42.9% of South Africans can be considered to be poor, with less than $2 a day to live on. The majority of these are black South Africans. The main reason as to why the majority are blacks is racial inequity. “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” - Nelson Mandela. Racism has gone on for centuries in South Africa and even though most people thinks it’s over, it’s not. The rights of millions of people are at stake, it’s worth fighting for because they have worked hard all of their lives and been through a lot of difficult times. Laws have been applied to help restore racial equity, but education is crucial to influence children to be open to all cultures, and unfortunately positive discrimination has taken it’s toll on the future generations of Afrikaners.
The South African government has applied laws in hopes to minimize racism. More rights like BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) which gives Blacks economic privileges which haven’t been available to them before, should be brought up. “It seeks to ensure broader and meaningful participation in the economy by black people to achieve sustainable development and prosperity." — BEE Commission Report, pg. 2. This law gives the black economy gives blacks advantages, such as freedom in their career path which helps them create some stability financially. Others laws to support blacks have also been put in place since Nelson Mandela took charge for example affirmative action which opens Blacks in South Africa to more political freedom. Since Nelson Mandela’s rising point he has made his top priority to restore racial equity in South Africa. “Consider myself neither morally nor legally obliged to obey laws made by a Parliament in which I am not represented. That the will of the people is the basis of the authority of government, is a principle universally acknowledged as sacred throughout the civilized world.” -Nelson Mandela. In this quote Nelson Mandela reckons that if you are obligated to obey a law made by a Parliament in which you are not represented, and the parliament does not listen to what the people want, the government is uncivilized and should be looked upon disgracefully. The laws which the South African government has introduced has been a crucial part in how South Africa has developed racially. Even though laws play a big part in how South Africans act, a proper education of how people should act around others who are of a different race is vital for a minimal amount of negative racial discrimination for future generations.
Education affects how not only children but also how adults perceive other races for example, There are still racist groups which raise Afrikan teenagers through summer camps to live a racist lifestyle. The “Kommandokorp” group which raises children to only learn to live in peace with their own kind, and all other races are unacceptable. These groups have to be stopped because they are more or less brainwashing innocent teenagers to mistreat blacks simply for their race. Education of anti- racism is what could possibly keep South Africa safe from racist affiliated civil wars in the future. The Bantu education act was founded in 1953, it’s main service was to enforce separating educational facilities racially. This act ensured that Afrikans would have a better education than the blacks, and negative racial discrimination couldn’t be debated back then because the government was run by Afrikans who were bias towards the blacks. The educational systems in South Africa have to change in order to reduce racism, groups which influence have to be stopped, and the South African government needs to make sure that the majority of unethical treatment towards blacks is stopped. Although racism towards blacks in South Africa is still strongly alive, their Government’s new laws has made it a lot harder for whites to find jobs today.
With the advantages for putting in place laws which empower blacks, although they have benefited the blacks these acts of positive discrimination have caused some whites to struggle economically. Affirmative action and BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) are two out of several laws which have affected South Africa the most since they were applied. It has given blacks “employment preference” which means that companies opt for recruiting them instead of whites. From 1975 to 1990 the real wages of black manufacturing workers rose by 50%, that of whites by 1% due to positive discrimination through laws. Numerous complaints have been filed by Afrikans complaining that they can’t get jobs because of the laws which have been put in place by the South African Government. In the past Afrikans have been superior to blacks economically, but now in modern day the tables have turned which has caused Afrikans to struggle economically. BEE has given blacks a boost in rights, but unfortunately it has caused a decrease in employment rates for whites. “South Africa is all about the black people now; this government that's in power does not care about us white people. Every year our children graduate from universities but cannot find jobs” -Johan van Tonder, Building contractor. The blacks are delighted for being empowered economically, but since there are only a limited amount of jobs, some whites have been put in financial jeopardy because of the preference black South Africans. The South African Government has to balance the rights of their populations’ races. If the government manages to find a sustainable method, racism will be reduced immensely because feuds and jealousy due to different racial rights will be ruled out.
If more fair laws are put in place by the South African government to give more rights to blacks, but not affecting the whites, both races will exceed racially. Educational systems in South Africa have to teach children to understand racism is incorrect, and that all races are equal. Racist groups in South Africa have to be shut down too. The South African government has to find a way to balance the rights of their country’s races, in the past South Africa has been an anti- black country, but in modern day due to positive discrimination it’s pro- black which is unfair for the whites. If a fair racial balance of rights can be found by the South African Government, South Africa will be able to thrive as a united country. A darker woman who used to live in South Africa in the 1970’s had to go to the ninth floor in her office every day at work in order to simply go to the toilet. She became pregnant two years after she started and seven months into pregnancy she finally stood up for herself by going to the toilet on her floor. She was later reported by her co- workers, and confronted by her boss, and she said, “What kind of a society is this where someone cannot go to the bathroom on their floor because of their skin color?” Her boss was startled by her bravery and couldn’t find any reason as to disagreeing with her, so her and her other darker co-workers could use the bathroom on their floor. The way that she stood up for herself was truly inspiring, even though she fought for such a small cause like rights to use a bathroom, if every black could stand up for their rights assertively like she did, blacks will be able to handle the social part of racism in South Africa, which will help the nation to be well on their way to ending racism.
