Apartheid: A black man's scapegoat?

Can we blame some of our social ills on apartheid? Yes we can! Some of us may not live to see a South Africa that has equal opportunities for everyone. But here's the catch in all this, we cannot divorce ourselves from the problems that are clear that they cannot be blamed of the legacy of apartheid. When you switch on your television, you see young black men and women idolising the likes of Kenny Kunene. Some go as far as calling themselves Izikhothane. Kids from poor backgrounds burning banknotes and tearing their trendy, expensive clothing. When you channel hop to another channel, you hear of teens falling pregnant just so they can have access to the R280 social grant. Then tell me how can we expect the Annual National Assessment of our schools to produce any encouraging results?

Can we really say that these kids are the legacy of apartheid? How can you say yes when you have self-motivated youngsters of the same age who grew up in child-headed families, but still have thirst and hunger for education? How are they different from the Izikhothane and those having unprotected sex, having children just to loot the hard work of taxpayers? Does being poor mean you have to be a burden of the already struggling economy. Why can't the legacy of apartheid make us all determined  to be part of the economy.

Township schools are now producing another generation of underpaid farm workers. They are breeding the next generation of exploited domestic workers. There are way too many people that I know of that flourished under far more desperate situations. There is lack of discipline. The black man's disease of self-hate can be diagnosed on this youth that cannot see beyond being an Izikhothane or falling pregnant for ridiculous reasons.

While we give apartheid, a break, where are the teachers? Call them for a Sadtu conference they will come with potbellies in their red T-Shirts and Edgars sneakers. But call them for a round table discussion on how to get the education system right, there will be a low turnout. Our teachers are politicised and they love it. I'm generalising for a good reason. It is the majority of our black people that suffer at the ends of teachers who lack passion. And some of them are the sad realities of apartheid because careers were limited in their times. They failed to change the cour of their lives by not Educating our children.

I am not going to touch on the political leadership. We all know deep in our Nkandlas that we are misled.