Let’s start redoing the continent

Sandile Dikeni

Okay let’s confess that quite a decent amount of progressive thought was imposed by the anti-apartheid consciousness. No doubt, the human consciousness did not depend on the Verwoerd mentality to nurture progressive humanity in the South African mentality.

It is however difficult to see the current consciousness without the sociology that has drawn the eyes of the world on Cape Town and Pretoria. An interesting aspect of the South African anti-apartheid moment is its level of deepening human consciousness to the levels this society is at pleasure of revealing now. Take for instance the many depths revealed in our sociologies.

They just happen!

Look at the Mandela instance where a Thembu man bearing the name has converted to Islam of free will. The dynamism should not only be limited to conversion to Islam.

I can see the dynamisms of many people in this beautiful country diverting to anything allowed by this majestic existence.

That, I feel, is the dynamism of the sociology we have created.

Again, let me be quick to point out, there are no depths in social investigations that have been read for me to reach this arena. I just feel it! There is however a gradual moment in sociological readings that can lead us to this realisation.

I mean the everyday moments in Gugs or Langa.

Let’s be quick to acknowledge that the economic struggle does not show any signal of easy victories. The capitalists in South Africa do believe that the nation can be sold an economy based on capital thinking. I am more in favour of a socialist line of thinking. Sadly I don’t think the majority of South Africa is there or wants to be there. This is unfortunate because I do think that investing in the dynamisms of a changing sociology can help the continent to see the dynamism of the open mind.

South Africa in my mind is offering the world that dynamic space to play in. I do however think that the first people we need to convince are ourselves. There is an ignorant air of market thought that seems to dominate the discourse of the country and continent. We need to wake up from the narrowness of mind allowed by this atrocious moment.

I am a happy person in this country. I am however worried that not so many of us really realise the beauty of the unrecognised consciousness that steers this sensitive moment. True, the obvious economics of world wealth are not necessarily unseen in this country. Twenty years of liberation might be shouting too soon. I feel that shouting too soon should be regarded better than shouting too late.

A topic I try to avoid as much as I can is the African economics issue. It is not an easy topic. Not only because of the European involvement. True the Europeans feature in it, but it has recently been decorated with the glib tongues of the modern African politician who can play with words the way a circus clown convinces a monkey that he is good.

Between me and you, I have not left South Africa in the last 12 years, which means I have only seen Africa from the TV. But I am also scared of the African discourse and its madnesses. I know many of us wish to deny the many atrocities happening on the continent, but I have long become tired of Africa blaming colonialism. Let’s stop that now and start thinking about how we can start redoing the continent.

We need to inject our modern discourse with a positive air that avoids all the negatives accompanied by the many complicated and fake airs of European thought.

It is common knowledge that Africa has, in the world, the biggest sociology of sexism. I think we need to address this with the honesty it deserves.

Needless to say, we owe the world that serious essence. We need to be seen as an important component of the world community.

The issue is not limited to the structural issues like the state, continental gathering and the like, no it demands the person, the human Africa to shout “I am here”.

I insist on feeling good and this continent, I have told myself, is this year going to be the real reason behind me feeling good.

I insist that the whole blerrie South Africa insist on feeling good. It is common fact that when all of us insist on the positive carried by the world, we will be able to articulate to the dumb and slightly dull minds that the biggest joy in life is to see the other enjoying it like you.

The big joy that was given to Cape Town by the more than deep souls of Africa, begs that we recognise the amazing beauty that we possess and make use of it.