Mzansi Afrika: Forgiveness

The South African, film Tsotsi, got good publicity. What with the Oscar Committee's recognition and all. In France they're showing another South African one, though, that seems to have less hoopla around it. It's called Zulu Love Letter, and stars Pamela Nomvete, Mpumi Malatsi, Kurt Egelhof, Connie Mfuku and Sophie Mgcina. A husband and his wife are killed by the Apartheid secret police, she in the street, in front of her children and other people. The main protagonist witnesses this second murder, and has a hard time living with what she saw, especially that an old lady, 'Mè Tau, enters the story and is looking for her daughter, Dineo, who was murdered.

We all have to learn how to forgive. The critics are rather harsh with the film, perhaps rightly so, because the story-line of a movie is only a small part of the whole. I suspect that I will go see it anyhow, just because we all have to learn to forgive. The saying says that "it takes a strong person to say 'sorry,' and an ever stronger person to forgive." It does. But all those who can't forgive have a right not to. Such people will probably trash their lives and won't get very far with a lot of things, but they do have a right not to forgive.

Forgiving another human being for violating your child is almost beyond human capabilities. It is very difficult for me to stand behind an altar and celebrate the Eucharist and lead people in words of peace and reconciliation and forgiveness when I feel very far from that myself [www.telegraph.co.uk].

That's what The Rev Julie Nicholson, priest-in-charge of St Aidan with St George church, Bristol, said, after stepping down and giving up her function. She couldn't forgive and she couldn't go on telling others to do so, from behind the clout of the pulpit. So she quit. She has every right to do so. I can't repeat myself enough -- I will forever be amazed how and why, once Apartheid was over, South Africa did not sombre into blood-letting madness, fuelled by revenge and the inability to forgive. Chalk it off to gifted and dedicated leaders who were able to take advantage of the fatigue people had with violence and bigotry. Chalk it off to circumstances favoured by a very long history of colour supremacy which was really human weakness. Chalk it off to South Africa's at once real and incredible revenge against the odds.

June 2006

Comments

Hmm...very interesting. i like that!
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Posted by: Preved | October 22, 2006 at 04:29 AM

And just compare the treatment received by PW Botha with the sentence imposed on Saddam Hussein.

Oh, and I hate Typepad's "Gateway timeout" messages!

Posted by: Steve Hayes | November 20, 2006 at 09:30 AM

I am sure that the relations of the many murdered farmers and the many other victims of senseless crime will be filled with the spirit of forgiveness.

Posted by: A Beyers | February 11, 2007 at 06:24 PM

About forgivesness:

This is not to promote our venue. Let's be very clear about that.
Emeka Okafor recently wrote something about us in his blog and the result (this morning) more than 64 comments.
See: http://www.timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com/2007/03/soekershof-walkabout.html

Honestly we suggested our regulars and recent visitors to post a comment but did not have any expectation about results.
It was amazing.
Between the lines of positive and negative comments you can read a few things (merely from Afrikaners) about forgiveness; their learning process in coping with different cultures etc. This, although small scale, is hopeful in a country which still is teared apart by the past.
We do not have the illusion or the mission to change the world. We have a different (Dutch) background.
As to illustrate: An Afrikaner couple from PE who visited us a few years ago made the remark: "You must believe in God to do something like this". Our reply: "We are creating our world on 10 hectare and the guy up there may do the rest". What we try to say is that if each and everyone in his/her environment can have respect for others this respect will come back one day.

Posted by: Herman & Yvonne | April 12, 2007 at 03:23 PM

Referring to our previous comment. Herewith a few comments as published in Timbuktu Chronicles:

Being a black South African I learned something about by own country: the meaning of the handshake I grew up with; the meaning of the 'evil spirit' of the Uthikulose which does not have to be evil and what wonders me most of all: I had to learn it from two very nice Dutch people who joined our country 7 years ago.

Mpumi kubheku

..............

Being an Afrikaner is not as easy anymore as it was 20 years ago.
Our visit to Soekershof has confronted us with our past but in a very positive way.

Baie dankie (thanks a lot) vir Herman, Yvonne, Maart, Joey, Dawid en die donkies (hulle skop lekker).

It is a privilige to know you all.

Etienne Erasmus, Upington, SA

Posted by: Herman & Yvonne | April 17, 2007 at 02:16 PM