Farewell South Africa

In a few days, after spending almost ten weeks here, I will leave South Africa. I am not in any position to offer a comprehensive assessment, but some whole-country reflection seems called for.

South Africa is a beautiful place and South Africans are beautiful people. Almost everyone I met has been gracious and hospitable, more so than in the USA where people’s work-related busyness often gets in the way. The diversity of cultures and languages is stunning and I didn’t even scratch the surface. This is an gorgeous place and South Africans, both black and white, love the land.

The country’s unique history is well-known, but it is fascinating being here and seeing its effects. Most stunning to me was how apartheid era housing laws still seem to provide the basic blueprint for where most people reside.

South African history was made while I was here, most importantly the resignation of Jacob Zuma soon after I arrived. This event colored my whole experience of South Africa because most people—not everyone—is feeling optimistic given that Zuma is no longer the country’s president. The tenor of my time here would have been quite different if Zuma was still president. Zuma was even in court for the first time last week facing 16 of the 700+ charges against him, further demonstrating the change.

Winne Madikzela Mandela, the mother of South Africa, also died last week. Lisa and I walked by her house in Soweto when we were there three weeks ago. While I haven’t run into any Zuma supporters, people have different perspectives on Winnie.

Crime is a problem and I received regular reminders from people here to be careful careful careful. But crime is a problem in many places and it’s hardly an unexpected issue in a country with such a high level of economic inequality. What was surprising to me is the degree to which it is not just crime against property, but often includes physical attacks. There is a strain of violence here that extends beyond crime. I think of the neighbors who burned down the orphanage near White River or the Vyborg politician who threatened to beat up his son’s teacher.

Immigration and emigration are big issues. South Africa attracts people, both black and white, from many other countries, especially from southern Africa and from Europe. I often asked my Uber drivers where they were from and only one of them said South Africa. There are lots of people here from Zimbabwe—or Zim, as it’s often called. Several white people who I’ve asked where they’re from, including one just today, said ‘Rhodesia.’ (Robert Mugabe’s resignation in late November after 37 years in power was a hopeful thing that happened regionally soon before I arrived.) And then there are those white South Africans fleeing to places like Canada and Australia.

There are still some things I don’t understand. Why do so many people smoke cigarettes? What’s up with white South African men wearing shorts all the time? And I still don’t fully understand the coloured identify in present-day South Africa.

Here is a final—hopeful—story. Yesterday I visited the Solms-Delta vineyard in Franschhoek. Ella Solms came on exchange to the Athenian School two years ago and hosted a student from my school. A few years ago a trust was created and 45% of the vineyard is owned by the workers at the vineyard.

After buying some wine to give as gifts yesterday, I went to buy a soda for myself. I ended up chatting with the assistant winemaker for about 30 minutes and heard much of her life’s story. She feels a great affection for the USA because she spent two months in Virginia as part of a black empowerment program. She is the descendant of slaves. Her last name is February. Many slaves coming into Cape Town were given the last name of the month they arrived, so there are people in the region with last names from January to December.  She said that she works at Solms Delta because they give opportunities to local people that no one else would—such as training her to be assistant winemaker.

Thank you, South Africa. I won’t be gone for long. It looks like I’ll be back in 11 months with a group of Athenian students.