Let me start by saying I don’t believe that South Africa will become worse in 2044 despite everything that is happening now. I am a believer in optimism, yes you can say I am an optimist. Some can try to predict the future but the predictions cannot be 100% accurate. I believe only God knows the future but we can only live by faith and hope. Apartheid was bad to many black South Africans. Some never hoped that one day a black person can actually sit next to a white person, eat with a white person, sleep next to a white person, even marry a white person. We salute the great leaders who fought for new South Africa.
My story is about 3 friends of same age group, Kwanele, Siyavuya and Muzi who grew up in Eastern Cape, Port Elizabeth in New Brighton Township. True story.
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Kwanele is a first born from his mother and father. His father wasn’t around when he grew up, in fact, his father married another women while Kwanele’s mother was pregnant with Kwanele. So he was raised by his mother and his mother depended on government provision.
He grew up as a smart kid and he loved karate. Academically he excelled from his primary school to his high school where he did physics, mathematics and life science as his major subject. He passed his matric very well and got himself a sponsor from one of the top companies in South Africa, Transnet. He then went to further his studies at Durban University of Tshwane where he’s currently doing his final year in Marine Engineering.
Kwanele enjoyed Durban very much as it was his first time out of his small city, PE. As a student he had challenges at school and challenges back home. He would tell his friends sometimes that racism still exists, however he looked beyond that. Treatment was not the same at campus and that bothered him because he believed in the new South Africa.
Kwanele received some allowance from the sponsor to sustain himself and buy some food, clothing. He took half of the money and sent it to his mother and he did that for 4 years. Poverty was part of his family but he changed all that while he was still a student. Kwanele now just bought a new house for his mother and bought himself a car. This is motivation that your background doesn’t determine your future.
Siyavuya is the first and last born from both his parents. He grew up as a young adventurous man. Siyavuya did very well in his academics and he managed to finish his Btech Degree in Economic studies in 2016 at Nelson Mandela University. Siyavuya is from a middle class family, however to him that wasn’t enough; he had big dreams for himself and his family.
After Siyavuya graduated in 2016 his father passed on the 26 July and he didn’t take that well as he looked up to his father. He started drinking, socialising with the wrong people; he was angry all the time. Eventually his friends suggested politely that he go see a professional to talk about his issues. He did exactly that and currently he’s still attending the sessions and things are getting better. Siyavuya now is a motivational speaker and he’s sharing his own testimony and is doing amazing work.
Muzi is a last born from his parents, he is the fourth child. He grew up playing sports soccer, cricket and rugby, however he had passion for cricket. Muzi studied Entrepreneurship and Business Management at the College of Cape Town and did his in-service training and got his Diploma 2016. Muzi didn’t really view himself as particularly talented but rather a hard worker. He engaged himself with books, he loved reading and eventually he joined a book club called “Consortium”.
He would carry a book in his bag everywhere he went and he was not even shy to read a book on a public transport. He loved reading and sharing information with friends, reading helped him to become a good conventionalist. He had an opportunity to meet one of the FunDza people who came to his campus and introduced FunDza and everything they were all about. He was so excited and wrote an article and it was published by the FunDza team on their page. His friends were very happy for him because he loved books and supported him.
After 4years of studying, Kwanele in Durban, Muzi in Cape Town and Siyavuya still in Port Elizabeth, they always kept the communication strong via social media platforms like Whatsapp, Facebok even sending each other emails. On Whatsapp they will have a 30 day gratitude activity where every day at 19:00 p.m. they will write 5 things that they are grateful for. They did that consistently without missing a day. With this attitude I believe South Africa would become a great country.
South Africa is going through a lot of negative things or should I say we’re facing a lot of challenges like rape, abduction, murdering, poverty the list is endless. However, I believe in 27 years from now some of the things will be eliminated. These 3 friends are ordinary South Africans but they believe in the new South Africa.
These guys didn’t grow up with the sense that where they were where they we will be. But they grew up with the sense that where they were, almost didn’t matter to them because they had great hope that one day they will change their current situation. A lot can happen in between now and 2044… God bless South Africa, in fact, God bless Africa.