Twenty years of
democracy…
How the decades have
flown.
By David Batzofin
“Has it REALLY been twenty years? SERIOUS”? I hear you ask.
And the answer is a resounding “YES”.
I could unpack the past two decades in the context of the
rest of Africa however, I believe that we in South Africa are unique.
Yes, we do have similarities to other African Nations, but
there are more positives than negatives here “at home”.
That being said, as I write this there is the shadow of
load-shedding hanging over my internet connection (If you are reading this,
then I was able to finish, and mail before the power vanished)
We have potholes that can swallow cars whole and traffic
lights that are more out of order than operational and yes there might be beggars
of all colours on every street corner.
Is that the way we are to judge the past two decades?
The negatives are always front of mind, but if we dig into
our memory banks we will discover that are a plethora of positives that will
bring a smile to our faces.
Like waiting for hours for Nelson Mandela to be released
from the Victor Verster Prison. The TV announcer had to ramble on with no
archival footage to back up the time on air. A dripping tap became the analogy
for “Madiba’s time in prison…and the length of time he took on the day to be released
from the system.
His speech on the Grand Parade in Cape Town was a milestone
in our history and set the tone for his Presidency over the coming years.
And to be fair to Cape Town they had Table Mountain as the
backdrop to that momentous occasion.
We had been warned to stock up with tinned goods as “fire
and brimstone” was about to be unleashed on us. It did not happen and in 1994,
we all stood in queues while some of our citizens were allowed to vote for the
very first time.
Mandela’s release ( aided by the outgoing National
Party),allowed us back onto the world stage in many areas previously denied to
us.
As the old flag came down we stepped proudly onto that stage
with the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the first democratically elected
President of the “New South Africa”
Sport was one of the first barriers to fall. Unfortunately
many of our sportsmen and women were past their prime and thus missed out on
earning a living from their chosen field.
But we did get to take part in the Olympic Games. And even
if there were more managers and delegates than athletes, we watched as some
proved their worth.
Yes, there were teething problems as some of our citizens
came to terms with the changes that were being brought about.
Not everyone was happy and many of the older folk hung onto
the notion of “rather the devil you know”. Humans are not designed for change
of any sort, large or small, and there was resistance. But the majority won and
most embraced those.
I suppose the old adage ”You can’t please all of the people
all of the time” is apt , but to quote Bob Dylan…”The times they are a
changing”…and change they did.
The previously disadvantaged were trying to become
advantaged and those that had benefitted from the past 48 years of Nationalist
rule, were offering apologies left right and centre. Ministers from the old
regime emphatically denied that they were involved or that apartheid even
existed.
Yet we all soldiered on…bravely looking to a brighter future
in the not too distant future.
The modern generation were not prepared to wait another 48
years for change and were trying to right the wrongs as quickly as possible.
Not always with success though.
Fast forward to 2010 and the Soccer World Cup. All of us
proudly wore Bafana Bafana shirts (There were counterfeits, but they provided
work for street vendors)
We did not do well, but that did not stop us “showing the
flag”
And now we find ourselves in 2014…20 years into a democracy
that still has its ups and downs.
We have been through three Presidents, some good and some
not so good.
We have lived through the death of Nelson Mandela and
survived, and we are about to face another election.
Will the masses vote for radical change? Will young Julius
Malema and his band of merry EFF men be victorious?
Only time and the ballots will tell.
In the meantime, let us be grateful for the Protea cricket
team, ongoing soapies on TV, the strange use of the English language, some of
the best wines in the world AND the fact that love us or hate us, we are
PROUDLY
SOUTH AFRICAN.
VIVA US, VIVA.
This article will also appear in the April Skyways magazine.
This article will also appear in the April Skyways magazine.
