The Other Africa
The last day of my trip to South Africa, I visited some people who do not exist. At least, until recently, they did not “officially” exist according to the government. These are the displaced, poor White people of the country. They live is excruciating poverty. They receive less than $200 a month from the government. Unlike the Black slums, they do not get free water and electricity. They have to fend on their own for food and a place to live.
This is Marta. She wants to change her name to Naomi because she thinks that the name “Marta” brings her troubles. She has a mentally handicapped son who must live with here since there is no government assistance for him. Marta tells us that she doesn’t know what to do about her life. She has little hope it will ever change. Once a long time ago she remembers a different world. No more. Look closely at her face. She is the hidden South Africa.
This is Marta’s bed and Marta’s “house.” She has to rent this 1 room hovel from the landowner who lives in a real house in the front of this property. Her “house” is attached to five others in the same backyard. There is no running water. There is no electricity. There is only the “rent,” $130 per month, and going up. That leaves her with $70 a month for everything else. Begging mostly.
This is the house of the landlord.
Greed is the biggest motivation for the conditions of his rentals. There is no government control of this plight, and there are tens of thousands living this way. This is South Africa after two decades of a more equitable racial solution. This is the South Africa no ones wants you to know about.
There is more. Tomorrow. Today, this is enough.
Yes, this is terrible. There was a documentary on Dutch tv a few month ago. Holland has tried hard to turn back discrimination of blacks for decades, while the descendants of the Dutch really behaved bad as the ‘masters’. But now the situation is turned 180 degrees: now a large number of white people are being terribly dicriminated. And now … the world is silent. No demonstations in the streets, no equal rights groups, nothing. What to do?
If everyone would live according to Torah this would be impossible, but greed has even worse results than simple suppression. Is there a way to help these people?
Yes, there is a way to help. I am working on it.
We know a family who moved here from South Africa about 10 years ago because their farm and business was taken away from them by the blacks. Most of their family still live there and are terrorized daily and live in fear. The woman’s sister was shot in her driveway and several other family members have had their homes invaded and the raiders take what they want. They have no help from the authorities. She says the outside world does not know what goes on in S.A.; they think that everything is equitable and fair, but it is far from that.
They came here to Florida with just what they could carry in their suitcases. They have paid about $10,000 in fees over the years to now become US Citizens and two years ago they opened up their own business here.
Discrimination and oppression is not right no matter where or against whom it is; we are all God’s children.
Our ministry would like to help. Please let us know how.
Thanks, Barry. I will work with Martin, the man who is heading the mission to help these people in Jo’berg. We will do something, for sure. There are thousands of these people, invisible to the rest of the world, oppressed by the “equality” government with no voice at all.
I AM WONDERING AT THIS POINT AFTER SEEING THIS – WAS IT THE BEST THING FOR THE BRITS TO LEAVE SOUTH AFRICA – GOVERNING THEM – UNDER THEIR RULE WOULD THIS BE GOING ON??? THE COST OF FREEDOM IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE MAY HAVE BEEN TO MUCH… 🙁 jan
The “cost of freedom” was slavery to another master. As in most of the world’s politically-correct solutions, the cure is far worse than the disease. This is but one example of the horrendous treatment in the racially-charged atmosphere of Black controlled South African government. In spite of the few abusers under the old system, it had far less inequality than South Africa experiences today. And, of course, the Western media is never going to report the fact that the change made things worse.
I am a South African and whilst I deplore the injustices I wonder what happens to the human psyche after centuries of oppression and violence to a nation _ this the unfortunate legacy
Of apartheid and colonialism A- Lord Jesus come and heal the land
“Of apartheid and colonialism”
Hi Gillian,
Speaking of South Africans, I just received a Linked-In connection from a South African friend
She is Indian and a very fine person, but with all due respect to immigrants in Africa
Didn’t Africa belong to the Africans, and what were the colonizers doing there in the first place?
If not creating a population which Franz Fanon would come to call “The Wretched of the Earth:”
The Wretched of the Earth (French: Les Damnés de la Terre, first published 1961) is Frantz Fanon’s most famous work, written during and regarding the Algerian struggle for independence from colonial rule.
A controversial introduction to the text by Jean-Paul Sartre presents Fanon’s thesis as an advocacy of violence.
Even though I was something of a “peace-nik” when I first read Sartre’s introduction, it seemed to resonate with what I considered to be the right thing to do
Forty years later it seems obvious that colonialism was a total disaster
Was colonialism a complete disaster? I think it depends on your paradigm. Afrikaners rightly point out that before they arrived some centuries ago, there were no buildings, no bridges, no infrastructure of any kind. Food production was virtually non-existent. People lives off the land whenever the land provided. And when it didn’t provide, they died. Tribal warfare amounted to ethnic genocide on small scale. Magic, ritual and fear ruled the lives of most people. Colonialism brought a Christian work ethic and a view of the role of Man in the world that African tribal life never had. Was that bad? I’m not so sure. Were there abuses? Absolutely. But there were also changes that improved life, preserved life and endorsed life.
To return Africa to its “native” state seems to be the objective all those who wish to repair the abuses of colonialism, but at what cost? Do you think is it really possible now to return to a state where tribal affiliation and tribal rule dominates the human landscape? And what would that mean for those of the “wrong” tribe? A brief history of Zimbabwe gives us the answer.
“But there were also changes that improved life, preserved life and endorsed life.”
Hi Skip,
I understand and believe there is an upside and a downside to the capitalist mode of production and industrializaton
But a lot of Christians got very rich off SA and now run their industries from “safe havens”
And a lot more probably ended up like the poor lady in the picture
The downside to the Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, coupled with advanced industrializaton IMO
Is that it is threatening to destroy Mother Nature and all forms of community
Our most recent concern is now the A-Bomb and Iran
How sad and uncalled for. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Our hearts go out to them in order to help them spiritually and physically. Give us wisdom Lord Jesus as to what to do to help, how to do it and that You be glorified.
Can I just add that the regime was brutal I am so called colored and know how severely oppressed blacks were – the regime was supposedly Christian but a nation was in bondage – what happens when slaves become the masters?
I believe that what we see in South Africa today is simply the flip side of the same human disregard for others. This is not a racial issue. It is a human issue. Compassion is a work of the Spirit and without it men will follow their own self-interests no matter what the cost to others. The lack of compassion in an individual or a nation is a sure sign of spiritual degradation. IT is simply evil expressed in the inevitable result of believing that I am the only person who really matters. Since the Western liberalism refuses to acknowledge the corrupt nature of men, it turns a blind eye to oppression that does not fit its media agenda, but the oppression is real nonetheless. We who follow YHWH are called to speak out against any form of compassion-less action because any such behavior opposes the God of Exodus 34:6.
Shalom Skip!
Glad to hear you are safe and sound back home, my husband and I met you here in Cape Town remember I hope so! I was around for the purpose-less, non-burning candle haha!
I agree with you completely, unfortunately everyone from South Africa makes everything a racial issue, it gets to me. I agree with what you said, its about human-ness and compassion, its about seeing the broken-ness of the world and doing something about it. I have lots of connections down here, as you heard I work with abused women and community, that’s our heart. So let us know how we can help, if you need to get in touch with someone in S.A.
Blessings and shalom!
As I sit here in my air conditioned comfortable home, I am jolted and reminded about the degradation in so many places, my heart breaks. The Lord wants to remind us that there is an urgent need that we must meet in any way we possibly can. There are so many places and peoples of the world like Marta. It is so easy to forget about the degradation where they live, thank you Skip for the pictures that shock us by their reality.
I will ask the Lord in what way I can help and let you know.
This time when I go there I am planning to make a short movie documenting this tragedy. Barry and Susan have graciously offer financial assistance that will enable me to have the right recording device. He and his wife also helped with travel. Others are providing as they can. I intend to make an impact with a YouTube video about the hidden plight of the other Africa. The world must know!