South Africa expatriates mark Freedom Day

Dubai: Two decades since South Africa rid itself of apartheid, some South Africans in the UAE believe that their country has not fully achieved its dream of being a truly free multiracial nation, but it is getting there.

South Africa on Sunday celebrated its 20th Freedom Day after three centuries of racial division between whites and blacks. The Dutch and English colonised the country in the 17th century, which brought about ‘white minority domination’. The apartheid laws executed in 1948 institutionalised racial classification and discrimination countrywide, sparking protests among the indigenous people of South Africa.

On April 27, 1994, however, all that changed when everyone was given the right to vote in the country’s first democratic election.

Willie Labuschagne, a consultant conservationist based in Abu Dhabi, clearly remembers that day.

“Everybody was very keen to participate. I went there early because the queues were miles long. They had to reprint the ballot so that everybody could participate — the ballot was larger than an A4 paper,” Labuschagne, 69, told Gulf News.

Labuschagne said South Africans had been aware that reforms were needed even before then. “The big problem was how to do it.”

He added that his country has made great strides in achieving freedom and eliminating segregation over the last 20 years, but discrimination still exists, although it has taken a new form.

“Twenty years ago, resistance was between the blacks and the whites. Resistance now is much more a case of black and black because they weren’t getting what they had been promised. There is also a common concern about discrimination against the white males; they’re losing career opportunities that’s contributing to brain drain in the country,” Labuschange said.

“We need at least five to 10 years more for our new democracy to [flourish], where politicians and parliamentarians will truly understand their responsibility.”

Claire Young, a full-time mom and homeschool teacher, agreed.

“They’re getting there. It’s gonna take probably five more years to see South Africa achieve that dream [of equality and no discrimination],” Young, 35, told Gulf News.

Young said discrimination is no longer racial but more on financial due to the huge gap between the rich and the poor.

“Neighbours don’t know each other; everyone is in his own little bubble. No one wants to get involved because they don’t want to offend anyone. We’ve gone from one extreme to the other,” Young said.

Jarno, 41, said that although South Africa’s corruption problems have gone worse, he is confident the country will overcome it in time.

“South Africa is a beautiful country. I really hope things don’t go south. We have people — blacks, whites, Indian, coloured — dedicated to achieving this and we will pull through all this.”