Submitted by: Charisse Fourie
I want to talk about pride (and shame).
For a long time we have been made to feel ashamed of our country. We have been told it is dirty, dangerous, and corrupt. We have been told we should long for greener pastures, where it is clean, correct, and efficient. It seems over time we, as a nation, have accepted this narrative and internalised it to the point where we can no longer see how much we have to be proud about.
Are we proud of our poverty rates? No. Are we proud of our unemployment rates? No. Are we proud of our crime rate? No.
Are we proud of the fact that we overthrew apartheid? Hell, Yes! Are we proud that our very first democratic election elected Nelson Mandela? Hell, Yes! Are we proud of our diversity? Hell, Yes! Are we proud to have one of the best constitutions around the world? Hell, Yes! Are we proud of our ability to heal? Hell, Yes!
When our children are dirty, do we say ‘sies’ and avert our eyes? No, we clean them and kiss their noses. When the weeds grow in our garden, do we sit there and moan about how awful our garden is looking? No, we get on our knees and pull out those weeds, and if we are privileged, we plant some flowers. If our houses are falling apart, do we sit there and shout at the walls for letting us down? No, we repair those walls so we can continue to live there.
When our country is hurting and in trouble, do we sit there and bemoan how useless our country is and throw heaps of shame at it? Sadly, yes… until now. Until #ImStaying was created.
Throwing shame onto a struggling country is not doing anything to root out corruption. Throwing shame is not doing anything to rebuild the economy. Throwing shame is not doing anything to address the inequality. In fact, I would argue that throwing shame does not achieve anything useful at all.
I think it is about time we say, ‘ENOUGH!’
We are not ashamed to have survived apartheid. We are not ashamed that we are dirty and sweaty as we rebuild our nation into something that allows us all to live in dignity. We are PROUD. We are proud to live in one of the most beautiful countries on earth. We are proud to live in a country that is so diverse and colourful. We are proud to live in a country that is fighting for dignity and equality.
There was a time when we heard the phrase ‘Proudly South African’ a lot. A time when flags flew high. Let us stand proud once again.
So please, fly your flag! Let us celebrate how far we have come, let us celebrate that we are willing to do the hard work to get us to where we want to be. Let us nurture; let us clean up; let us repair our beautiful country. Let us be proudly South African once again. This is what is going to heal us, this is what is going to make the difference we all ache for.
#ProudlySouthAfrican
