South Africans Fight to Save Their Communities

Itinerary: Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Tuesday’s activities were my favorite of the class so far. The morning started with an outing to Christine Revell Children’s Home where the group was given the opportunity to play with the children and tour the facilities. Next we traveled to the Khayelitsha township to tour Vicky’s Bed and Breakfast and visit the local kindergarten. Vicky’s was an incredible experience because she described several of the programs that she initiated to help the community, including providing free school supplies to the children, distributing bread and fruit to community members twice a week, and allowing students who earn good grades on their report cards to go on free trips to local attractions. Around noon we headed to lunch at Dr. Layne’s favorite restaurant, Lelapa, where we were serenaded by a traditional band and treated to an African cuisine, complete with ostrich. We ended the afternoon with a tour of the Univeristy of the Western Cape. Tuesday was my favorite day because the group got to experience such a variety of attractions and get the  feel of South Africa.

South Africans Fight to Save Their Communities: Langa and Khayelitsha

South Africans are struggling to save their communities in a literal sense by trying to protect their land. The South African government has started a project to replace run-down shacks in townships with more appealing district housing. Although there a few positive intentions behind the project, the main goal is to give tourists who will be arriving for the World Cup in the winter a more optimistic first impression of South Africa. In fact, on the bus ride to our hotel upon landing in Cape Town on the first night, our tour guide made a point to show off the new housing developments along the highway. Unfortunately, as the government clears townships to make way for new housing, natives are losing everything that they have worked so hard to maintain. A quote from Kaffir boy accurately reflects this thought, “When the white people came, we had the land and they had the Bible; now we have the Bible, and they have the land (218)”. Members of the township are forced to provide money for the new homes, or relocate to different areas that will also soon be demolished. Therefore, South Africans are struggling to protect the land that is rightfully theirs.

South Africans are also struggling to save their communities in a metaphorical sense, by keeping the traditions of their community alive. It is difficult to raise children with the values of tribal culture, when everything in the world is telling them that those cultures are wrong. In Kaffir Boy, for example, the main character, Johannes, is raised in a very traditional tribal family, in which ancestry reigns supreme and witchery is an everyday occurrence. When he enters the white world however, he begins to question all of the values that he has inherited. Unfortunately, children raised in today’s society are faced with opposition from modern religions that invade the townships and convert the people. Again, this is portrayed in Kaffir Boy. In chapter thirty-six, two missionaries visit Johannes and his friend Limela in hopes of getting them to realize “god’s light”. When Johannes refuses to accept the truth of the missionaries, the response is, “Ignorant as you are, your soul right now is tumbling into hell! By blaspheming against God and His Holy Word, you’re committing a sin so huge one hell won’t be enough for your damned soul to roast in (220)”. Tribal beliefs are very much present in today’s townships as well. Recently, the class had the opportunity to visit a witch doctor in the Langa township. There we learned that up to ten people a day visit the doctor to seek remedies for sickness, potions for luck, and drinks for prosperity. While these beliefs may exist in the minority in most of the world, no one has the right or ability to prove them wrong, yet many continue to try.

Witnessing the struggles of the South African people firsthand has raised many questions in my mind. Although people in the townships may not own much, they have worked extremely hard to feed and house their families and accumulate the few belongings they do have. Therefore, is it fair for the South African government to come and take it all away? Is relocating natives to new housing the best option for the people? Will the South Africans who are currently living in townships be able to afford the new housing in the future? Similarly, although I do not personally believe in the tribal religions, I understand the importance of keeping them alive within the community and preserving the traditions of tribal ancestors. Therefore, should Christianity among townships be negatively perceived? Should missionaries be allowed to continue their work of “saving the sheep of God”? And, should the government be doing more to permanently conserve the traditional values of the townships in means of work that are accessible to the community?

-Jamie Schatz