Lest We Forget

1976 - 2008

John Pilger, a world renowned Journalist, Author and Filmmaker delivered a moving speech entitled “Keeping the unbreakable promises” at Rhodes University to the graduates to which I was one of them.

Pilger spoke about many people across the world including South Africa who prefer we shun away from the atrocities, racism and realities happening in Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and SA. Pilger said: “Unforgettable? For some, yes. But there are those who prefer we celebrate a system of organized forgetting: of unbridled freedom for the few and obedience for the many, of socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor.”

In the light of this statement by Pilger, it’s a reminder that we must not forget where we come from as a country. This is to say the University of Free State racist video by some white students is the legacy we have inherited from apartheid. In this video, old university cleaners are tricked to eating food urinated on. We must dare not turn a blind eye on racist realities that continue to confront our country.

In striving to be a better people – a better nation, we must work together to up-root and condemn the monster of racism. Our universities must be liberated from racism and racist attitudes. There needs to be an ongoing dialogue to address racism before it explodes again! The students must speak out in the universities against racism, because racism is still a daily reality in our campuses.

Only when we confront racism by talking about it - will we be able to heal, reconcile, forgive and forget as a nation.