Summary: South Africa’s Economic Apartheid: Could growing frustration over the country’s economic disparities have major repercussions for the ruling ANC?

In this episode of “Inside Story,” presenter Shuilie Ghosh speaks to Anthea Jeffery, head of special research at the South African Institute of Race Relations; Adam Habib, labor law expert and professor of politics at University of Johannesburg; and Tony Dykes, director of Southern Africa, which is an organization working for justice, democracy, and development.  The episode focuses on the proposition that South Africa is engaged in economic apartheid almost twenty years after racial apartheid was formally ended.  At the time of the episode’s filming, protests of South Africa’s miners had begun to intensify and South African forces had fired bullets against miners.

South Africa’s total mine reserves are valued at $2.5 trillion and are some of the most valuable in the world.  The mining sector accounts for 18% of GDP in South Africa.  However, many of the people who work in the mines live in poverty making on average $500 per month.  With unemployment at 22% since 2000, these workers are increasingly providing for additional dependents in their families who are unable to attain work.  Many miners have demanded increased wages and benefits, but miners have become divided.  The dominant National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is believed to be closely tied to the state and to the mine owners, while the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) has promised war over pay and living conditions.  The mine owners have continued to become richer while the mine workers have not gained any benefits.  The current situation has been labeled as economic apartheid.

Anthea Jeffry argues that since the ANC came to power in South Africa in 1994, distance between the ANC and the electorate has grown.  She goes on to explain that there has been increased unemployment, awareness of corruption, factionalism, and the sense that the ANC has been callous towards its supporters.  She concedes that the division between those who have and have not always been large.  Jeffry has observed that each year there are more dependents because of high unemployment and that the ANC has tried to focus on redistribution rather than growth and that this has priced unskilled South Africans out of jobs.  Jeffry goes on to argue that the most critical need in South Africa is to amend labor laws and improve the schooling system so that there is a sense that Africans have a part in the economic system.  Jeffry concludes that current President Jacob Zume is not likely to be voted out of office because he is Zulu and there is no clear contingent against him.

Adam Habib disagrees with Anthea Jeffry and argues that the problem in South Africa has been its focus on growth rather than redistribution.  He argues that there is a need for an industrialization plan that will increase unskilled jobs in the market.  Habib goes on to posit that the miners find that as much as the ANC has abandoned them so has the business community abandoned them.  This has meant that “mine workers feel marginalized and they feel like they have been forgotten by the power holders in society.”  Habib concludes that Jacob suma will likely be re-elected as president of South Africa because he has a large home base that accounts for half of the state and because there is no contender.

Tony Dykes argues that there is a continuing divide based on race and gender and a growing divide based on class.  Dykes sees the Black economic schemes as having been for the benefit of the elite rather than for local citizens.  He thinks that the recent protests in South Africa serve as a wake-up call to everyone to get their act together and play a role in the economic transformation of South Africa.  Dykes agrees that Jacob Zuma will likely be re-elected by the ANC, but cautions that the election should be about not only the leaders but about the ANC’s policies.

Reaction

            It appears that the so-called “economic apartheid” is not new to South Africa.  Economic inequalities have increased for years, but there were present in 1994 when formal racial apartheid ended.  The recent protests by mine workers in South Africa have illuminated the issue.  It is important for South Africans to become engaged in the issue and to institute policies that can help everyone.  This is especially important as South Africa’s total share of GDP in Africa begins to decline. 

South Africa’s Economic Apartheid: Could growing frustration over the country’s economic disparities have major repercussions for the ruling ANC?, Al Jazeera.com, Sept. 6, 2012, 11:45, http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2012/09/20129682047476842.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

Summary: Colour me South African

        The article "Colour me South Africa" focuses on the various racial dynamics in post-apartheid South Africa. Even post apartheid, many blacks remain psychologically scarred of Afrikaners' treatments. Many Afrikaners were brought up with the idea that blacks were inferior to whites, an idea that is still in the process of being edited. Since 1950, South Africa has been spilt into four groups: Whites, Asians/Indians, Coloureds, and blacks. And Although South Africa is now post-apartheid, racism is still a problem; however, it seems that in some cases blacks no longer are the victims. Past mistreatment has caused them to play the race card against whites and turn the tables on the past. But whites are still not so innocent in this case. Some still carry the thought that there should be separation between the groups.
 
        However, many whites feel like they have been stereotyped as racists and have no opportunity to leave this image. They are punished for the events of their ancestors. Many feel like they have lost all their power and have therefore lost interest in politics. Even before the ANC came to power, many whites began to leave South Africa, people that were needed such as doctors, teachers, and engineers.
   
       There is still a great amount of racial tension in South Africa. I believe the solution for the problem is well stated in the article that we cannot "fight racism with racism" and that we must "look at what is right and wrong [rather than] who belongs to what race." Luckily, race tensions are starting to improve with over half of South Africans stating that they have good hope for the future of all races. In order to strive for a peaceful future, racial tensions must be addressed.

Reading Summary: Social Anomie and Racial Segregation in SA

The article "Social Anomie and Racial Segregation in South Africa" by Denis Huschka and Steffen Mau gives us a deeper look into the sense of a lack of social regulation or integration in post-apartheid South Africa. The authors' premise is that, following apartheid, South Africa underwent huge social and institutional change and thus experienced increased anomie, or a "loss of general social orientation, the development of feelings of insecurity and marginalization...and the questioning of the legitimacy of core social values."

Basic Definition of Anomie: Emile Durkheim defines social anomie from a sociological perspective: when a society lacks social norms due to large social inequalities. Robert Merton adds a cultural element to the definition of anomie, and defines anomie as the inability of certain groups to attain socially accepted or valued goals.

Racial Integration: In post-apartheid South Africa, there has been political equality, but social inequalities still run rampant: there have been only slight improvements in education, job opportunities, and financial security. As a result, a new social hierarchy within the black population has emerged, due to unequal access to political and administrative power and material wealth. Thus, despite major political reforms, race continues to be the main divisive factor in South African society - blacks are the most socially disadvantaged.

The main take-away from this article is that political equality does not necessarily translate into social equality. For South Africa, full integration of social equality will take time, and anomie will continue to exist until integration in all areas of life (economic, social, political, educational, etc) are in effect. It takes every sub-group within a society to contribute to this unity. 

Welcome to the 2012-2013 American University Alternative Break to South Africa Blog! (That was a mouthful!). Here you will find information regarding the trip and a host of activities, readings, service projects etc. that we're doing as preparation before we leave on December 27th!

So, what this trip is about? And why have we chosen to go to South Africa?

Our social justice theme focuses on gender, youth, and HIV/AIDS in post-apartheid  South Africa within the framework of Ubuntu.  Ubuntu is the philosophical principle that emphasizes the importance of human connectedness.

As Desmond Tutu explains, we can’t exist without one another: this is the motivating force behind this trip and a key philosophy of all alternative break trips. Structural injustice and human interconnectedness have tied contemporary issues related to gender, youth, and HIV/AIDS together within a larger struggle against race- and class-based discrimination in South Africa, requiring massive cooperation in the spirit of Ubuntu to generate a community response.  

The goal of this trip is to examine how South African-born organizations are addressing these three issues in hopes to be able to make connections to similar issues we face in the United States.

Check back often for more updates!!!