Reconciling Apartheid

Of late, I have been reflecting a lot about my time in Africa in 1995. It is partially because my Human Rights class has talked a lot this semester about different parts of Africa, especially the Sudan and South Africa. It is partially because of my research on the West Bank and the "Apartheid Wall" being built there. It is partially because I am old enough to look back to that time in my childhood through a different lens and some degree of "perspective."

Today in class we watched (most of) a documentary called Long Night's Journey into Day which recounts parts of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions established in 1995-6 by the new South African government led by Nelson Mandela. Desmond Tutu was appointed head of the Commissions.

Apartheid in South Africa ended in 1994 and the new, democratic government began to take over. My family and I lived in the country to the north, Zimbabwe, for six months in the following year. We visited South Africa while on holiday in June of 1995, and now, looking back, it seems a certain kind of insanity to think that we were there during so much unrest.

But to be honest, it seemed perfectly reasonable at the time. We spent most of our time in Durban, but we did visit (and flew in and out of) Johannesburg. Durban reminded me very much of Miami, but with many Indians rather than Cubans. Johannesburg was another story. My contact with it was somewhat limited and vehicular in nature. That is to say, we hired a white, female tour guide to show us Johannesburg. She refused to take us anywhere but downtown, and she would not let us get out of the car. Most of what I remember is that it was raining, and there were lots of people on the streets, mostly blacks, and lots of open shops. The streets and shops had a somewhat antiquated character (like being in the 1950s), but it was well-maintained and well-used. There seemed to be a lot of commerce in both cities, which amazes me now, as I am now more cognizant of the immense political turmoil during that time.

When I lived in Zimbabwe, we often read in the Harare newspaper about protests, rallies and subsequent casualties that were occurring all over South Africa. There were several plazas that we visited in Durban where just weeks or days before or after, demonstrators were gunned down or killed in riots. It seems really unbelievable and surreal now, to think that I was so surrounded by conflict which to my present-day, East-End Louisville resident self, often seems rather remote.

I suppose I'll write more about this as I reflect more... But these were a few things I was thinking about as I watched the documentary today.