And that only if South Africa has a decent education system in place now. The bootstrap from being really oppressed can take a while.
Christian Persecution vs Persecuted Christians
- Status
And that only if South Africa has a decent education system in place now. The bootstrap from being really oppressed can take a while.
10 years is optimistic even if the current system is top notch. There are all kinds of societal/internalized attitudes to be overcome. In the USA, we're 40 years out from our major societal civil rights reforms, and there is still a negative association in our community about education & "acting/talking white".
Homicidal_Squirrel
Adventurer
Consider that the Bantu Act purposefully segregated blacks and forced on them a substandard education system designed to ingrain in them that they had no need for education; it's no wonder that education doesn't seem important to the current leaders that grew up in that system. Hendrik Verwoerd said “There is no place for [the Bantu] in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour … What is the use of teaching the Bantu child mathematics when it cannot use it in practice? That is quite absurd. Education must train people in accordance with their opportunities in life, according to the sphere in which they live.“
I wouldn't expect people who came out of such a grotesque educational system to value education enough to make any significant changes to it, much less know how to fix such a system if they were interested. 20 years is not enough. 40 years won't be enough. It will require a much longer period of time, and it will require other changes in society. Again, this is a consequence of apartheid.
I wouldn't expect people who came out of such a grotesque educational system to value education enough to make any significant changes to it, much less know how to fix such a system if they were interested. 20 years is not enough. 40 years won't be enough. It will require a much longer period of time, and it will require other changes in society. Again, this is a consequence of apartheid.
Sadras
Legend
True, however it is not like there are no educated black people in South Africa, that is a big misconception to make. The three presidents before him (including the interim/acting president) were all educated. My contention being that he (the current president) was one of the least qualified, if not the least - out of the respective candidates.
@Dannyalcatraz is most likely right on this - however we have had some amazing young black politicians enter the fore already. Unfortunately their voices are drowned out by the opposition and by keeping the masses 'dumb-down' which is an age old tactic to ensure votes do not go their way.
20-30 years could work if there was no political corruption, essentially the ideal we all (perhaps naively) hope for.
Homicidal_Squirrel
Adventurer
Well then it's a good thing I didn't assume that there were no educated black people in South Africa. My point was that the current President was a product of apartheid education. Even the people that voted him into the Presidency are a product of that system.
South Africa isn't the first country to elect the least qualified candidate as President (or whatever title the leader has), and it won't be the last. That being said, why didn't the previous leaders make more significant changes to the educational system?
There is no government on earth that is free of corruption. I'm thinking it's going to take you the better part of the next 100 years to get things in order.
Sadras
Legend
I do not agree with that assessment and sounds like it is going down a path of horrible excuses . Here is a quote from Nelson Mandela, a person that even the illiterate admire "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
You're mistaking greed for ignorance and it is common for those excusing all their current ills and crimes on Apartheid. It has become a joke in South Africa. No accountability whatsoever is what is eating at moral fibre of society, not just here - but everywhere.
We like to play the blame game - and if I were so inclined I would place it on Adam and he would in turn blame Eve and she would blame the serpent...and it would blame it on Apartheid.
Last edited:
Sadras
Legend
Agreed and sadly true. It is in the nature of man to bitch though
They have and they did and as I said before there are signs of progress, but the underprivileged are dealing with an archaic culture and traditions, an embedded gang life in their neighbourhoods, prevalent violent crime and many other life hardships. It is difficult to educate effectively under those conditions.
Last edited:
Well, there is a question - who taught them to think that way?
It is not a sin to be a child of your environment. What environment were they given?
I believe one relevant phrase would be "reaping what you sowed."
It is going to take time, and there WILL be further injustices. Probably in both sides of the divide.
But things WILL get better if cooler heads prevail.
It is going to take time, and there WILL be further injustices. Probably in both sides of the divide.
But things WILL get better if cooler heads prevail.
Sadras
Legend
At what point/age does one of a certain environment commit a sin? Stealing is bad in every culture I know. I can excuse the masses for voting a 'charismatic' person into power, but to make the argument that the president is sinless at the age of 70+ due to the apartheid environment which fell away when he was 50 is a bit of a stretch to me.
Imagine ML-King became president of USA and 15 years on another black man became president and was implicated as well as his cabinet in a number of corruption scandals with no real repercussions following, would you say that he is sinless because of having a previously disadvantaged background?
I can certainly see the point you are making, but to a limited degree.
- Status
