land. It shouldn’t be about "who was here first"-but better management of land than it is at present!

And to the bigots, racist remarks and the outrageous reading of history will not build- but break South Africa. We have, in a way or another- experienced the same prejudicial outlook on life, but we have also allowed our attitudinal ineptness and addled psychological prowess to be cleansed. That said, I hope you open your eyes and see all obstacles in your way.

And on a brighter note, I think the Land Tenure Security Bill is a pretty suave move.

http://cr8vmynd.tumblr.com/post/53268892040/south-africa-we-once-had-leaders-they-lived

Blog Explained...

"Nothing to me is taboo. If you read anything you consider taboo, shameful, repugnant or maybe disrespectful- stop reading now. As black people we are taught to never talk about your shortfalls or imperfections because the enemy will rejoice. I don’t believe in that. Well they could rejoice, but I believe we are all in the same struggle as human beings (more especially women). We are looking for the same answers and saying the same prayers. Who knows, maybe in one of my inserts I could potentially help you with a challenge you are facing, through my challenges.

Don’t judge me through my posts. I’m living this life the best way I know how."- http://namsunrestricted.wordpress.com