South Africa battles to fight racism

South Africa started off the year with racist remarks from an estate agent who referred to black beach goers in Durban – a coastal city – as monkeys.

#PennySparrow was a DA member. One of millions of white racists in the DA. Lies don't last – #ZumaMustFall will fail pic.twitter.com/lEiH6zr2mE

— racistswillnotwin (@raubies) January 20, 2016

22 years after the end of apartheid, racism endures in the rainbow nation. The developed country continues to experience an unhealthy mass of racist incidents.

Political Analyst Aubrey Matshiqi was quoted by Reuters saying, “In 1994 we did not become a non-racial society. We are not a non-racial society today. That is still a goal that we must achieve. So what was defeated in 1994 is apartheid, the apartheid system, not racism.”

Racial tensions continue to simmer, highlighting the little change following the move into a democratic nation. Reports indicate that wealth and income disparity are still visible along racial lines.

“Structurally, we still have to struggle for fundamental change to alter the material conditions, first of all for South Africans but in particular the material conditions of those who were oppressed during apartheid and colonialism,” Matshiqi said.

‘‘Unfortunately and particularly during the Mandela period what the ANC tended to emphasize was the wooly, wishy-washy conceptualization of reconciliation,” he added.

In this regard, the country’s ruling party has called on South Africans to end racism and all forms of discrimination. The African National Congress (ANC) held a match in Pretoria on Friday that was attended by over 80,000 South Africans.

Members & supporters of the #ANC gathering at the Burgers Park for #ANCmarch for Unity, Non-Racialism & Democracy pic.twitter.com/uwRlci5Twv

— ANC Info Feed (@MyANC_) February 19, 2016