The problem of whiteness and what SA should be doing about it
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Despite the end of apartheid 28 years ago, racial incidents continue to be reported in SA's schools with increased regularity, according to South African Human Rights Commission's (SAHRC) Commissioner Andre Gaum.
In this episode of the Politics Weekly, we ask what sustains racism in our society, and how we can fight it more effectively. Joining our host, Mike Siluma, to frame this discussion are Gaum, social commentator and author of Run Racist Run, Eusebius McKaiser and lecturer of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Dr Fikile Vilakazi.
Gaum explains that the most recent SAHRC statistics compiled from various incident reports shows a distinct and worrisome year-on-year increase in occurrences of human rights violations. He explains that violation within schools and institutions of higher learning, related to sexual orientation and race, are of particular concern. Only this week a white student, Theuns du Toit, was suspended from Stellenbosch University for urinating on the belongings of a black fellow student, Babalo Ndwayana's, belongings. Ndwayana claimed the incident was racially motivated based on comments made by du Toit during the event. At the same institution, a student was verbally abused for asking for an Indian song at a dance.
McKaiser, Vilakazi and Mike discuss the tumultuous race relations still experienced by South Africans, how our historical handling of white supremacy has failed our society and what SA should do to undo the trauma caused by whiteness and a sense of superiority and exceptionalism that often leads to outrageous displays of racism in our everyday lives and institutions.
In this episode of the Politics Weekly, we ask what sustains racism in our society, and how we can fight it more effectively. Joining our host, Mike Siluma, to frame this discussion are Gaum, social commentator and author of Run Racist Run, Eusebius McKaiser and lecturer of Public Policy and Political Science at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Dr Fikile Vilakazi.
Gaum explains that the most recent SAHRC statistics compiled from various incident reports shows a distinct and worrisome year-on-year increase in occurrences of human rights violations. He explains that violation within schools and institutions of higher learning, related to sexual orientation and race, are of particular concern. Only this week a white student, Theuns du Toit, was suspended from Stellenbosch University for urinating on the belongings of a black fellow student, Babalo Ndwayana's, belongings. Ndwayana claimed the incident was racially motivated based on comments made by du Toit during the event. At the same institution, a student was verbally abused for asking for an Indian song at a dance.
McKaiser, Vilakazi and Mike discuss the tumultuous race relations still experienced by South Africans, how our historical handling of white supremacy has failed our society and what SA should do to undo the trauma caused by whiteness and a sense of superiority and exceptionalism that often leads to outrageous displays of racism in our everyday lives and institutions.