We Have Come Very Far People of South Africa

In the 1930’s it was rare for a black South African to attend college. But Mandela not only attended, he graduated, got a degree from law school, and set up a practice in Johannesburg which he hoped could support his small family. Yet apartheid was always a humiliation to him. When the Afrikaner, or Dutch South African, Nationalists came to power in the 1948 election, the segregation habits of the past three hundred years became law. Hoping for a brighter future, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) and became its first Youth Leader.

Black South Africans were forced to live a life that was forced upon them. In the document, A timeline of South African History, Africans were forced to do dangerous jobs and were paid far less than a White worker (Doc. #1). This shows that

Twenty years into democracy, the high poverty rates of the post-Apartheid government is an indication of the high income inequality and also a clear view that improper policy formulations or planning. The ANC at some point forgot to create policies which could be consider or uplift ordinary citizens instead of benefiting those who are already better off, and to add up, the current situations encountered by the current leadership is an indication that they have not advanced to narrow down the income or economic inequality gap between the rich and the poor. However, let’s give them credit that at least there are few rich black people than before even though there still remain the dominance of white people on the economic platform of getting

I have always thought that Nelson Mandela has been one of the most important people in history. I find it very fascinating that one man could end the Apartheid and that is why I want to find out more about this. South Africa is a country with a past of enforced racism and separation of its multi-racial community. The White Europeans invaded South Africa and started a political system known as 'Apartheid' (meaning 'apartness'). This system severely restricted the rights and lifestyle of the non-White inhabitants of the country forcing them to live separately from the White Europeans. I have chosen to investigate how the Apartheid affected people’s lives, and also how and why the Apartheid system rose and fell in South Africa.

Throughout the history of Europeans imperialism in south Africa, native south Africans were exploited, used as slaves and servers for the Europeans. The south African people were treated unfairly for a long period of time. The south African couldn’t have more patience about their situation, so they started a war. They got their independence later after the war. This colonization that happened had positive and negative effects on south Africa.

The Atlantic article by Kenichi Serino, entitled “How Apartheid Haunts a New Generation of South Africans”, discusses the lasting effect of the segregation system in South Africa, specifically focusing on young adults and the way in which they face limits due to lasting racial sentiments in areas such as education, as well as job opportunity. Serino succeeds in provoking an emotional response in the audience through the avenue of powerful and strategically placed quotes, incorporated with the grim reality of the situation. Additionally, the author of the piece sets out to familiarize the audience with the concept of apartheid through his informative style and also, inform the reader of the long term injustice suffered by Africans in the country long after the initial period of official discrimination.

The most compelling story of fighting flagrant oppression and injustice occurred during the twentieth century in South Africa. The symbol of Nelson Mandela being released from prison in the late nineties after decades of confinement represents the roaring social prejudice, and on an even more prominent scale, the economic discrimination of the “native” South African people during the apartheid era. The social and economic hierarchy of South Africa, one which placed blacks at the bottom, traces back to the colonization period of the country. As a time of warfare which exacerbated a widely held sense of divine entitlement, the colonization era provided the Dutch and English settlers with the power to claim South Africa for the country’s location and resources in order to assert their global dominance. The desire to remain an international influence resulted in the settlers implementing several different systems of oppression, some of which still have lasting effects in South Africa, even in the present day. The identity of South Africa eroded as the Europeans remained in the country. Mainly through the Anglo-Boer Wars, the sense of unity and culture held by Africans was dismantled as Europeans continued to encroach onto South African soil and separate themselves from black Africans to portray their culture as the international authority.

Imagine being systematically oppressed from the moment you exited the womb. All your civil rights, based on the amount of melanin in your skin. Drinking from the wrong water fountain, could even get you thrown into jail. Coincidently; this was the life, of black South Africans from the moment of Dutch colonization in 1652, to the first true democratic election in 1994. Apartheid, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans; was legal segregation enforced by The National Party (NP) from 1948 to 1994. It legally imposed preexisting policies of racial discrimination on the Majority of the South African population. The entire basis of the racist policies, was the darker your complexion the less legal rights you had. Presumably this injustice, could have continued much longer if it weren’t for all involved in the fight against the NP, however the man who arguably contributed the most, was Nelson Mandela. He ended an apartheid, with both his philanthropy and political prowess. He united a nation that used to be segregated; which seemed a daunting task at the time, but through the sweat and bloodshed he achieved the impossible. This alone exhibited his heroic characteristics, but to be more precise: both his actions and inactions lead to his success. Furthermore, Mandela was both a strong leader and forgiving at the same-time. Being in the forefront of the abolishment movement, was an extremely risky move during the apartheid. He risked his life for what he believed in, and this personal

Africa is a continent rich human and natural resources, yet a majority of its people is impoverished (Carr). South Africa, later called the Republic of South Africa, is a country where the people repeatedly experienced injustice and corruption from their government, the apartheid and the African National Congress. The South African people suffered from injustice and corruption in both white and black governments. The apartheid system consists of all-white government officials, while the African National Congress consists of people of color. The leaders of apartheid and the ANC both participated in corrupt and unjust practices that resulted in the ill-treatment of the people, poverty

In the years following the First World War, South Africa became part of a major labor movement that involved many workers of mines, textile industries, agriculture and other major businesses that made up the economy. Labor movements played a big role in the South African society politically and economically. The movements took a major role in creating many unions and with that many protests, boycotts, and violence took place in various sectors of the South African society. Workers from regions of South Africa were discontent with the economy of their society, because it had taken a tremendous toll on them including their family and friends. A major union formed in South Africa that played a huge role on the influence of the society politically and socially was the Industrial and Commercial Union also known as the ICU. “Among African and Colored workers, the discontent found expression in the formation of the ICU first in Cape Town, and then rapidly throughout South Africa.”1 The formation of the ICU, influenced workers in different sects of the job industry to form other unions starting a major workers movement that shaped the way we look at South Africa today.

Some periods in human history are simply shameful. The period of apartheid policy in South Africa was one of these times. Apartheid featured a rebirth of racist legislature in South Africa from the 1950s to the 1990s. Essentially, these laws treated people who were not white as completely separate from society; the term apartheid literally means “apartness.” The national legislature in South Africa wanted to suppress blacks and ensure a white supremacy in the government. Basically, political goals predominated over human rights. Fortunately, enough support eventually rallied to abolish apartheid. Nevertheless, it was still unjust and devastating. The South African government’s policy of apartheid was a deplorable chapter in human

Every country has a story to how it made a name for itself regardless if it was good or bad. Today the beautiful South Africa is known as the rainbow nation, for it’s diversity in culture. However, that name was earned after many blood rivers and broken homes.These “blood rivers and broken homes” I speak of occurred during an era called Apartheid. The name “Apartheid” is an afrikaans name which means segregation. It took fifty years for South Africa to redeem itself from being known, for violence and destruction. Liberation and freedom was in high demand but it wasn’t up for trade. The National Party Government of South Africa was a white government who loved the gift they had seen in South Africa however, who likes sharing gifts?

South Africa endured one of the worst colonialisation any country could have went through, whereby the Apartheid regime objectively disregarded the economic participation of the black over to those of the white population. However, the new democratic government would thereby be challenged with effectively having to deal with the challenges in which the past government had left behind. Therefore, in effectively trying to deal with the issues, alternative approaches have to be implemented in order to deliver on the challenges of the public. On the contrary, this essay will critically compare and discuss the liberal and free market, as well as the state interventionist approach as alternative solutions in dealing with current issues of social security, the health and school systems. Which would be able to transform current developmental challenges facing South Africa. In summary, the essay will thereby state which approach can transform South Africa in effectively dealing with developmental challenges currently facing South Africa.

I am proud to be a South African. I am aware of the flaws within the country but am inspired by how far the nation has come since the times of apartheid. Nelson Mandela has been a huge inspiration to me as he managed to channel his disappointment, anger and oppression into becoming a passive, empathetic and positive leader and president.

Having spent a year living in the beautiful country South Africa in 2010, I experienced first-hand how colonialism deformed the nation and its