Memories From South Africa

His name was Ernesto Nhamuave, but you may know him as "the burning man." He was a 35-year-old immigrant from Mozambique. He was married and the father of three children, but he will not be remembered for the things that affirm his humanity. He is known for the flames that engulfed his body and the charred human flesh that graced the cover of newspapers across South Africa. On his hands and knees, he was a heinous example of the violence that erupted in the country against foreigners. This event reminded me of the previous incident that thrust South Africa into international headlines earlier this year.

Perhaps you saw the video, which expressed white angst over integration policies at the University of the Free State, that was posted on many news websites from the BBC to CNN. Workers for the University were filmed doing numerous tasks, which culminated in them eating meat that was urinated on by a white student. This sparked a flurry of student protests on the campus, and a nationwide discussion about racism.

Xenophobia and racism are not unique to South Africa. How many people in the United States are all too eager to patrol the border between America and Mexico with rifles in hand to keep out the "illegals," and who needs to be reminded that racism in the United States has assumed a cloak of covert tendencies?

Of course the media, with its fascination with the sensational and addiction to portraying the spectacle of human life, cannot be used to provide a definitive opinion or thorough analysis of reality. The South Africa portrayed in news clips on TV and in websites online is not completely reflective of what I've seen and experienced for the past 6 months. Some see this country as a nation in chaos, but I see these acts as volcanic eruptions of frustration and ignorance. They are intense, devastating expressions of tensions that have been simmering under the surface for quite a while.

Soon I will leave South Africa, but when I go home I'll remember South Africa in all its complexities. Sure, I'll remember my friends from Burundi who did not want to walk in town alone because they were concerned about their safety, but that will mingle with fond remembrances of exploring townships with friends who took me to meet their family and friends. Of course, I'll remember my disgust when I heard that Black workers were dehumanized, but that will not overshadow my memories of self-empowerment I felt with fellow students in a strike on campus for adequate student housing to accommodate the disproportionate amount of displaced Black students.

The value of these other experiences is immeasurable. They prevent me from becoming jaded. I have hope. I do not think South Africa is a wasteland of immoral, savage people who resort to violence because they are incapable of other expressions of their frustrations. I do not think South Africa is the only repository of racism and white supremacist ideology. South Africa is a piece of the patchwork quilt that makes up the world. No one should point a finger at South Africa and call it an anomaly. It should be viewed as an example of temperaments that fester in many countries.

These two major events are important because they show that "othering" is dangerous because it prevents the acknowledgment of a common humanity. No, I did not need to come to South Africa to find that out. Neither does anyone else. This is a lesson learned everyday by marginalized groups across the globe, but the vicious expressions of hate on display in this country reflect why this cycle of dehumanization and destruction must end.

Some people say change is the only constant in life. I would add diversity to that list. Their will always be some way to draw divisions and make imbalances between people. Be it due to race, nationality, class, gender, sexuality, religion or a host of other aspects that make up people's complex identities. We have to learn to appreciate our difference.

This is not a liberal summons for multiculturalism that seeks to superficially appreciate difference. We need a radical shift in the way we perceive people who are different from ourselves. South Africa and the rest of the world must come to terms with othering. Instead of filming degradation we should capture people transcending limitations. Instead of igniting people we need to burn down the shallow walls that divide us.

I will leave South Africa affirming my previous belief: we must appreciate and value difference.