Let's Heal our Wounds Together

I have been in Grootfontein, Namibia for just over 2 months now and I have yet to establish some kind of social life for myself. It is quite challenging to find one here due to the fact that it is a small farming community with limited attractions or activities for people to partake in. Aside from shibins (makeshift bars, pronounced she-beans), there is not much else. People drink heavily on their spare time. There is no movie theatre and neither is there a common hangout spot for young people. With no jobs and only two high schools in town, the repercussions on the youth are harmful.

On a personal level, when boredom really gets the best of me after work or on weekends, I rent out some movies from Blockbuster – which is in no way affiliated to the North American franchise (trademark infringement maybe?). Besides, I can only read so much. Still, I do not intend to return there anytime soon simply because I feel like I am missing out on the unique opportunity I have to be here. I did not come to this country only to lock myself indoors and watch American movies. I could have stayed back home and done the same thing.

Nevertheless, Grootfontein is a tough place to adjust to socially. My interaction with people here is a bit “tricky”, if I may say for lack of a better term. I am a black man from Canada and my English is too American according to them and not enough Namibian or even British, which they are more accustomed to due to Great Britain’s colonial experience throughout this region of the continent. Adding the fact that I do not speak Afrikaans, an export of early Dutch settlers in southern Africa dating back to the 1600s, further puts me at a disadvantage. I must admit, though, I was surprised to find that blacks are fluent in Afrikaans more so than in English. I imagine it is because English was made the official language only at independence in 1990.

Hence, I find myself a bit stranded in the middle between blacks and whites as I continually get those inquisitive stares as I move about town. Blacks are apprehensive about me, quickly dismissing me as a rich African American whereas whites (commonly referred to as Afrikaners or Boers, although I dislike the latter term for its negative connotation) tend to be a bit cold. I find that they are not the most outgoing people. They tend to keep to themselves. As a matter of fact, race relations are the single most uncomfortable issue I have had to deal with since my arrival in this country. I cannot speak of racial tension per say but more like a subtle, lingering uneasiness that I quickly discerned after just a couple days in Namibia; Namibians of different races may interact with one another for business and work but rarely, if not ever, do they mix in socially.

On a side note, I hope to share more about Namibia’s rich and intricate history. For those of you who feel a bit lost or confused with the racial diversity and various languages of this nation; you are not alone. A discussion of the strong European influence in Namibia – which started with the Dutch then the Germans – and the long, brutal occupation by the Republic of South Africa (RSA) cannot possibly be covered in one blog entry. Also, I understand that race can be a sensitive topic to discuss and words such as “blacks” and “whites” are in essence meaningless. I am using them simply for descriptive clarity. If you do have another terminology you think would work better, please share them with me, I am open to suggestions. It further gets messy when words like “coloureds” or even “basters” – which I find to be tremendously distasteful – are thrown around casually in reference to individuals who were born from an interracial union (most commonly between a black person and a white person). I guess that is the astonishing feature of cultures and social norms; that which is totally acceptable in one setting is absolutely intolerable in a different one.

Nevertheless, not all hope is lost for Namibia and the southern region of the continent as a whole. There have been some remarkable breakthroughs since the official end of Apartheid. Namibia’s independence in 1990, Nelson Mandela’s liberation, RSA’s independence in 1994 and the Truth & Reconciliation Commission all give testimony to the self-less effort and sacrifice the citizens of this region have had to make. There is plenty to be proud about. Though, sometimes it is only after you reach your destination that you realize how much farther you have to travel.

Not trying to spoil the party but I must confess that the image of unity in this region that has been strongly promoted to the rest of the world in recent years is not quite true, at least not yet. I have great respect and I applaud the State, especially that of RSA, for their national unification policies and programs. The continent of Africa would move forward a lot faster if more nations endorsed and worked tirelessly to implement similar policies to address a major plague ravaging the continent: ethnic strife. Yet, I would not want you to be disillusioned like I was. I have been very excited about coming to the region. After all, RSA and Namibia are among the most developed nations on the continent. Besides, RSA has developed a favorable reputation globally as of late, especially now that they are hosting the next FIFA World Cup in 2010. With all that excitement mounting, I was sure to come to an industrialized, prosperous Africa where blacks, whites and coloureds are one (One spirit, One Africa is the slogan of the World Cup campaign). However, this is not the case. There is still more work and time required before that kind of harmony can prevail. The recent xenophobic riots in Johannesburg, mainly targeting Zimbabweans who have fled Mugabe’s regime, offer just one example of the tension that lies beneath the surface.

Yes, Apartheid is over. The police are not likely to release their attack dogs on the population again or burn down the townships like they used to. But the leftover effects will not disappear over night. Former Apartheid societies are currently going through a phase as equally challenging as the liberation movement itself: healing time. And if other African nations, who attained self-rule around the 1960s, are just now beginning to recover from the after-effects of colonialism then we should be fair and patient with southern Africa. The wounds are still too fresh.

This whole experience should also serve as a clear reminder to all of us that Africa is far from being this homogenous landmass where people, religion, history, geography, values and traditions are the same throughout. It is not. I cannot begin to count the number of people who shared wonderful stories about their time on the continent but failed to specify the country they just visited. You hear statements such as ‘we are sending money, clothes and food to our church orphanage in Africa’ or again, ‘I went on a safari tour in Africa,’ but where in Africa? Is your church orphanage in Swaziland, Chad, or Madagascar? Was the safari tour in RSA, Zambia or Kenya? If we make the effort to be more specific and talk of being in France when visiting Le Musée du Louvre or being in Brazil when visiting Cristo Redentor, then we should make the same effort when talking about the African continent. Basically, for me to say that Africa is rich in diversity is an understatement. Take the Congo-DRC as a prime example; there are about 200 different ethnic groups (and their languages) still struggling with the concept of nationhood within the same borders carved out by the colonial authorities at the Berlin Conference of 1885. If it is any indication, the uneasy atmosphere I have been struggling with here in Grootfontein is not an issue in Cote d’Ivoire where I lived for 8 years. Different culture. Different history. Different country.

Let me end with this thought. As mentioned above, the image of unity that has been strongly promoted to the rest of the world in recent years is not quite accurate, at least not yet. Let’s give it some time.