November 17
This article was featured in a magazine called “The World
Weekly,” which I’m very glad I discovered because they pick out the most
interesting world affairs happing each week and break it down for the reader.
This article reports on an incident in which a young black man walking down a
tail when two white men approached him with a gun, kidnapped him, and shoved
him into a coffin while threatening to lite in on fire with petrol. Crowds of
several hundreds then gathered in protest to denounce the horrific
manifestation of white supremacy, which homes at the same time as the Fees Must
Fall protests, putting South Africa in a state of unrest right now. At this
point, I don’t think anyone is denying that the FMF protests are about race, as
the tuition fees disproportionately affect black students and families. The
article reports that a 2011 government census found that on average, black
households earned six times less than white households, which likely has not
improved considering South Africa’s economy has experienced high inflation in
the last few years. The article then moves into analyzing the recent discontent
with the ANC, as youth are frustrated that the government has not fulfilled the
promises made by Nelson Mandela. The younger generation born after 1994, the
so-called “born free” aren’t feeling as free as they were promised they would.
As they enter into the work force, they are experiencing exclusion from certain
socio-economic opportunities. The born free generation will no doubt play a
decisive role in the 2019 general elections. From the look of the Fees Must
Fall protests, he younger generation may be ready for a regime change.
No comments:
Post a Comment