I don’t want to talk about racism. I mean, I really hate how week in and week out, we have to talk about racism. Be it police shooting unarmed black young men in the US or a pastor claiming that black people are inferior by virtue of their race. Or, the social media outrage that follows; hashtags, retweets, posting pictures.

Disbelief. How could this be happening in 2016? How, how, how? Why are we still fighting a war that our mothers and fathers, and their parents before them, fought? Why am I still using my ink to write about racism in 2016?

Today, the world is celebrating Mandela Day. And this is a man who has lived his life championing the fight against racial domination. In his own words, he said: “I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination.”

In 1994, when South Africa had its first elections, most people thought that racism had finally been overthrown. Blacks and whites were to live in a rainbow nation. But, is it, really?

I think most of us are tired of it. Most of us don’t want to talk about it; we’d rather pretend that all is well. But not talking about it does not erase it from existence. It’s there. It’s waiting for us to let our guard down so it can surprise us with its ugliness when we least expect it.

“How, how, how? This is 2016 for Christ’s sake,” a chorus of disbelief from all of us, black and white.

Racism is a festering wound in the psyche of our nation. The damage apartheid wreaked is a constant reminder of where we’ve been and where we don’t want to go again. You don’t believe me? Watch Sarafina again and tell me how you feel after that!

Would you like to go back to the dark days of apartheid? I don’t care which side you’re on, but, if you’re human, then I know you wouldn’t want to go back to that era.

But it’s clear that there are people who would like to go there, the likes of Penny Sparrow and her friends! Do I need to mention them? You’ve seen them on social media. Heard them on radio saying they were quoted out of context, that they are not racists.

1994. Many thought a civil war will follow after the demise of apartheid, like in other African countries. They expected lawlessness and chaos to prevail. But, the transition of power was fairly peaceful. Thanks to the leadership of Dr. Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela.

But he is gone now. He played his part. He said what he said. Did what he did. What are we doing? Honouring him for the 27 years he spent behind bars because he dared to oppose the idea that one race is superior from others? As we do it, let’s also remember that the real reason he spent so many years inside that cell is none other than the ugliest thing alive: RACISM.

ZZ xx