As the final whistle sounded in the Rugby World Cup final against England, South Africans across the country were in a mood of celebration. It was a moment that this democratic country has only experienced twice in its history.as Siya Kolisi, when the Springboks' first black captain lifted the trophy, it became clear that South Africans from all walks of life were truly united.president cyril ramaphosa He stood with pride and a big smile on his face, waving enthusiastically at the national team. nelson with Mr. Mandela Thabo Mbeki That was the case in previous World Cup tournaments as well.
However, as impressive as this victory was, South Africans have now largely returned to their respective realities of comfortable, wealthy lives and precarious, poor lives. The extraordinary display of cultural unity created by this victory is now being used as a front to hide the ever-widening divide between black and white, rich and poor. The temporary unity that is often fostered as a result of major sporting events is proving to be a serious solution to these divisions. it's not.
Adrian BassonI am the editor-in-chief of news 24wrote an article titled “Rainbow Nation Reloaded—Let's Never Mess It Up Again”” The paper said that now was not the time for South Africans to think that the country's woes would be resolved now that the Springboks had won. He rightly points out rampant inequality, state corruption, unemployment and poverty, but the underlying sentiment is that the Springboks' victory effectively transformed the country into a 'rainbow nation'. It is telling that America was able to “reset” to non-racial ideals (which America originally championed). Mandela after apartheid. In some other publications, there have been reports that enforce the idea that 80-minute matches with 15 players per team are the “panacea” to the country's serious socio-economic problems. However, the team itself has been heavily criticized for its inequalities among players.
Sports in general have always brought people together. It was for this reason that Mr Mandela rallied behind the Springbok team in 1995. Mandela said he hoped to show South Africans that they could come together for a common purpose despite more than 40 years of a brutal and racist regime that killed many black South Africans. there was. goal. His efforts were noble but short-lived. It was only in that singular moment that people came together, and soon returned to a harsh reality steeped in generational oppression. That also applies to this year's championship. A privileged white man living in the affluent suburb of Sandton could sing the national anthem with a black gardener in the Alexandra area (and perhaps even embrace when the Springboks won), but the black gardener would inevitably returned to a life earning less than minimum wage. Meanwhile, his white bosses will continue to do nothing to actively address that disparity. South Africa is such a deeply traumatized country that we would rather have flimsy expressions of unity and justice for all, rather than actually doing the hard work to make it happen. I would like to accept it.
South Africa's unemployment rate currently stands at 29%, the highest in 11 years. With a population of approximately 52 million people, at least 30.4 million people live in poverty. Part of the reason Kolisi's story has been so inspirational is precisely because he comes from that reality. In an interview before the final, he said that he did not have a television at home and had to walk to a local tavern to watch the 2007 World Cup final against England.
South Africa's recent victory at the Rugby World Cup was many things, but what it wasn't was solving racism and inequality. Addressing these issues can only come from a concerted effort to have uncomfortable conversations about race and class. and Enact policies and laws that actively challenge the institutionalized discrimination that continues to disadvantage black South Africans. This is the job of both the government and the people. Until then, entrusting the transformation of the country to rugby teams is not only short-sighted but delusional.
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