We welcome the latest addition to Team041 in the form of 041Culture columnist Mvume Ndimba. As a writer, podcaster and avid promoter of Nelson Mandela Bay, Ndimba is ready to share his tongue-in-cheek views on NMB Culture.
AS South Africans, we often look at ourselves as a poor example in the global space, the fear of ending up like our neighbours in Zimbabwe looms large as the Red political party fights the Blue political party while the Yellow political party devours the wealth of our nation like a megalithic titan, swallowing up resources, finances and funding as they sit front and centre on the rollercoaster of national politics, tearing apart the rainbow nation into its white, black and other multi-coloured sections… all of it can become too much for one person to bear, it can push one to madness, to want to destroy and burn up everything in sight, if we can’t share the wealth of this nation, then damn the wealth of this nation, let’s all be poor together!
Or we can tear down some lumber, burn that wood up and destroy a couple of beers on a warm spring night? Share in our triumph as the only country on the continent to win civil rights without war, discuss our differences in depth and share our point of view with one another.
Ever since the Yellow party came into office, they have been consistent and reliable in bringing the people of South Africa what they truly want, paid time off!
So as we approach National Heritage Day (Or Braai day) I couldn’t help but reflect on our shared heritage of racism and meat cooked on an open fire.
On the point of racism, we all move with our own prejudice, as skewed data points to a concerted effort by “the other man” to kill us all, rob us all of our wealth or take our place in society as the second best colour to be, we stress over the fear that our men and women are being snatched up by that same “other” man/woman, terrified that our kids may grow up speaking a language we never bothered to learn, we all share the fear that our nation is in the worst state it’s ever been, we all yearn for the former glory of the good old days, the only difference between us is how far you have to go back to reach the old days that were “good”
Ironically, these fears are all one fire away from becoming punchlines to an original joke, should we overcome the barrier of race and fear of the other side of the fence and simply meet together in front of an open flame and a few open beers. I believe we are all one braai away from destroying our preconceived notions and melting these fears away like so many ice cubes in an open cooler box.
So this Heritage Day, I urge you, as an African, rather than the standard tshisa nyama, to hit up your “other” friend and join him for a chop-and-doop. Or leave the northern areas for the Western suburbs for a kuier. Who knows, you might learn more about our shared heritage than you knew before!
Mvume Ndimba is a podcaster and writer, who describes himself as a "Young professional, new father and lifelong conspiracy theorist, who's seen everything the city has to offer and eagerly seeks out more” His podcast (Before You Go) is a window into the things he finds interesting and with his column, he aims to take an “out of the ordinary approach to ordinary things”. He says: “You might not always agree with me, but ask yourself... did I lie?”
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