South Africa

South Africa

Introduction

South Africa has seen many transitions with the course of the time. Many changes can be observed during the pre-Apartheid and post Apartheid period. Though the democracy has prevailed the society but the ethnic conflicts along with different kinds of discriminations cannot be uprooted from the culture which is of grave concern. This paper discusses different ethnic and cultural issues faced by South Africa even after liberation.

Thesis Statement

“South African Society is unable to uproot the severe ethnic and cultural conflicts from it even after being transited from Apartheid era to the democratic system."

Discussion

Inequality

South Africa is famous for its inequality for centuries. The prevailed inequality of South African society can easily be understood by a concept of two-nation given by the then deputy president Thabo Mbeki in parliament. According to him there are two nations living in a single continent that are black and white. White is comparatively prosperous regardless of geographical or gender dispersion. It possesses developed education, physical and economic infrastructure. The second but larger nation is black which is poor. The rural population of black is disabled and is worse effected by different discriminations. It lives beneath the underdeveloped education, physical, education and communication conditions. It has no opportunities of practice equal rights.

This concept of two nations is alike of Hacker's and Disraeli's who wanted to draw attention towards the injustice in the country. Disraeli defines this inequality in terms of rich and poor, Hacker commented on the inequality in South Africa but he did not claim all whites to be rich and for Mbeki, racial differences are the grounds of inequality in South Africa (Nattrass & Seekings, 2001).

Ethnic Conflicts

Although racism exists in many capitalist and advanced countries but the most pervasive and institutionalized system of racial discrimination is within South Africa. There are four racial classifications that are used in South Africa: Black, Asian, White and Colored. Any person of mixed blood is included in the Colored category. This situation becomes more complicated when European Muslims and Sunni Arab are also included in the Colored group. Considering the majority of Catholics, many times colored is also used for religion along with race. These colored groups are often compelled to serve as buffer groups between the majorities that are black and white. When Whites took benefits from the country, Black people look at the colored people with resentment and suspicion because being at the lowest block of the status they also gain benefits. On the other hand colored people are cautious of black people who may expel their frustration and aggression of whites on colored which are more acceptable targets.

Pluralism

The perspectives of distinct cultures in South Africa the different ways in which the experiences of black majority contrast with the African hegemony. Therefore the diversity of South African nation is barely celebrated by the new democratic government. The resettlement of culture to be the centre of the country is not gained by the traditional forms of freedom rather by bargained politics that is ...