I came to South Africa 3 years ago to study. In South Africa, I have been amazed to see the racial barriers between Blacks and Whites and Coloureds.
I come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I was raised in the capital city Kinshasa. There, one doesn’t see any differences between tribes except when people are angry or during elections. There is, however, segregation and tribalism in the provinces and I think the differences between tribes in DRC is often exploited as a political weapon to divide the country – this causes mistrust between Congolese people.
Even though there are tribal differences in my country, I have never experienced racial divides like I see in South Africa – maybe because my country has been governed by Congolese since 1960 – in 3 days, we will celebrate 50 years of Independence.
But in South Africa during the Soccer World Cup, in Cape Town, I have seen that South Africans of different races have moved beyond some of their racial barriers. Maybe it’s not too meaningful as it still seems there is a lot of mistrust between the White and Black South Africans. However, when I went to the fanfests which are areas where fans gather to watch the games on big screen TVs, I saw people from Germany, Japan, Congo, America, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwea, Tanzania, Uganda etc. – I saw them all in the same place – it was like a bowl for me – like a small stadium – where you meet different people from all places, from different societies. You couldn’t tell who was from where until you spoke to them. For example, when South Africa played Mexico in the opening game, most of the foreigners (besides the Mexicans) were wearing South Africa’s colors.
Fans at Cape Town's fanfest at the beginning of the World Cup. Photo by Brice Kimbembe for Yenza.
And while the majority of White South Africans usually seem to be more focused on rugby, it was my first time seeing a huge majority of White South Africans show such interest in a sport that has for a long time been a Black sport – the way Black South Africans supported the South African rugby during the Rugby World Cup when South Africa hosted and won the games in 1995 and in 2007 when South Africa’s Springboks again took the Rugby World Cup. During this 2010 FIFA World Cup, it has been amazing to see White South Africans put aside their daily conflicts to support South African soccer. I saw so many White South Africans supporting Bafana Bafana and even going through visible emotional moments when South Africa lost.
Everybody has been wonderful and nice to each other, and blowing vuvuzelas has helped the soccer fans from all over the world to communicate and express their feelings in one understandable happy language that has increased the sense of Ubuntu (community) in South Africa.
A Rugby Fan paints himself in support of South Africa's rugby and soccer teams during the FIFA World Cup. Photo by Brice Kimbembe for Yenza
People from different races and languages, from different background and religious beliefs, all have been mixed by the World Cup soccer games here. It is just like a salad bowl with all its ingredients that contribute their unique qualities to the mix in order to improve the final product, and yet, the original components retain their individuality while being bound together for a common enjoyment.
To me, having everyone there in that one space equals a good feeling – a unity – people who once upon a time could not share space can today, regardless of all the histories of animosity, come together to watch a game, and with no prejudice, no attitude, no arrogance but are instead laughing with one another, talking like friends to each other, trying to know more about each and even exploring their differences. To me, this means we can move towards a new society that we are all dreaming about. I wish that this could be the daily living situation – that would be a real pleasure for me. What an extremely beautiful feeling has the World Cup has brought to South Africa.
By Ben Ilunga Mutuba for Yenza (Copyright Yenza 2010)
Photos Copyright Yenza 2010.
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