Reflecting back on Heritage Day.

[Jacques Voogt]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Heritage Day, 24 September, is a public holiday on which South Africans across the spectrum are encouraged to celebrate their cultural heritage and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people.

(End of extract)

Also punted as National Braai Day (to give some cultures something to focus on) and having the day off, I took some time to reflect on what we have "inherited" from our culture as South Africans.

Firstly, we are not the only nation that cooks on open fire so that is not unique to us.

We are not the only nation that go camping either, yet we were out in the Brits area tented up and having a jol of a braai.

We do, however, have some unique cultural inheritance in music, arts and crime.

Huh? What?...

Yes Crime.

Those reading this may have respect for their fellow countryman, hence the reason that you are on this forum, but the truth is that we as a nation accept high amounts of violence and murder as every day events. With over 40 murders happening every day, compared to perhaps 1 per day in Australia we do not publicize all these events, cause we simply do not have enough space in our newspapers to tell everyone's story and besides, who cares about Oom Jan, Mr Naidoo or Chief Madube that was murdered. You only take the most famous name, Corrie Sanders, once world boxing champion and sensationalize that. The media does not reflect the full scope of any country's situation.

So this is what we inherited:

1. Murder rate higher than any other in the world, often higher than the death toll of countries at war like Iraq. Are we at war then? If we are, why am I not allowed to have a firearm?

2. No respect for any laws. On your way to work, count how many people skip red lights, drive in yellow lanes, stop anywhere, cross white lines, etc.

3. Palisade fences with electrical wiring, gates in front of all doors, burglar bars in front of all windows, alarm systems and armed reaction, guard dogs instead of pets, all with no effect whatsoever.

4. A culture of oppressing others by expecting them to work for peanuts while we will quite happily spend such a persons monthly wage on a single family outing.

5. Corruption throughout virtually every government institution and since they do business with private companies and individuals it implies a lot of these companies and individuals are involved.

6. Legal discrimination against a minority group.

7. If you celebrate any of your Afrikaans traditions, you are labelled a racist.

8. Strike, murder and demand more or else you destroy the economy.

9. I can go on and on and on....

I was brought up to know right from wrong, to be fair and just, to have respect for others, to accept responsibility for my actions and to help my fellow countryman if he needs my help, to work together towards national prosperity. Clearly I do not fit into the South African culture and cannot say that I am proud of what the South African culture has become. Hopefully I'll fit in better in a Australian culture soon.

[Lynnie]

Dit is die realiteit ongelukkig Dit is verskriklik hartseer en tragies!!!

BAIE waar wat jy se van dat die media nie die volle spektrum weergee nie - al die Aussies met wie ek gesels het geen idee hoe erg dinge gaan in SA nie, hulle dink ek maak stories op En wat gaan word van die land en die eerlike hardwerkendes wat oorbly tussen al die gemors?

Baie depressing...

[Jacques Voogt]

'n Paar jaar terug, toe die moord bietjie hoër was, het ek dit so uitgewerk:

Bevolking 48,000,000

Moorde/jaar 20,000/jaar

Ouderdoms verwagting 72 jaar.

Moorde/leeftyd 1,440,000

Persentasie 3%

Dus vir elke 100 mense wat jy ken sal 3 vermoor word in 'n leeftyd van 72 jaar.

In meeste gevalle is hierdie moorde gedurende rooftogte en kapings. As ek 'n ongeldige aanname kan maak dat slegs mense wat belasting betaal (meer as R5000/maand verdien) iets van waarde sal hê om te kaap of roof en daar is slegs 8,000,000 belasting betalers. Dan stuig die syfer na 18% dus amper 1 uit 5 of amper 1 persoon per gesin in 'n leeftyd.

Weereens, dis 'n aanname en dus nie geldig nie, maar dit is hoe dit voel. As ek kyk na ander op die forum se ervaring met misdaad is dit dalk nader aan die realiteit vir sommiges van ons.

[Brad76]

SA = Failed State

[boertjie]

Jacques

Wat jy se is ongelukkig die waarheid.

SA as 'n staat is in verval dansy die anc.

Maar my nederige opinie is dat die grootste enkele bedreiging vir die stabiliteit van sa is die werklose jeug. Daar is tans nagenoeg 4 milj weeskinders in die land. Die helfde van alle kinders wat Graad 1 begin, voltooi nooit skool nie. Die universiteite se slaagsyfer vir eerste jaar studente is minder as 50

%. Volgens statistieke is 'n persoon in sa se kanse om 'n vaste betrekking te bekom net sowat 25% indien hy/sy op 26 jarige ouderdom nog nie werk het nie.

Waar gaan hierdie miljoene mense werk kry? Wat gaan hulle eet? Wat gaan van hulle kinders word?

Ons hoop om vroeg volgende jaar in Aus te wees. SA se kultuur is een van minagting van ander mense se regte en selfverreiking.

Groete

[Biltongboer]

Hey boet, be fair dinkum and remember to mention koeksisters and biltong êtse? Dis ok deel van ons culture.

Braai, biltong, droeëwors, ouma beskuit and koeksisters are the things that make us different - that's the summary of what I've learned from 4 years living down under. Many other counties have similar or worse problems than SA, but hey they don't have robots or any of the good things we eat!

And then there's the "accent" as they refer to it here - I keep reminding them that they are the ones with the accent but they don't get it! haha!

[Springjock]

Biltongboer, none of those things you mentioned have their origins in SA, boet, but I guess South Africans are known by them. The 'problem' is that there is no singular SA culture. Most cultures are recogniseable by their dress, food, music etc, but how can you mix a boereorkes with township music, or safari suits with leopard skins or bobotie with chickens feet? There are differences in culture between the white south african groups that should be celebrated, as opposed to lumping all the whites into one group too. I guess what makes us different is that we are very different! Hehe. But all this talk of biltong is making me lus......

[Biltongboer]

It's interesting...the people who buy biltong and koeksisters from me are actually South Africans of all flavours - Afrikaans, English, Indians, black and white Zimbabweans - they all share that SA culture in common.

I'm not nullifying anything you said, just noting that in Perth we all share that common heritage - and I'm not really a South African, but we Namibians and the Zimbo's all qualify under that banner in some sort of way. Let's call it southern African heritage then - when we remove all the nasty things from African life there are good things we share in common. Believe me, there is no real Australian culture apart from footy, BBQ and binge drinking - I'm not being nasty, just observing that there is nothing apart from your accent that would denote you as uniquely Australian when you go out in the rest of the world, but there are many things uniquely South African if we look closely enough.

I'm probably not making sense, but hey, that's the way the old biltongboer does things.

[Fish]

It's interesting...the people who buy biltong and koeksisters from me are actually South Africans of all flavours - Afrikaans, English, Indians, black and white Zimbabweans - they all share that SA culture in common.

I'm not nullifying anything you said, just noting that in Perth we all share that common heritage - and I'm not really a South African, but we Namibians and the Zimbo's all qualify under that banner in some sort of way. Let's call it southern African heritage then - when we remove all the nasty things from African life there are good things we share in common. Believe me, there is no real Australian culture apart from footy, BBQ and binge drinking - I'm not being nasty, just observing that there is nothing apart from your accent that would denote you as uniquely Australian when you go out in the rest of the world, but there are many things uniquely South African if we look closely enough.

I'm probably not making sense, but hey, that's the way the old biltongboer does things.

I don't think you're being nasty but you do seem to be not looking closely enough at your adopted country while at the exact same time encouraging others to look more closely at South African culture imo...

Edited September 30, 2012 by Fish

[Springjock]

I dont think SA can claim to have 'more' culture than Oz. Both are relatively new cultures - as far as the 'non indigenous' populations are concerned at least. They are very similar in many ways. Neither has much in terms of depth or originality, but both have their good points.

[Biltongboer]

If I understood what you were saying I might be able to respond better - you're obvioiusly not getting what i'm saying. I'm not attacking the aussie culture or way of life - it's a very multicultural experience, so it's really hard to tell what's truly australian - that's all I'm saying.

I haven't found many things that truly define Aussies, (same with Americans or any western society these days) where after looking at things you realise that there are things that make Saffers quite uniquely South African. Maybe just because you know and understand those things. All I'm trying to say is that you do have a culture that is unique and you don't have to throw it all away just because of crime and moronic terrs ruling the country you came from.

Of course, one of the other unique South African qualities is that they always pick fights and love to shoot each other down - even at the cost of their own culture. There's always some bloody old saffer who would be telling other South Africans that they are evil when they consider being different, where none of the Poms, Poles, Germans, Italians, Welsh or Nigerians worry about these things. That is a unique part of South African heritage we can truly live without - I always find it interesting that people from the dark continent are so aggressive about everything.

The Poles have their clubs, the Germans have their clubs, the South Africans club each other with cricket bats.

Of course you also get those arrogant people who land here and then say "we'll build a new South Africa here". I avoid those like the plague.

In the meanwhile I use words like mate, fair dinkum, cobba and have made a lot more Aussie friends than the average South African has, so feel free to throw those old rocks at me for making a statement. I've been to basketball games with my Aussie mates, been camping with them, had BBQs with them and even had them taste koeksisters and biltong without forcing it down their throats. That's what a multicultural society is all about.

[Springjock]

Nice post, but I'm still not sure what makes saffers more unique than aussies. The australian global brand is so much more appealing. The aussie brand is all about kangaroos, the crocodile hunter, sharks, corked hats and barbies. It induces a big smile and usually an impersonation of the accent. But tell someone you are from SA and immediately the talk is about politics, racism etc. Usually, you'll hear a story about someone who knows someone who was a victim of an horrific crime.

In hindsight, this HAS become our global brand!

[Fish]

...I haven't found many things that truly define Aussies, (same with Americans or any western society these days) where after looking at things you realise that there are things that make Saffers quite uniquely South African. Maybe just because you know and understand those things. ...

I can think of many things that define different countries in western culture, particularly America. I agree with you that South Africa would have many worthy cultural things, but disagree with your "footy, BBQ and binge drinking" understanding of Australian culture, which possibly you only included in your post as an aside anyway as your main point was about South Africa. Really I am agreeing with you that you often have to look deeper as the things you mentioned are only surface things .

So just as a discussion point as I have no wish to argue your point, my understanding of the foundation of Australian culture is based around the mateship that was forged out of living in a vast, inhospitable land of fire and flood combined with the social experience of prisoners finally being freed and living and working side by side with their jailers.

It is why Australia has the ideals, if not always the perfect practice, of expecting all social levels to speak to each other freely and with respect, and lauding people who volunteer and/or help each other in times of need. One of the biggest "sins" you can commit in Australia is to not talk to (or talk down to) someone because of their job rather than because of their character. Another "sin" is to not chip in when help is needed.

Of course these are just ideals and may not be evident in all city people, but then again not many countries cultures are best demonstrated by their investment bankers. Another point I would like to make is that these traits aren't uniquely Australian, just the large cultural emphasis that is put on them because of the geography and history of Australia. They are considered a very important part of being Australian.

I would be interested in what is considered the core of being South African if anyone wants to share...?

Edited October 1, 2012 by Fish

[Mikej]

Culture is an overated endowment, to the extent that the benefits of an old or ancient culture have anything to offer at all.

These cultures are always burdened with superstition and myth and more often than not some or other form of barbarism. Take for example the practice of female genital mutilation or less extreme but equally backward, fear of the Tokoloshi and a belief in muti and witchdoctors. These stoneage practices often conflict with modern concepts and science resulting in a lower value placed on education.

Australia has a culture of getting on with the job, doing it properly and on time. Australians are by and large honest and don't expect anything for nothing but they are quick to jump in and help a mate, or even a stranger in need. Life in Australia is orderly and relatively predictable.

Australia is a forward looking country and why not, does anyone really and truly want to live like their ancestors?

Edited October 1, 2012 by Mikej