There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour ... What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice? That is quite absurd. Education must train people in accordance with their opportunities in life, according to the sphere in which they live.
Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, South African minister for native affairs (prime minister from 1958 to 66), speaking about his government's education policies in the 1950s. As quoted in Apartheid - A History by Brian Lapping, 1987.
I need to start with an explanation of my desire for this blog...
I met a man yesterday who introduced me to a term I had never heard before. The man was Kevin Mark Pass and I was at his house as he doing a family portrait for us. After the session he was showing us around the house. He had bought the house from a deceased estate and the house needed a lot of TLC. One of the first things that needed to be done was that there was a wall about 1 metre away from the boundary wall. This was built so the owner of the house did not have to see or interact with the domestic worker as he or she came into the house. Kevin called this the 'Apartheid-era wall'. Since then I have been thinking (despite numerous warnings not to) and realised that there are many South Africans like Kevin who are bashing down the walls that apartheid built between people.
Racism is hated in many circles in South Africa, despite the rantings and ravings of those in leadership who try to tell us the opposite. I feel that too many leaders in our country are re-building 'Apartheid-era walls' while the people of our country try and break them down. There is a need in our country for race-free meaningful dialogue about the issues that are affecting us. A view of the State of our Nation from the grassroots, a view from the people, a view from the bottom...
