Freedom Remains a Theory

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Freedom was banished from the land of its forebearers over three centuries ago and though it’s said to have been invited back home in 1994, it has struggled to find permanent residence in South Africa. It roams from street corner to parliament in search of belonging but instead finds resistance from the so-called leaders of the people all because it comes dressed in the crash fabric of equality. So we settle. We settle for the chamber of democracy.

Written history, like a tree branch, is often limited in scope, which is why we rely on other mediums to get a better picture of the whole tree. One such medium is song because it has always been used a means of communication and preservation. It is through the memory of song that we can transfer ideologies from one generation to the next, and it is in these songs that we find the sinkholes of this freedom-plated democracy.

Two sinkholes that stand out most to me are white supremacy and black inferiority. Since the dawn of the rainbow nation, strides have been made in eroding black inferiority from the black psyche but not much has been done to erode white supremacy. These complexes thrive on the concepts of scarcity and exclusivity thereby narrowing the vastness of human possibility in community. So, if we are to get even to the brink of freedom, both complexes must be resolved – wholly and honestly. We need to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations to unpack the underlying beliefs that manifest as these complexes. What has to break in a person for them to consider themselves a god? How do we correct the errors of the past in the present to create an equitable future? How do we overcome the sentiment of entitlement? What turns the caregiver into a gatekeeper? How do we break the bind of exiguousness? The answers to these questions will guide the path to the freedom we deserve.

And while we do this work, shall we ease out on the ‘I don’t see colour’ manifesto? Seeing in colour has never been the problem. The problem lies in seeing colour/race as a yardstick of humanness. So by all means – see colour, appreciate colour, and know that it is by no means a benchmark for intelligence or dignity, nor is it merit for riches or poverty. For too long we have put the onus on the previously disadvantaged to find recourse for their plight, it may very well be time to turn focus to the previously advantaged to balance the scales and make amends. There can be no reconciliation without acceptance from the victim and remorse from the offender. This democracy was built in absence of the latter and the cracks are starting to show.

So I propose freedom – the kind that loves and respects all life. The kind Biko, Hani, Kalushi, and Sobukwe would be proud to have died for. The kind that breeds a healthy and functional society of people who apply themselves in the art of evolution as opposed to the science of rearranging prejudices. But this can never be until we are. There can be no new dawn without new action, no better society without better citizens, and no unity without accountability.

It is time to discern truth from self-delusion. Change and freedom are interdependent pillars of a functional society. Both pillars will not come from any saviour, they must be made and embraced as living religion by us – the people…

…and maybe when we touch freedom – just maybe – the songs we sing will no longer have tears in them.

Accompanying playlist ‘ A Tribute to Black History’ curated by Ayanda Mzaca of Saccharine Radio – available on Spotify and Apple Music

Artwork by Masonwabe Ntloko