South Africa

RECONCILIATION DAY

Race relations remain fragile in South Africa, says Cyril Ramaphosa

Race relations remain fragile in South Africa, says Cyril Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Elmond Jiyane, GCIS)

On 16 December 2020, Cyril Ramaphosa made his annual Reconciliation Day speech where he said that the country had done a lot to overcome past divisions, but that recent incidents like the ones in Senekal in the Free State and Brackenfell in the Western Cape show that much work needs to be done to address racial divisions.

Much headway had been made “in overcoming divisions brought upon us by our history,” but lots of work needs to be done to address these divisions, said President Cyril Ramaphosa during a 17-minute Reconciliation Day speech which was delivered virtually.

Divisions were distinctly seen when protests broke out in Senekal in the Free State, after Brendin Horner, a farm manager, was murdered in October. There were also protests in Brackenfell in the Western Cape after the EFF protested after a private matric function was organised and no black pupils were invited.

These incidences showed “that the state of race relations in our country remains fragile.” 

The theme for Ramaphosa’s speech was united in action against racism, gender-based violence and other intolerances.

16 December has been a public holiday for the past 25 years in democratic South Africa. “It is a day in which we recall the injustices of our history. It is also a day when we affirm our collective responsibility to build a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society,” said Ramaphosa.

This day in 1961 was the day that the ANC’s armed wing, uMkhonto we Sizwe was formed. 16 December is also when the Battle of Blood River took place in 1838 between the Zulu people and the Voortrekkers.

“For much of our history, this day in our national calendar, has been a symbol of division and conflict, now we observe this day as one nation,” said Ramaphosa.

The Institute of Justice and Reconciliation’s 2019 Reconciliation Barometer survey showed that 40.8% of respondents had defined reconciliation as past victims forgiving past perpetrators, while 33.3% defined reconciliation as the reduction of violence and establishment of peace. 

About 77% of the respondents in the 2019 Reconciliation Barometer survey said that South Africa still needed reconciliation. Ramaphosa said that even though we live in a democratic country, “we’re alive to the reality that for many [people] reconciliation is something they have yet to experience.”

Ramaphosa said that reconciliation will not be possible to achieve without addressing inequality.

In his newsletter published on Monday, Ramaphosa echoed these themes, acknowledging that: “It is obvious that true reconciliation is impossible unless we overcome the social and economic inequalities that persist in our society. It is only when the playing fields of opportunity are levelled and the lives of all South Africans improve that social cohesion will be strengthened.”

To address these inequalities, Ramaphosa said that: “Our businesses must reflect their support for transformation through hiring practices, incapacitating and skilling staff, and in investing in the communities in which they operate. They must make more opportunities available for young people, women, persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups. Labour must continue with its important mandate to protect and advance the rights of workers, and work towards improving the industrial relations landscape. Farming organisations and landowners must support government’s efforts towards land reform, which is a fundamental part of reconciliation.”

Ramaphosa also said that reconciliation wasn’t possible as long as women “who make up half of our population live in fear of gender-based violence.

“We need to stand firm in our rejection of all forms of violence against women and children,” said Ramaphosa.

“On this day it isn’t enough to commit to social cohesion and nation-building, we must ask ourselves what we can do and what we must do to advance social justice, solidarity and human rights in our homes, communities, where we study, worship and all facets of our lives,” said Ramaphosa. DM

 

Gallery

Comments - Please in order to comment.

  • Coen Gous says:

    This president, really, is not a president. He is there by default. His opinion means nothing, as others in the ANC is actually running the country. Very similar to when the Gupta’s were running the country. Except, this time it is from within. The Zuma-Ex wife is running circles around him. And the whole country suffers. Race relations? Using that as an excuse for the government’s (or ANC if you wish) failures

  • Sydney Kaye says:

    Is the Brackenfell incident seriously the main example he could come up with of bad race relations. This was an incident manufactured by the EFF for political reasons, mainly to look as though they, not the ANC were leading the fight against “racism”. Didn’t Cyril see that.

Please peer review 3 community comments before your comment can be posted

X

This article is free to read.

Sign up for free or sign in to continue reading.

Unlike our competitors, we don’t force you to pay to read the news but we do need your email address to make your experience better.


Nearly there! Create a password to finish signing up with us:

Please enter your password or get a sign in link if you’ve forgotten

Open Sesame! Thanks for signing up.

We would like our readers to start paying for Daily Maverick...

…but we are not going to force you to. Over 10 million users come to us each month for the news. We have not put it behind a paywall because the truth should not be a luxury.

Instead we ask our readers who can afford to contribute, even a small amount each month, to do so.

If you appreciate it and want to see us keep going then please consider contributing whatever you can.

Support Daily Maverick→
Payment options

Become a Maverick Insider

This could have been a paywall

On another site this would have been a paywall. Maverick Insider keeps our content free for all.

Become an Insider

Every seed of hope will one day sprout.

South African citizens throughout the country are standing up for our human rights. Stay informed, connected and inspired by our weekly FREE Maverick Citizen newsletter.