Well this is it , South Africa and as its name suggests its to be found in .......
Easy peasy , no ? What else do you know about this country , its history , its people , politics , economy , industry , trade , artists , authors , poets ?
To find out more log into :
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107983.html
or for an American point of view :
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2898.htm
But we can not talk about South Africa without mentioning the man himself Nelson Mandela . Here you can see him talking about Apartheid and the demands of the black African , to be treated as normal human beings . His fight , as his role model's Mahtma Gandhi , was peaceful .
However to be able to understand better the man , his philosophy and influence you should watch the following film which is in five parts . I have chosen to download parts 1 and 3 . For the others log into You Tube under Nelson Mandela and you will find them without any problem .
In this first part we see who he was , his role in the South African society as well as about his origins , early life and upbringing , education as well as him running away from an arranged marriage to Johannesburg . In the big city he became aware of the condition of the black man in a white society and his political conscience was kindled as a result of his meeting with members of the ANC , African National Congress .
Now view part 3 in which we learn about his trial , his refusal of defence , rather a four hour speech disclosing his philosophy : 'I have fought against white domination , I have fought against black domination . I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live but believe me for which I am prepared to die .'
We become aware of the bad conditions on Robben island which did not dampen his dignity and self-assurance . He gained respect from all around him , prisoners and guardians alike .
Nelson Mandela has become an example for us all , a Nobel peace prize winner in 1993, the first black President of the Rainbow nation and a fervent fighter against AIDS . We can see in the latest film about him Goodbye Bafana just how much his charisma , even in the most difficult times , affected people .
However he was never alone in his struggles . A young man whom we ought not to forget is Steve Biko .
We can discover this historical character both through popular movies or documentaries thus proving how important a role he played in his society and time .
Let's start with Cry Freedom in which we get to know and feel sympathy for the white South African family of Donald Woods . The latter was a journalist who , little by little , grew to know and respect Steve Biko for his political fight for the dignity of his fellow South Africans , black and white .
Now you can view the Life and Death of Steve Biko , documentary style , parts 1and 2 on You Tube , its well worth a visit . However I have downloaded a short clip in which he exposes his views about the blacks' condition .
The difficult political situation certainly led to a lot of authors , artists , popular and intellectual ,recording it in their works . The cartoon Madam and Eve which has been published for years in several newspapers and magazines , read by over 4 million people every day , has always portrayed the social and political events of its time .
You must go to :
">Link http://www.madamandeve.co.za/
Here is a cartoon from 5 years ago
Hi , who's older ,you or Nelson Mandela?
At least I know who is grouchier !
Really if you went into the archives of Madam and Eve you could find some very interesting things !!!!
As for literature per se you must log into :
">Link http://www.encyclopedia.com/category/Literature_andthe_Arts/Biographies/safrlitbio.html
and
">Link http://www.ussas.com/sa_great_writers.html
From André Brinks to Nadine Gordimer and Nelson Mandela himself in such works as A Long Road to Freedom you will learn about the life , hardships and struggles of the South African from a literary point of view .
Oh I almost forgot Tsotsi a fairly recent film in which we learn about the other side .
Enjoy and hope !
To finish I'd like to remind you that the white Zulu , Johnny Clegg , has always sung about the plight of the blacks in South Africa . You only need to listen carefully to the lyrics of his songs to realise it yourselves . Take for instance , Third World Child , or One Man One Vote !
Today South Africa is one of the most prosperous countries on the continent yet it still has many 'teething troubles' . The Rainbow nation will grow hopefully into a strong country in which 'all will live in harmony and have equal opportunities ', or as far as humanly possible at least !
Let us hope that the recent ethnic killings of Zimbabwean migrant workers don't continue and that poverty for some as well as unemployment for others don't make the natives forget the years of fighting against a real opponent , the Apartheid system . The violence , robberies , rapes and murders should be curbed and all energy put into building up that glorious nation of free people !
Unfortunately , viewing documents about the recent events in the country leads one to believe that the Presidents following Mandela are not up to the job he started . According to certain political observers , journalists and former countrymen the gift of hope is being squandered by President Mbekti at the moment and could very well be massacred by Zuma , the President of the ANC who , in this coming year could gain the leadership of the country !
You should look carefully at The New Poor , a 15 mins document on You Tube . I do suppose it is a bit biased but it gives a certain point of view worth considering . Likewise log into CNN take notice , about the lack of foresight into the needs of electricity and other resources . You will find the document , in three parts , about Crime in Johannesburg both interesting and familiar . I say familiar because it gives me a sense of 'déjà vu ' ..... thinking of course about the situation across the Atlantic in the USA . Guns , guns and more guns ..... local groups fighting themselves against crime because the government is incapable of doing anything concrete to stop it .... and so on and so forth !!!!!
As for the problem of immigration , one would think that it shouldn't exist . However The New Apartheid 1, 2 and 3 will reveal a completely different story . Part 2 is well worth a trip !
So the honeymoon is over and the after Mandela government has not lived up to his reputation . Watch this first episode of Panorama (there are three in all ) ,a very well known documentary programme in Great Britain , in which Fergal KEANE , a journalist , goes back to South Africa to ask a few questions . One is , I am sorry to say , left in doubt as to the outcome of the Rainbow Nation .
