Nelson Mandela's Neglected Vision: Apartheid In South Africa

Audrey Lewis

Mr. Seehafer

Humanities I: World Cultures

17 March 2016

Nelson Mandela’s Neglected Vision

"Rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world,” (Mandela), Nelson Mandela stated his vision during his inauguration speech as president on May 10, 1994. This was Mandela’s vision for South Africa’s future; he wanted South Africa to not have racial conflicts, to be economically thriving, and to be a paradigm for the rest of the world. It has been three years since Nelson Mandela’s death and South Africa is ranked 27 on the list of most dangerous countries in the world (Most) according to Atlas and Boots. It has enacted legislation that has put the black South Africans at a disadvantage and its economy is declining. Reporter Tibebeselassie

Apartheid was a law enacted by the white minority that allowed legal racial segregation against the black South Africans created by the minority, the white South Africans. Apartheid was created in 1948 and lasted until Nelson Mandela became president in 1994. Although Apartheid is long gone, and it ending has created a better South Africa, the scars of Apartheid are still there. While David Smith, a reporter from The Guardian, was in South Africa he said, "The whites are pretending it didn't happen; the blacks are pretending to forgive,” (Smith). This really shows how Apartheid didn’t just affect the black South Africans but also the white South Africans who are now feeling ‘attacked’, political parties use skin color as the basis to attack others, those who are being attacked are the black South Africans. Skin color also creates a divide in employment rates. According to The Global Education Magazine there is a big problem with labor rates, especially with the black South Africans. 36.8% of the black South African population between the ages of 15 and 64 employed whereas the white South Africans have 63.2% of their population employed (South). Decisions and ideas based on skin color and racism is another problem that is preventing South Africa from achieving Nelson Mandela’s

South Africa was an unequal country even before Apartheid. Legislation acts such as the Native Lands Act of 1913 and the Mines and Workers Act of 1911 had put a majority of the population at an uneven chance to succeed. The Natives Land Act restricted the black South Africans from purchasing or living on white South Africans land. This was showing favoritism towards the white population over the black population in South Africa, which is a major indicator of racism and prejudice towards the black population (Britannica). Although this act was in the past, the scars of these types of acts are still deep. As William Faulkner had once written, "The past is never dead. It's not even past," (Faulkner). This quote shows how even though something is in the past doesn’t mean that it can’t affect you such as the acts and laws that were mentioned