Zulaikha Patel (c. 2003- ), a South African schoolgirl, was punished by her school, Pretoria High School for Girls, for wearing her hair in an Afro. She had changed school three times because of her hair. This time she led a protest against the school’s racist rules.
Her older sister Amira says:
“My sister has gone through a lot of bullying, she’s had to change school three times because of her hair. Other children would laugh at her and say, ‘Oh my god, your hair looks like a cabbage’. It broke my heart.
“She’d cry everyday when I picked her up from school. She’d get home and cry because of how she was treated because of her hair, and say that the school said her hair is a distraction and called it exotic.
“I’m kind of glad that she’s done this but I’m also concerned about how it’s going to affect her emotionally at a later stage. I know her, she’s a very fragile person. What led to her to actually start this movement is the pain that she’s felt when looked down upon, constantly feeling like she needed to be accepted or change herself to be accepted.”
Nathi Mthethwa, the Arts and Culture Minister:
“Schools should not be used as a platform to discourage students from embracing their African identity”
But that is not what is going on.
Pretoria High School for Girls is widely considered one of the best high schools in the country’s capital. But it was all-White in the days of apartheid and even now, with more than half of its students Black, it still makes them wear their hair in unnatural European styles and speak only in European tongues. In Africa!
The school’s code of conduct is something students agree to before being admitted, but they have little choice if they want a good education: the free government schools for Blacks are terrible. And Pretoria High does not just enforce its rules, it does it in a way that makes Black girls feel like dirt. Some teachers tell them they look like monkeys or have nests on their head. Afros do not even appear in the school’s code of conduct – because they count as “unruly” or “untidy” hair!
Protests were a long time coming. The example of Black Lives Matter gave the schoolgirls courage. So did Twitter and other social media. They use the Twitter hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh and have a petition that over 25,000 have signed. Their protests have been non-violent. They made news nationwide and even overseas.
Courage: They needed even more courage than they imagined: when they came to the school for a yearly family event, they were met with men with machine guns and attack dogs.
Victory: On August 29th 2016, Panyaza Lesufi, the province’s education minister, came to the school. He met with some of the girls, who broke down crying telling him what they go through. Then he met with the schoolmistress. He gave her three weeks to change what he calls “stone-age rules”.
– Abagond, 2016.
Sources: mainly The Daily Vox, Connect, Zimbabwe Herald, BBC, Aljazeera, Mic, IBT.
See also:
- Twitter: #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh
- Halloween at Yale
- Afros
- Black is beautiful
- apartheid
- Black Spring
- Black Lives Matter
531
For real! This is the most pressing story out of South Africa you could come up with? How trivial! Land reform, labor relations resulting in the deaths of over thirty miners a few years ago, lousy services to the majority and venal politicians in charge leave you cold. A silly story about hair deserves a post!?
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Out of curiosity, how come her last name is an Indian one? Patel is the equivalent of “Smith” on the subcontinent, so I’ve been told.
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This is what Taotesan has been talking about over in the Open Thread, although I don’t know if it is the same school or a different one. Thanks, Abagond, for adding more background and context.
What a brave little girl. And what an over-reaction, to bring machine guns to threaten children over a hairstyle!
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@gro jo
Funny how two people can see two different sides of the same incident. You see it as some “silly story about hair” and I see it as a powerless little girl’s harrowing journey to successfully change a racist policy at her school.
These same racist policies exist at many other schools, including in the US, and are mentally detrimental to black children. If only we had more like her.
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@ gro jo
Presumably her father is Indian or part Indian. Indian people do sometimes fall in love with Black people. I have seen it with my own eyes.
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@ gro jo
As I wrote this post I was wondering what kind of cold water you were going to pour on it. Now I know. Thanks.
I have not even done a proper post on South Africa. That is something I do need to do.
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Reblogged this on Raimanet.
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Does she know she might be related to the famous ‘Patels’ that run chains of low budget motels from sea to shining sea in America?
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Abagond, you shameless flatterer, I almost forgive you for focusing on this trivial story.
“As I wrote this post I was wondering what kind of cold water you were going to pour on it. Now I know. Thanks.” Ha ha ha, that’s funny.
“I have not even done a proper post on South Africa. That is something I do need to do.”
Good, I hope you’ll use that opportunity to redeem yourself with a post of substance. While you’re at it, you might give some thought to a post on Mexico. The USA stole the most land from that nation, about 55% of its post independence territory. Why do you “like” your own posts?
“Presumably her father is Indian or part Indian. Indian people do sometimes fall in love with Black people. I have seen it with my own eyes.”
I can do you one better, a long time ago, this Indian girl was so into me she even followed me to school and found all kinds of excuses to come to my house! Another possibility you’ve overlooked is that Patel may be her stepfather’s name. It does happen you know, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
“You see it as some “silly story about hair” and I see it as a powerless little girl’s harrowing journey to successfully change a racist policy at her school.”
This is why I “law you” resw, you’re a sucker for a good sob story. You’ll have plenty of those, right here, after, your boy, Trump is elected.
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I spoke with taotesean about this on open thread. I was appalled at the white South Africans oppressing these young school girls about their beautiful natural hair and wanting them to adhere to European beauty standards. I applaud this young lady and her school mates for standing up to this racist system.
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To all of you, tempted to see me as an unregenerate misanthrope, I called the story trivial relative to the more important things happening in SA. I don’t doubt the little girl’s courage.
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Punished? Incredible! But I get the school officials! Because your hair is a true indicator of whether or not you have a brain! (O.o)
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Agh!! Another post in which I have to somewhat agree with Gro Jo.
I want to first say I am thankful that a post was finally done on our brother and sisters overseas. It reminds me that when black Americans complain about racist standards our African family suffers just as much if not more so.
However, there are a lot of pressing matters going on in Africa that would be more enlightening for people to take note of.
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@gro jo
“This is why I “law you” resw, you’re a sucker for a good sob story. ”
No, I’m just a sucker for justice. That’s the difference between us. You get caught up in the “trivial” matters like tears while I focus on what really matters like justice.
“You’ll have plenty of those, right here, after, your boy, Trump is elected.”
I guess my speaking facts instead of regurgitating mass media talking points like you do led you to that foolish conclusion even though I never said or implied I supported Trump.
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RE: Comments by sharinalr – Indeed there are many things going in South Africa that deserve a spotlight. But the mind of a child is precious and building their self-esteem is key to nurturing the character of a person who will grow up to become an adult who will hopefully make significant positive contributions to their country and to the world. The idea of punishing a child for what they look like ON THE OUTSIDE, when children are the future of any nation … I think it’s something to scream and shout about!
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Are Asian people punished for having Asian features in South Africa? Probably So. It’s against South African policy.
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Either way she’s beautiful….
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“I guess my speaking facts instead of regurgitating mass media talking points like you do led you to that foolish conclusion even though I never said or implied I supported Trump.”
Mendacity. Glad to know that you push the Trump line here for cold cash. A mercenary woman is hot. Now I ‘law’ and respect you.
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@gro jo
“Mendacity. Glad to know that you push the Trump line here for cold cash.”
Ignorance. Unsurprised to know you believe reluctance to support Hillary or “push” the media talking points like you do, means one is paid by Trump. And what does Trump have to do with Zulaikha Patel, again?
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sharinalr,
Agh!! Thanks for somewhat supporting me. I don’t know what I’d do without your tepid praises. It probably didn’t escape your attention that if Mandela had carried out the original program of the ANC, this nonsense wouldn’t even be happening. Industry and agriculture would have been in the hands of the majority. schools would have been adequately funded and geared to the culture of the majority. Instead, some bs affirmative action plan was implemented where the majority goes hat in hand to beg to participate in white run establishments. Not discussing such fundamental issue makes this story trivial.
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Your work here is brilliant. Thank you.
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I love these brave children who fight for their beliefs.Despite being bullied by her peers and harangued by her teachers she refused to hide her identity and wear her hair in a ‘European style’. It may seem trivial to some but perhaps in 10 years she will be a young woman the world is talking about as her convictions and strength grow into something we can’t imagine today.
Her hair as well as her face is beautiful… I suspect an element of jealousy going on here.
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resw
Darling, you’re cleverer than you let on here. You little mercenary minx you! “And what does Trump have to do with Zulaikha Patel, again?” given your boy’s decades long racist animus toward Blacks, does the Central Park Jogger rape story mean anything to you? I fully expect a Trump regime to be like the one NYC experienced under Giuliani or worse. Remember Abner Louima? What happened to many blacks in NYC was a lot worse than Patel’s case. Your boy was on board.
I dare you to quote a single word from me that was positive regarding the Clintons. Just because I opposed the bs conspiracy comments of some regarding them doesn’t make me pro Clinton.
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The hair story is not just about the hair. It exposes the following things in South Africa:
1. The best schools are still staffed with mostly white teachers (who are the minority-10% of the population).
2. Black people there have still not recovered from low-self esteem due to colonization.
3. The white people still believe they are the best thing that ever happened to that country ( they still own most of the wealth and most of the land).
They even have their puppet called Maimane.
These are the things that hair issue exposes. Black consciousness is rising in South Africa. For those who are concerned about land in South Africa, there is a politician who is giving racists in the country nightmares. His name is Malema and his party is called the EFF. He wants to nationalize everything.
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@gro jo
“given your boy’s decades long racist animus toward Blacks, does the Central Park Jogger rape story mean anything to you?”
Is this really your attempt to relate Zulaikha Patel to Trump?
I always thought you were desperate for attention, but had no idea you were this thirsty.
“Just because I opposed the bs conspiracy comments of some regarding them doesn’t make me pro Clinton.”
I’ve applied the same puerile standard as you: if my reluctance to support Clinton and push the media talking points you use means I’m a Trump supporter, then your reluctance to support Trump and push the facts means you support Clinton.
So how much did you give to the Clinton Foundation and what did you get in return?
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@Villagewriter
Thank you for educating gro jo.
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villagewriter
I agree with most of your comment. The gist of this story is the betrayal of the people by their leaders for a few crumbs. I’m not to keen on Malema but he’s making the right noises. ANC, prior to coming to power also stood for nationalization.
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“@Villagewriter
Thank you for educating gro jo.”
Today is not your day is it?
Gro Jo wrote: “It probably didn’t escape your attention that if Mandela had carried out the original program of the ANC, this nonsense wouldn’t even be happening. Industry and agriculture would have been in the hands of the majority. schools would have been adequately funded and geared to the culture of the majority. Instead, some bs affirmative action plan was implemented where the majority goes hat in hand to beg to participate in white run establishments. ”
Villagewriter wrote:
“1. The best schools are still staffed with mostly white teachers (who are the minority-10% of the population).
2. Black people there have still not recovered from low-self esteem due to colonization.
3. The white people still believe they are the best thing that ever happened to that country ( they still own most of the wealth and most of the land).
They even have their puppet called Maimane.”
How have I been educated?
“Is this really your attempt to relate Zulaikha Patel to Trump?” Yes.
“I always thought you were desperate for attention, but had no idea you were this thirsty.” Thanks for your attention.
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@Gro jo
The ANC was forced into respectability politics by American politicians. They did not want to scare the precious white people in South Africa (despite the fact that they had slaughtered many black people).
The ANC also took power when most black people still had substandard education and they were drunk with joy because they had just gotten independence, It has been 25 years now and the rich whites and blacks can no longer use Mandela to silence radical black voices. They can no longer maintain the illusion of a “rainbow South Africa”.
Malema is toast if he doesn’t do exactly what he says he wants to do. Black South Africans are getting tired of the racist minority and things are getting heated there.
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A good word is in order for Sir Robert Mugabe, who showed how to deal with the land question, warts and all.
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@gro jo
“How have I been educated?”
Gro jo said: “A silly story about hair deserves a post!?”
Villagewriter said: “The hair story is not just about the hair. It exposes the following things in South Africa……..”
But of course now you’re backtracking and trying to convince me you were agreeing with villagewriter all along. Your girl Hillary’s campaign could use another snake like yourself.
” Thanks for your attention.”
You’re welcome! I know just how thirsty you are.
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@Villagewriter
“The ANC was forced into respectability politics by American politicians.”
True, but they also became blinded by money. Powerful ANC politicians like Cyril Ramaphosa have gotten immensely rich as politicians by making back door deals with the industrialists.
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“schools would have been adequately funded and geared to the culture of the majority. Instead, some bs affirmative action plan was implemented where the majority goes hat in hand to beg to participate in white run establishments.” I wrote the above prior to Villagewriter’s first comment. You really are having a bad day today. The Trump troll money didn’t arrive on time?
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“True, but they also became blinded by money. Powerful ANC politicians like Cyril Ramaphosa have gotten immensely rich as politicians by making back door deals with the industrialists.”
My darling, you are finally making sense. I knew there was a reason why “I law you”.
What your wrote accords fully with my first comment.
“For real! This is the most pressing story out of South Africa you could come up with? How trivial! Land reform, labor relations resulting in the deaths of over thirty miners a few years ago, lousy services to the majority and venal politicians in charge leave you cold. A silly story about hair deserves a post!?”
Don’t be ashamed of making sense for a change. Again, I law you resw, even when you get a little crazy, as some of your post, above, show.
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@gro jo
” I wrote the above prior to Villagewriter’s first comment. ”
That’s irrelevant to your comment “A silly story about hair deserves a post!?” and villagewriter’s response that ” “The hair story is not just about the hair. It exposes the following things in South Africa……..”” But nice try as usual.
I see working for your girl Hillary has taught you the art of the flip flop.
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@gro jo
“My darling, you are finally making sense. I knew there was a reason why “I law you”.”
Good job pretending you know anything about Cyril Ramaphosa or anyone corrupt ANC politician besides Zuma. My, Hillary has taught you well.
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@resw
“…have gotten immensely rich as politicians by making back door deals with the industrialists.”
The industrialist actually held onto economic power. Had Mandela been a younger when he was released from prison maybe things would have been different.That is exactly the same thing the industrialists did with Mugabe. They knighted him, entertained him in their countries and even let him meet the queen. Then his people told him they wanted the land or his head and he chose to give them the land. Now Sir Robert Mugabe is called “evil” by the same industrialists who knighted him. Its a game they have been playing all over Africa.
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@villagewriter
“Had Mandela been a younger when he was released from prison maybe things would have been different.”
Agree Mandela’s vision was not the present ANC or South African economy. Far from it.
“They knighted him, entertained him in their countries and even let him meet the queen. Then his people told him they wanted the land or his head and he chose to give them the land. ”
It’s also important to remember the concept of land reform preceded Mugabe’s presidency and knighthood. They only cut him off because he proceeded with land reform without compensation to the white landowners because Britain and the US reneged on their Lancaster House promise to fund the programme.
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“Good job pretending you know anything about Cyril Ramaphosa or anyone corrupt ANC politician besides Zuma. My, Hillary has taught you well.”
You proud little minx, look up the meaning of venal, never mind, I’ll do it for you.
ve·nal
ˈvēnl/
adjective
adjective: venal
showing or motivated by susceptibility to bribery.
“why should these venal politicians care how they are rated?”
synonyms: corrupt, corruptible, bribable, open to bribery;
You’re so cute when you lie.
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@ Abagond
Thank you so very much for this post. And for opening up a discussion on South Africa. I hope this is the start of more posts to come from you.
I am still seething and in a very emotional state as is my daughter from an intense rollercoaster week after having heard human rights abuses and institutional racism at my daughter’s school in Cape Town, the protests, intense discussions, (speaking to the press) and confrontations with the Department of Education.
The brave and beautiful Zulaikha had emboldened and inspired many children around the country to speak out and protest. We are so admiring and immensely proud of her.
I feel I need to make some comment -completely overwhelmed by all the comments and recent events. Can’t write dispassionately tonight.
Thank you, Abagond.
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@gro jo
Your last post made no sense as usual. I know you’re still reeling after your desperate attempt to flip flop utterly failed, but try getting back on topic.
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@resw
“They only cut him off because he proceeded with land reform without compensation to the white landowners because Britain and the US reneged on their Lancaster House promise to fund the programme.”
He had to proceed with the land reform one way or another. His people were getting impatient because the whites still owned most of the land. What always dumbfounds me is that the white farmers saw this coming but their arrogance was just too great for them to to do anything. That is the stupidity of racism.
Had they been wise enough, they would paid their workers in shares of their land and partnered with them. They would have sat down with black people and come up with a good sustainable way to share land and heal historical wounds. But they did not. And that was stupid.
They just sat there in their alternate universe drinking juice under trees, bird watching, gambling and spitting on their black workers.
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Where have I taken back anything I wrote? I only agreed that the story was a symptom of a more profound ailment. It’s still trivial compared to what else is happening in SA. Is this clear enough for even you my darling? I kid, I know you know better, you’re just to proud to let me win. That’s what makes you irresistible. No need for you to be jealous of Hillary, I only have eyes for you.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvzNeh4Mq1o)
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@villagewriter
You are absolutely right. But that’s what normally happens when people are conveyed stolen property. They still believe it’s theirs (even though English common law says stolen property can never be conveyed) and believed mother Britain would come save the day.
Certainly Britain (and the US) did everything from sanctions to media demonisation of Mugabe to funding his political rivals. But short of an invasion, which Blair once contemplated, the “poor” white farmers couldn’t be saved.
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Why not improve the “free schools” which are horrible?
Why tolerate a two tier system?
Is this school just for the rich?
Is this a victory or appeasement for the rich?
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“Certainly Britain (and the US) did everything from sanctions to media demonisation of Mugabe to funding his political rivals. But short of an invasion, which Blair once contemplated, the “poor” white farmers couldn’t be saved.”
My, my, what display of dazzling intelligence! See what you can do when you try? Daddy’s proud of his little girl.
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@ taosetan
You’re welcome. I am glad you like it.
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@resw
“I guess my speaking facts instead of regurgitating mass media talking points like you do led you to that foolish conclusion even though I never said or implied I supported Trump.”
Au contraire!
You have supported Trump and his supporters in the past. In your own words from the Donald Trump Quotes About Black People thread:
resw, I agreed with you then and now that HRC was toxic. If you were playing Devil’s Advocate about Trump, you played it to the hilt…so much so that it seemed that you supported Trump
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Over on the open thread, Taotesan said that this may have begun with the natural hair issue, but in the resulting discussions, other problems have been brought to light, including:
“human rights abuses, systematic racism and a deliberate plan by her school principal and management to sabotage their academic progress, failing many of them in mathematics science. In a book loosely reminiscent of the apartheid era, girls are given demerits and detention for speaking isiXhosa which is most of the girls’ home language, in and out of school. . . . [T]he systematic racism when everything has been put together , a larger picture of intentional academic sabotage ,victimization of students speaking out against racist behavior of the staff and other matters, emerges. I felt I had stepped right back into apartheid. Actually it never ended, it has just morphed into something else.”
This goes well beyond hairstyle to sabotaging young black women’s educational success, especially in the STEM fields.
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Good post. I’m glad the students did something. I also agree with gro jo. We could use some more discussion on the economic and political issues on the continent.
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@gro jo
“My, my, what display of dazzling intelligence!”
I’m sure we’ll die waiting on yours.
@Afrofem
“You have supported Trump and his supporters in the past. ”
Yet you couldn’t even pull up a single quote where I supposedly said I supported him.
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resw, you are a bad child. How come it took you almost a day to come up with this silly response? Such nonsense used to just flow out of you, could it be that you had to kill that glimmer of intelligence you displayed first?
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“Yet you couldn’t even pull up a single quote where I supposedly said I supported him.”
Darling, we all know you don’t mean it. You’re just singing for your supper.
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Patel: There are a lot of south Asians throughout southern Africa. In fact the opening scene of “Mississippi Masala” is built around that notion — in Uganda. Under Apartheid there were caste levels: black, colored, and white. “Colored” included people of south Asian descent and mixed individual of around the same shade. Cuisine from southern Africa often incorporates Indian-style seasonings and food items. Same in Trinidad/Tobago. Curry chickpea roti is a common comfort food there.
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@gro jo
“How come it took you almost a day…?
Unlike you, I have a life away from this blog. Hillary doesn’t pay me to be here.
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Sorry for not responding sooner, I was having too much fun with resw. I disagree that the ANC was forced to do anything. They made a choice based on their assessment of the situation. It wasn’t entirely irrational. The Soviet Union was out of the subsidy to third world nations business and Apartheid SA’s military power was still substantial. Some kind of deal was inevitable.
I fault Mandela and company for accepting the economic package without getting substantial concessions on education, housing and other things that would have made a difference to the majority. Sir Bob, to his credit, did get substantial education reforms that allows him to brag that his people are the best educated Africans.
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The Trump troll money isn’t enough eh?
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@gro jo
Mine was better. But nice try!
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gro jo
villagewriter
“The ANC was forced into respectability politics by American politicians. They did not want to scare the precious white people in South Africa (despite the fact that they had slaughtered many black people).
The ANC also took power when most black people still had substandard education and they were drunk with joy because they had just gotten independence, It has been 25 years now and the rich whites and blacks can no longer use Mandela to silence radical black voices. “
gro jo
“Sorry for not responding sooner, I was having too much fun with resw. I disagree that the ANC was forced to do anything. They made a choice based on their assessment of the situation. It wasn’t entirely irrational. The Soviet Union was out of the subsidy to third world nations business and Apartheid SA’s military power was still substantial. Some kind of deal was inevitable.
I fault Mandela and company for accepting the economic package without getting substantial concessions on education, housing and other things that would have made a difference to the majority. Sir Bob, to his credit, did get substantial education reforms that allows him to brag that his people are the best educated Africans.”
@ gro jo
and @ all
Why not fault or blame Britain, Europe and South Africa for not paying trillions of ZARands in compensation for 350 years of slavery, yes, slavery, genocide, colonialism, apartheid and now, neo-colonialism? Why not blame the Washington consensus, or look how a ‘revolution’ was amputated by the Afrikaner government who had decided way before they had released Nelson Mandela, that they were going to end the name of ‘apartheid’ , cleverly orchestrating a third force of violence that seemingly looked like the country was on the brink of civil war. (Man, you don’t know the extreme propaganda techniques these people are capable of.)
And why not ‘fault ‘ or blame the galvanized collective persuasion (sophisticatedly honed from centuries of world theft ) of the the USA’s Treasury department, International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, all the presidents of the USA for propping up and supporting the brutalized repression of apartheid, the CIA, the multi-billion dollar diamond in cartel in South Africa that has international reach to back coup d’état de tats and use eugenics programs for diamonds, platinum and gold, etc, an apartheid government with seriously powerful friends with nuclear weapons and the strongest economies and piranhas of South African and international corporate and bank-sponsored think –tanks that have been favoured by and favour the West’s plutocrats/ oligarchs/ financiers.
This is in mind after the Nationalist Party has dismantled its nuclear program, rather than have it in Black hands. But at the same time it was using bio-terrorism (Project Coast) against Africans. Bearing in mind when the ANC had no more ‘powerful’ friends except Cuba and Libya, with USSR thawed out by De Beers. This was the climate in which Nelson Mandela after more than two decades in prison was ‘cornered’ and outmanoeuvred in Victor Verster prison, Bretton Woods and De Beers mansion In Houghton and had made a Faustian pact in secret surrounded by wolves.
I put this to you, for further understanding this ‘negotiated settlement’ not to win or lose an argument .
In that vein, can any-one ‘fault’ Dilma Rousseff, who was backed by 54 million voters for being ousted in a CIA backed coup d’état?
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@taotesan
Thanks for blowing away the smoke and shattering the mirrors!
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“Why not fault or blame Britain, Europe and South Africa for not paying trillions of ZARands in compensation for 350 years of slavery, yes, slavery, genocide, colonialism, apartheid and now, neo-colonialism? Why not blame the Washington consensus, or look how a ‘revolution’ was amputated by the Afrikaner government who had decided way before they had released Nelson Mandela, that they were going to end the name of ‘apartheid’ , cleverly orchestrating a third force of violence that seemingly looked like the country was on the brink of civil war. (Man, you don’t know the extreme propaganda techniques these people are capable of.)”
Because these forces never claimed to want to free the people of SA, the ANC promised to free SA from these forces. How come Zimbabwe’s Patriotic Front managed to get a better deal than ANC? Sir Bob could have played the respectable African leader to the hilt by using the military on the war veterans asking for land instead of turning on the white farmers. He didn’t, he is reviled by western public opinion. As I said in my comment to villagewriter, ANC should have held out for more than they settled for. They seemed happy to be the poster child for economic austerity the bankers demanded. People like Ms. Patel’s family should have fought for better run and financed state schools instead of going to white schools and leaving the overwhelming majority to under funded state schools.
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“In that vein, can any-one ‘fault’ Dilma Rousseff, who was backed by 54 million voters for being ousted in a CIA backed coup d’état?”
Yes. Latin America’s history is replete with reformist regimes that created illusions about ‘democracy’ that were swept away by coup d’états.
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Is gro jo a Troll?
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Is Rabab?
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No… I not a troll.. Your comments reads like trolling comment. Anyways, it is question.
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@Rabab
“Is gro jo a Troll?”
Yes.
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“No… I not a troll.. Your comments reads like trolling comment. Anyways, it is question.”
Be specific. It sounds like you don’t like people who try to get to the heart of the matter with probing questions, so you slap the troll label on them. People like you are comfortable with stuff like, oh she’s so brave and lovely, etc. I want to know why schools for the majority were underfunded while the black elite lined up to send their kids to the schools their former enemies send their kids to.
resw, as always “I law you”.
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What the devil happened to my first reply to taotesan?
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@taotesan
“Why not fault or blame Britain, Europe and South Africa for not paying trillions of ZARands in compensation for 350 years of slavery, yes, slavery, genocide”
And segregation and apartheid!
Was not Elizabeth Windsor Queen of South Africa during segregation and the initial years of apartheid? So why she hasn’t even so much as apologised is despicable. She’s the only public figure who we can still hold accountable, and it’s about time South Africans (and other of her current and former black subjects around the world) demand recompense.
While the British government is also responsible, the old bag should pay personally. She should be selling her private residences, businesses and cleaning out her Coutts bank accounts to recompense?
And the ANC, which is still in power, doesn’t get a pass. It’s still part of the problem.
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@Gro Jo
We really only disagree on the matter of this story being trivial. I think it is great to hear how this young heroine fought for her right to celebrate her blackness. However, I think Villagewriter, Taotesan, and even you presented the underlining issue that really needs to be discussed in line with this story.
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“Was not Elizabeth Windsor Queen of South Africa during segregation and the initial years of apartheid?” Yes.
“So why she hasn’t even so much as apologised is despicable. She’s the only public figure who we can still hold accountable, and it’s about time South Africans (and other of her current and former black subjects around the world) demand recompense.” If Lizzie apologized for all of Britain’s crimes, she’d have time for nothing else. As I said in the Occupy Central thread, she always had a weakness for brutal men.
“While the British government is also responsible, the old bag should pay personally. She should be selling her private residences, businesses and cleaning out her Coutts bank accounts to recompense? ”
How are you going to make them pay?
“And the ANC, which is still in power, doesn’t get a pass. It’s still part of the problem.”
Allen Shaw is right: ” on Wed 7 Sep 2016 at 22:06:14
Allen Shaw
Why not improve the “free schools” which are horrible?
Why tolerate a two tier system?
Is this school just for the rich?
Is this a victory or appeasement for the rich?”
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coup d’états should be coups d’état
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Thanks also goes to Mary for bringing to attention the international interest in Zulaikha’s brave stance against racism.
A few details; Zulaikha and Amira are both Muslim names. Usually, as far as I know, by marriage, the one spouse would have to convert to Islam. It is also not unusual for Black people to be Muslim in South Africa. What struck me though, should Zulaikha want to wear a hijab at a later stage , she might also face policing of her head-gear in a pre-dominantly white environment. Muslim girls are forced not to wear hijab at my daughter’s school. Hopefully that will change, too.
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For the sake of transparency on this thread, I am Black/Coloured who has natural curly hair which I wash and leave everyday (not that it matters) but my teenage daughter looks white, and has been exempted from any racial discrimination , bias in any way from her teachers and peers, except that she has been victimized by teachers for protesting and challenging two teachers for racist insults to her friends, amongst other things. She is the only ‘biracial ‘white’ child in her school except for a couple of exchange students.
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@ gro jo
Thank you for your response. I am glad the first one was restored.
” Because these forces never claimed to want to free the people of SA, the ANC promised to free SA from these forces.”
I am in agreement that Nelson Mandela and the ANC had forsaken its socialist policies to embrace neo-liberalism and promised us something different. In our euphoria, we did not read or understand the fine print, coming out of a brutal, repressive regime.
For me, the should have’s are more reaching than tipping a better deal in a neo-liberal sell-out. The why and how are important in understanding first the desertion of socialism for neo-liberalism in the last project of decolonization. It is a done deal that and two decades later South Africa is under the yoke of white capital.
It is something I still need to unpack as I know already know the ANC’s failure to fulfil its mandate to its people by tergiversating to white capital and the parade of lies.
I still think it is important to name all the players, not only the “Black corrupt politicians’ but balancing it with FW de Klerk’s corruption, and white business into the circle because the impression that white capital is silent and innocent and African leaders alone are corrupt/ed. The dichotomous thinking that Nelson Mandela sold out, or should have done this or that, is too simplistic and leaves the wolves out of the equation. I have been grappling with this for months , and am hijacked by a blind-spot in getting to the nub of it. Hind-sight is 20-20 vision.
Even though I was in the midst of the turmoil when the country seemed to be on the brink of a civil war, and have a grasp of events leading to the secret negotiations, I am still stuck on the question why Nelson Mandela chose ‘peace’ and not justice.
The pain of the betrayal right now is so intense I do not know whether to scream, cry, stifle my rage, go mad. So I have to delay replying in full , if only for a reprieve for a fleshed and detailed synthesis without sentiment.You can skip over my emotional meandering, but this is very personal and not an academic exercise.
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While a coups d’état is threatening, with knives out for President Zuma, CIA backed, to smash the BRICS alliance to threaten China’s economic presence in South Africa and Zuma’s murmurings of Land!, economy reeling, continuous unrest in service delivery, # fees must fall campaign, the issue of a beautiful African girl’s hair should be non- issue.
According to one newspaper headline, Zulaikha has, in an instant, become immortalized as the South African Rosa Parks of her generation.
I do believe she not be iconized which defeats the collective activism she ignited with her bravery.
This is one of many blow-ups in education in ‘post-apartheid’ after the most heinous of apartheid practices : Bantu Education and under the Population Registration Act: the infamous pencil-test.
Other activist student campaigns #FeesMustFall and # RhodesMustFall, have been raging for months.
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^^^coup d’état //// believe she is not to be iconized
The earsplitting deafening silence of liberal white feminists serves as perfect counterpoint to the vocal female white racists, who have moved their lily-white children out in to even more ‘whiter spaces’ from black bodies with ‘savage’ and ‘uncilivised’ hair.
It highlights that Black females’ appearance and bodies are still highly political according to the rules of white colonialism and respectability under the guise of multi-culturalism where Blacks are still permanent strangers.
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@ Allen Shaw
‘Why not improve the “free schools” which are horrible?’
What gives you the impression that there are no improvements to govenment subsidized schools?
‘Why tolerate a two tier system?’
What gives you the impression that the unequal education system is tolerated by Black parents and students?
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taotesan did you read the article?
My words were a quote from the article.
“the school’s code of conduct is something students agree to before being admitted, but they have little choice if they want a good education: the free government schools for Blacks are terrible.”
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And? What makes you presumptuous in believing that there are no governmental interventions in schools for the more disadvantaged schools?
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^^argh for the most disadvantaged?
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To be proscribed from having your genetically determined hair is an affront to human dignity and is indicative of the psychological assault on Africans all over the globe. The fire for “more important” revolutionary activity will be exintinguished from childhood if the young ones are groomed, in all ways, to aspire to be white.
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@ Origin
“The fire for “more important” revolutionary activity will be exintinguished from childhood if the young ones are groomed, in all ways, to aspire to be white.”
EXACTLY !!!
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The petty bickering aside from a few commentors this is an important story.
To me African American ,it is yet more evidence of how our self rejection and hatred is imposed completely from the outside – that is the white population’s impulse for dominance and extreme sense of inadequacy makes such a policy nesscary.
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See, this is why I wouldn’t call this story “trivial.” Because it isn’t.
And yes, I wish we could do away with the petty bickering, as that in its own right trivializes this story.
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