South Africa 2
After much deliberation, I’ve decided that I will post this story in my LJ so that you may read it from personal account before you hear it from some other source.
So-
I got myself into a little bit of trouble in South Africa. While participating in a music workshop that spanned a couple of days in South Africa, and after being invited and then urged, I sang with an acapella group (it was incredibly moving and I sang like I’ve never sung before- really…I’ll talk about it more in a later update). After initially singing with them, they invited me back to the township the next day to work with more musicians. (I just realized that some of you may not know exactly what I am referring to when I mention township- the townships in South Africa are slums on the outskirts of the city filled with rows upon rows of shacks- as far as the eye can see. This is where the Pass Laws during apartheid mandated that all blacks must live. As the dissimilation of apartheid was comparatively recent, the living conditions are essentially the same as they were during this period. There is a project by the ANC to replace all of the township shacks with actual homes, but that has not continued occurring due to funding ) After finishing the workshop, I returned and spent the day in Langa, the township I was visiting. I was then invited yet another day, and returned once again. While eating dinner in one woman from the township, Vicki’s home, I heard much yelling in Xhosa and a woman screaming. The others in the room ignored it and when I asked what it was, they just shrugged their shoulders. I then excused myself immediately, left the home, and went outside. Upon going outside I saw a group of about 30-40 men and women surrounding 2 men with baseball bats hitting a sole woman in the middle of the group. My reaction was to move through the crowd yelling and jump over the woman, who at this time, was already bleeding. (Apparently what was going on was a form of their judicial system. The South African Government allows the townships to be self-governing, which means they are free to punish criminals in any sort of fashion they desire. The punishment for rape or murder in this specific township is to merely place a tire around the criminal’s head and light it on fire) The crowd then turned on me and tore me off of the woman and began kicking, tearing at my clothes, and yelling ‘bitch’, ‘fuck bush’ and a number of other things…some in Xhosa, some in English. I began apologizing (as it what incredibly brazen of me as a foreigner to jump in and try to prevent or change one of their systems) and attempted to stand up, but each time I tried to get up, I was hit in the hips and legs with the bats. This occurred for some time(I’m unsure of how long) until, Vicki, the pseudo Mama of the township, muscled through the crowd, put one hand over my mouth, another around my waist, and picked me up and carried me to a corner outside of the crowd. She then told me that things are done differently here and that if I’m to come in a visitor I have to accept that. We immediately got me a cab back to the ship. My legs are heavily bruised with open sores that at the time were bleeding. Seeing as the bats that they were hitting me with had the blood of the other woman on them, there is a slight chance that I may be infected with the AIDS virus, as South Africa is ground zero for the AIDS epidemic resulting in over 40% of the population being HIV positive (this does not include the heightened statistics of those in the townships). I have been tested and am now waiting on the results; I am also going to the medical clinic daily for my hip and legs. In the day and a half after the incident, Vicki informed me, as it was also reported to SAS, that there were 3 execution style murders in Langa.
This is not to worry you- I’ve learned my lesson and it is mostly my fault (This was the sole reason I didn’t want to tell you all at home…. due to the anxiety it would cause some of you). I should not have gone alone and I should not have interfered in a cultural practice. However, in my defense- my conviction is strong and I will never keep silent if what is seen to me as an injustice is occurring (whether it is in my country or another). Anger toward Anglos and Americans happened to be taken out on me and dare I say I understand their hate and am not harboring anger toward them whatsoever. After discussing this with some close ‘confidants’ (hehe) I realize I should be angry, that it is never ok to be beaten, but I must be honest in saying I only grow really irritated when I am in much pain and my hip prevents me from moving around very much (not to mention the whole AIDS scare- but I’m sure the scare is slight). These ‘confidants’ also thought that I should tell you at home about it, as your love and support, especially during a time like this, means a tremendous amount. They also suggested that I reach out to you as it is somewhat lonesome that in a time of alarm and discomfort you are all on the other side of the world.
(Obviously I have taken and agree with their advice)
I thought I’d get this story out of the way, and then update in a couple of days with the rest of my time in South Africa which, let me assure you, was absolutely remarkable and probably made even more so by this experience.
Love love love.
So-
I got myself into a little bit of trouble in South Africa. While participating in a music workshop that spanned a couple of days in South Africa, and after being invited and then urged, I sang with an acapella group (it was incredibly moving and I sang like I’ve never sung before- really…I’ll talk about it more in a later update). After initially singing with them, they invited me back to the township the next day to work with more musicians. (I just realized that some of you may not know exactly what I am referring to when I mention township- the townships in South Africa are slums on the outskirts of the city filled with rows upon rows of shacks- as far as the eye can see. This is where the Pass Laws during apartheid mandated that all blacks must live. As the dissimilation of apartheid was comparatively recent, the living conditions are essentially the same as they were during this period. There is a project by the ANC to replace all of the township shacks with actual homes, but that has not continued occurring due to funding ) After finishing the workshop, I returned and spent the day in Langa, the township I was visiting. I was then invited yet another day, and returned once again. While eating dinner in one woman from the township, Vicki’s home, I heard much yelling in Xhosa and a woman screaming. The others in the room ignored it and when I asked what it was, they just shrugged their shoulders. I then excused myself immediately, left the home, and went outside. Upon going outside I saw a group of about 30-40 men and women surrounding 2 men with baseball bats hitting a sole woman in the middle of the group. My reaction was to move through the crowd yelling and jump over the woman, who at this time, was already bleeding. (Apparently what was going on was a form of their judicial system. The South African Government allows the townships to be self-governing, which means they are free to punish criminals in any sort of fashion they desire. The punishment for rape or murder in this specific township is to merely place a tire around the criminal’s head and light it on fire) The crowd then turned on me and tore me off of the woman and began kicking, tearing at my clothes, and yelling ‘bitch’, ‘fuck bush’ and a number of other things…some in Xhosa, some in English. I began apologizing (as it what incredibly brazen of me as a foreigner to jump in and try to prevent or change one of their systems) and attempted to stand up, but each time I tried to get up, I was hit in the hips and legs with the bats. This occurred for some time(I’m unsure of how long) until, Vicki, the pseudo Mama of the township, muscled through the crowd, put one hand over my mouth, another around my waist, and picked me up and carried me to a corner outside of the crowd. She then told me that things are done differently here and that if I’m to come in a visitor I have to accept that. We immediately got me a cab back to the ship. My legs are heavily bruised with open sores that at the time were bleeding. Seeing as the bats that they were hitting me with had the blood of the other woman on them, there is a slight chance that I may be infected with the AIDS virus, as South Africa is ground zero for the AIDS epidemic resulting in over 40% of the population being HIV positive (this does not include the heightened statistics of those in the townships). I have been tested and am now waiting on the results; I am also going to the medical clinic daily for my hip and legs. In the day and a half after the incident, Vicki informed me, as it was also reported to SAS, that there were 3 execution style murders in Langa.
This is not to worry you- I’ve learned my lesson and it is mostly my fault (This was the sole reason I didn’t want to tell you all at home…. due to the anxiety it would cause some of you). I should not have gone alone and I should not have interfered in a cultural practice. However, in my defense- my conviction is strong and I will never keep silent if what is seen to me as an injustice is occurring (whether it is in my country or another). Anger toward Anglos and Americans happened to be taken out on me and dare I say I understand their hate and am not harboring anger toward them whatsoever. After discussing this with some close ‘confidants’ (hehe) I realize I should be angry, that it is never ok to be beaten, but I must be honest in saying I only grow really irritated when I am in much pain and my hip prevents me from moving around very much (not to mention the whole AIDS scare- but I’m sure the scare is slight). These ‘confidants’ also thought that I should tell you at home about it, as your love and support, especially during a time like this, means a tremendous amount. They also suggested that I reach out to you as it is somewhat lonesome that in a time of alarm and discomfort you are all on the other side of the world.
(Obviously I have taken and agree with their advice)
I thought I’d get this story out of the way, and then update in a couple of days with the rest of my time in South Africa which, let me assure you, was absolutely remarkable and probably made even more so by this experience.
Love love love.