South Africa is More than Just Politics and Rugby
When you read newspapers and listen to the news, one would really think the sky is falling.
Well, I beg to differ!
While running the Two Oceans half marathon yesterday I realised how great this country and it’s people really are. People are open and friendly and encouraging when we’re not talking politics and religion.
Sometimes we forget that our country is more than Jacob Zuma and Helen Zille and Terror Lekota.
It’s about us.
Living our daily lives, trying to make a decent living and creating a comfortable existence.
When we un-isolate ourselves from our thoughts and our neighbourhoods, we see people for who they are, not who we are told by the media they should be.
Most of the time we don’t look at our colleagues and friends and say: ANC
We see people trying to give their children a good education while putting food on the table.
Yes, it’s not all sunshine and roses every day and yes, we do have major problems. But that’s not all there is to living in South Africa.
One of my pet hates is when people keep saying the 1995 rugby world cup brought the country together. It did no such thing.
It was a day of sport – enjoyed by many people, although on a much bigger stage, it was pretty much like yesterday’s Two Oceans.
It showed us glimpses of each other and who we could be if put aside our predjudices and fears for one day.
Why do we wrap our identities in sport – rugby in particular – and politics?
When someone differs with us, it’s as if they are trying to take away our very identities. If someone views the Springboks differently than us, we get all defensive and strike out at the ‘offender’. If someone criticises the ANC we have to attack them and call them names.
Why?
In the end we’re all living in this great country. We all want the best for ourselves, our families, our businesses, our cities and our countries.
We might not like what we see every day, but one thing I know for sure is that the sky is definitely not falling any time soon.
.jpg)
