Rainbowism: a concept of wraps and traps

Will the problem of racism ever end in South Africa? South African society seems to be at odds when it comes to issues of cultural identity. After much work had been done by different stakeholders since the birth of a democratic society in 1994, the progress made seems to backtrack every-time racist tendencies protrude themselves. This is against the backdrop of an ideology which the democratically elected government of the day proclaimed and the masses embraced. In the following discussion we ask: does the rainbow nation exist? For many, rainbow ism remains an ideal concept for nation building but at what cost to the cultural identity and liberties of individual race groups?

The Rainbow Nation is a concept that was coined by Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu after the success of the national elections in 1994. The concept was further elaborated by the then president Dr Nelson Mandela when he proclaimed:  "Each of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bush-veld - a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world". What this simply suggested was that from 1994 on-wards, South Africa would become a united country where everyone was represented by the colors of the rainbow, united in diversity. Although the concept earned the respect of many, both black and white, this move by the newly elected government came as a bit of a surprise to certain sections of the black community radical voices of black community. 

For sections of the white community, rainbowism was a advantageous in that it did not only dash some of the hopes that black radical thinking had during the fight against apartheid - a thinking which suggested that blacks were "going to chase away whites towards the sea after the struggle against apartheid was won". Of course, this radical thinking was not only a black thing since there also existed voices of dissent and radical white conservative thinking. During apartheid, Pan Africanist and Black Consciousness Movements were founded to align members of the black community with a political ideology which reinforces self knowledge and self pride. This political ideology was by then appropriate given the many decades of colonization where African cultural identity was nullified as barbaric and belonging to the dark ages. Has the struggle for cultural affirmation being won since 1994?

The idea of introducing the issue of race and racism in South Africa to this blog to try and understand the qualms, misconceptions and perpetual stereotypes which exist within society today. And although the discussion was not meant to be exhaustive, the amount of wording already here suggests that there is so much to be questioned, so much to be investigated, so much to be empathized as long as we dont go off topic. So, before i get carried away by the magnitude of the racism problem in South Africa allow me to make reference to Professor Louise Mabille's recent racist remarks regarding rape. 

After 20 years into a democratic dispensation, South Africa is still home to individuals in the white community who still perceive blacks as inferior and therefore deserving of the insults such as the one which Professor Louise leveled against blacks and in particular black culture. From where i write, it seems like the problem of racism is complex and transcends many dimensions. That still, the dimension i intend to highlight has more to do with the broader political ideology which was introduced by the then incumbent president Dr Nelson Mandela; who contrary to what many black political radicals in movements such the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) and the Black Consciousness Movement(BCM) thought would happen -  and that is "sending all whites back to their homelands via the sea". When that did not happen, many of those who were affected and  traumatized by decades of apartheid rule had hoped that the process of healing through reconciliation that was started by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission(TRC) would give justice where its due. But all of that did not happen. In fact looking back, for many in the black community in 2013, the TRC was nothing but a slap in the face mockery kind of an exercise which did nothing to sort out the social, political and economic problems emanating from the past.

Since the ideology of "forgive and forget" was advocated for, problems for the South African population have escalated more than subsided. Every-time a white person calls a black person a baboon and a black person calls a white person master, local black residents fight, loot or even kill non South African black people from Ethiopia or Mozambique  we are reminded of a reality that many have lived to deny for twenty years: South Africa is divided and we are living an illusion. Say whatever you like about social cohesion but the phenomenon of claiming social cohesion or unity or reconciliation through dubious measures such as sport is not working. No one can deny the fact that blacks and whites attend different sporting codes in stadiums and when that happens; we all seem united. Is that an illusion? With that in mind it is important to understand the ideology of rainbowism against that backdrop of the critical question of whether the ideal has helped restore pride and dignity of black people as the previously disadvantaged bloc or served to reinforce(sort of cover up) some of the racist beliefs white South Africans became notorious for during colonization and apartheid periods?

Next Event: Heritage Day

Our next event was hosted on the 24th of August 2007 and was organised to commemorate heritage day. Although this event was planned well in advance, it was a low key event when compared to the Hip hop & Poetry Concert. As the mural above depicts, the main objective was to consolidate on the gains made during the previous event and to send a strong message of embracing our culture as embodied in Sesotho sa Lebowa/Sepedi cultural dance and song. Here we tried to draw a paradox between early forms of cultural activism and modern ones.


Unmagnified characters

Our research into the arts and culture industry of Limpopo was that there was a huge gap that existed between ancient art forms and modern art forms. Does this gap really exist? In the next lines we will try to elaborate on this point. A distinction will be drawn between these two identified seemingly unmagnified characters: the ancient and modern cultural activist. Empirical evidence shows that most cultural activists who embrace modern art forms such as Slam Poetry, Hip Hop Emceeing, B-Boying etc are not hands on when it comes partaking in ancient art forms such as Dinaka/Kiba and Mmapadi.  Where modern cultural activists are involved, its only a fraction of it, through reactive lip-service and not pro-active action. For instance, on the one hand, its seems quite easy for a modern cultural activist to write and rhyme about messages of self knowledge and cultural affirmation on a stage in theater or perhaps through the use of the more modernized equipments such as microphones. On the other hand, it is rare to find an ancient cultural activist partaking in modern art-forms with an all embracing attitude.

Language issues

During our years as practicing performing artists, a debate has been raging as to the use of the English language amongst African cultural activists. This debate is not an easy one to engage in given the well known fact that politically and economically, languages across the world dont seem to match the attention and extensive use afforded the English language.  But why is this an issue given the fact that English itself appears to have been formed out a number of languages(Greek, Latin, Hebrew etc)? While the argument against the use of English continues to exist within the arts and culture sector, especially amongst so called Africans on the African continent, the African diaspora seems to not have much of a choice since English is their, should we say, perceived first languge given the political-social and  economic conditions they are faced with. So what is the role of the cultural activist on the African continent?

Radical vs liberal cultural activism

When considering the difficult linguistic situation faced by our generation, one wonders whether its even worthwhile to ask this questions. We wear non traditional clothing, we were schooled and "educated" in the ways of our former colonial masters, our nutrition has drastically changed to mimic whats served at the places we frequent on a daily basis, we speak, write and engage in the language of the former colonial master. Some(if not most), even feel the language of our former colonial masters if better when put side by side with our Indigenous languages. This begs the question: is there such a thing as a radical and a liberal cultural activist?

Heritage day

From the aforementioned its quite clear that there is still much to engage on. That the existence of BWARF as a movement was symbolic in that it represented a platform from where this issues and more could be tackled for solution giving. Although our critics were always there to pounce on what they perceived as weird to find in our movement or in their own words; "not an archetype kind of activism", our deeds and actions have always suggested that we held our own in as far as the definition of realness is concerned. We also held our own on what heritage day means contrary to what the government of the day in South Africa has led the masses to believe heritage day means.

By the same token, we had our own reservations on issues such as whether modern art forms such hip hop and slam poetry for instance, could be traced from the existence of traditional oral literature against the backdrop of a notion that seems to suggest that these art forms owe their allegiance to certain geographic locations.

Demystifying the notion

Through this event, we wanted to drive one message home and that is; to demystify the notion that poets and mcees in the modern age dont owe their allegiance to ancient art-forms such as Mmapadi and Dinaka/Kiba dance and music for example. We wanted to emphacise our grounded belief that its not enough for modern cultural activists(especially those on the African continent) to write and rhyme about self knowledge from the peripherals of theater stages and seats while neglecting(by choice or fate) the essence of it all. Through our interaction with young and upcoming artists from the rural, semi-urban and urban locations around Polokwane, we came to the realization that there was an unfounded attitude that seemed to suggest; as our critics would claim: "the modern cultural activist was perceived as owing their allegiance to urban locations". Therefore, although by our own admission we are well aware the Land Act of 1913 is to blame for the geographical segmentation we all find our-selves in; to us rural is urban and urban is rural; that sort of trajectory. Ours was more of a unifying stance more than anything; and this BWARF Heritage Day Event had such objectives. Our acknowledgements go out to all those who were part of this event: Mr Theledi Mahlare of Boapara-Nkwe Heritage Foundation and formerly Drake-Skull FM for sponsorship, Theo- Mavundla for the mural, Mashobela a Mapangula Cultural Dance for performing Mmapadi during the event and all poets and emcees who came through to the event.