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Storying Ubuntu As a Rainbow Nation

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Page 1 of 8 Original Research Storying Ubuntu as a rainbow nation Author: South Africa is often referred to as the ‘Rainbow Nation’. This term was coined by Desmond 1 Wonke Buqa Tutu during the advent of democracy in the country. Tutu stated: ‘They tried to make us one Affiliation: colour: purple. We say we are the rainbow people! We are the new people of the new South 1Department of Practical Africa!’ This article seeks to answer the question as to whether the Rainbow Nation is a true Theology, University of reflection ofUbuntu in South Africa or whether it is just idealism. Pretoria, South Africa Correspondence to: Wonke Buqa Introduction Email: An African world view that underpins much of African values and social thinking is Ubuntu [email protected] (Broodryk 2005). Jolley (2011:59) and Bernhard (2011:43) state that Ubuntu became one of the key concepts of the new democratic South Africa which inspired people of different races to embrace Postal address: one another after apartheid. This article attempts to respond to this claim about Ubuntu through a 53 Naaldehout Avenue, Heuweloord, Centurion 0157, literature review and a narrative inquiry amongst people living in a multi-racial urban township South Africa known as Olievenhoutsbosch. Dates: In this article, I shall listen and explore these people’s lived experiences concerning the Received: 20 Feb. 2015 Accepted: 30 Mar. 2015 ‘Rainbow Nation’ and Ubuntu in the 21st century. This will be done by means of narrative Published: 08 June 2015 research amongst South Africans of varying races, ethno-cultural groups and socio-economic classes. How to cite this article: Buqa, W., 2015, ‘Storying Ubuntu as a rainbow nation’, In this regard, practical theology is a field of study that prides itself in taking human experiences Verbum et Ecclesia 36(2), Art. seriously. I shall focus on embodied stories emanating from the local and concrete context of #1434, 8 pages. http://dx.doi. Olievenhoutsbosch. McAllister (2009:2) expresses the view that Ubuntu has become a key notion org/10.4102/ve.v36i2.1434 amongst elite circles in South Africa, particularly in the context of the demise of apartheid and Note: the process of nation-building that followed. This narrative of McAllister finds its point of This article was written as departure in the celebration of the abolishment of legal racism in South Africa in 1994 and in the part of the research for a PhD development of the new constitution, which is considered to be one of the most progressive of its degree that was done under kind in the world. People have rights, and there are institutions that are designed to protect and supervision of Prof. Julian C. Müller, Department of uphold those rights. Practical Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa. The dominant belief was that, through a commitment to the ideals of national reconciliation and the Rainbow Nation,1 all of society’s historical problems would be overcome. National Copyright: © 2015. The Authors. reconciliation and the idea of the Rainbow Nation were generally regarded as the main pillars of Licensee: AOSIS social cohesion and integration (Mathebe 2002:139). OpenJournals. This work is licensed under the Creative However, the situation in South Africa during the past 20 years of democracy (1994–2014) opens Commons Attribution License. up challenging narratives about the meaning of Ubuntu and the Rainbow Nation. For some, the Rainbow Nation became an empty term in the light of all the promises of the government whilst, as yet, they do not have water to drink or a place to sleep. They also do not receive the practical aid and help that they have been expecting. Hence Biko (2013:232) argues that this newly established consumer-centric ideology clashed with traditional African values such as Ubuntu, impinged on the ability of citizens to continue to lead faith-based, family-centred lifestyles and diminished the community-orientated recreational habits of the past. The relevance of my article lies in its emphasis on a local context with reference to concrete and embodied, lived experiences of the relevant people. It therefore finds its point of departure in practical theology as a way of life. The article contributes towards the discipline of practical theology in the sense that the focus is on in-context experiences from which theory is developed Read online: Scan this QR which, in turn, can inform similar and different contexts from which angles alternative and new code with your theoretical narratives can grow. smart phone or mobile device to read online. 1.Rainbow Nation was described by Tutu to encapsulate the unity of multi-culturalism and diversity of South African people. This term was furthered by Nelson Mandela as the first democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994. http://www.ve.org.za doi:10.4102/ve.v36i2.1434 Page 2 of 8 Original Research The context: Olievenhoutsbosch community: A narrative reflection’. Grace is 41 years of age and a widow with one child, a daughter named Nomfundo. Olievenhoutsbosch is the first urban township that I came Grace has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication across in South Africa that consists of inhabitants from almost Science and works in the position of a manager at the Auditor all of the races, classes, socio-economic statutes and ethnic General of South Africa. She is also a Deputy General- groupings living in a township area. It is situated along the Secretary of the Uniting Presbyterian Women’s Fellowship Centurion-West suburb of Pretoria on the way to Midrand. It in Southern Africa and a staunch African National Congress consists of Reconstruction Development Programme (RDP) (ANC) member. She was born in KwaZulu-Natal and grew housing, informal settlements, town houses and normal up in Soweto in Gauteng. The opening question in the houses. Olievenhoutsbosch, also known as Olieven, it is a interview with Grace was: ‘When people talk about the term vibrant community with its own challenges like any township “Rainbow Nation” in South Africa, what do you understand in South Africa. These include socio-economic crises, crime, about this term, and what does it mean to you as a resident violence, service-delivery protests and informal settlements. of this community of Olieven?’: In this context, I shall embark on a journey of conversations Mrs. Ngidi:2 The term ‘Rainbow Nation’ represents our with two co-researchers from Olieven, as a case study. Muller nationality, our identity and that our differences are immaterial; (1999:1) describes that life is a journey. If you are alive, you we are united in our diversity. It represents a young nation that have made a start, and you are on the journey. is still trying to find itself. South Africans are different from Americans though, in terms of national pride. Americans are Olieven stories proud and patriotic about their identity. Wherever they are competing or when there is an issue of national importance, Clandinin and Connelly (2000:17) attest that life as we you will find them screaming at the top of their voices: ‘USA! – come to it and as it comes to us is filled with narrative USA! – USA’ To us South Africans, the term ‘Rainbow Nation’ fragments, enacted in storied moments of time and space, means our different cultures, races, ethnic groups and genders reflected upon and understood in terms of narrative unities imply inclusivity. In our Constitutional Preamble, it says South and discontinuities. Some people in Olieven perceived the Africa belongs to all who live in it and that we are united in Rainbow Nation as an empty term if they do not have water to our diversity. It is part of the meaning of the Rainbow Nation drink or a place to sleep or if they do not receive the practical that we are one nation regardless of our various backgrounds and cultures. We are talking about blacks, Indians, mixed race, aid that they have been promised by the government. whites, physically disabled people; it is part of fostering unity Hence Meskell (2012:46) argues that some South Africans and patriotism, – developed by Nelson Mandela. It forms part of he interviewed expressed themselves as ‘tired’ of Rainbow our national psyche. narratives. They felt that changes in social perceptions were Wonke:3 Now, in view of what you said just now, could you being forced rather than developed. please share with me what happened during the protest that blocked the R55 road at Olieven in demand of service delivery In narrative pastoral work, story is not seen only as a on 15 April 2014? means of releasing information but also as a way to come Mrs Ngidi: When the people of Olieven were protesting against to yourself (Muller 1999:2). This is why people are led to tell the failure of service delivery, they closed R55 road, burnt tires, and retell their stories in such a way that reinterpretation and the police came to monitor the protest. The police wanted and reconstruction can eventually happen. It is significant to stop three white men who were driving to Olieven, and they to note that the focus in narrative research is more on said the place is dangerous. The white men told them that they people’s experiences rather than the mere literature. Van der are residents of Olieven, and there is nowhere else they can go. Westhuizen (2008) explains it as follows: Eventually, the police allowed them to drive through, and they In many theses, literature studies precede the research process. were known by the residents while the police were astonished In our positioning literature follows the stories listened to and to see white men staying in a township.
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