From Johannesburg with love
On history, democratic & social challenges in South Africa
Dear readers,
Hello from South Africa!
I hope this post finds you well.
I’m here for a week to report on social issues ahead of the general elections, set for 29 May.
First, here is the latest episode of my RFI English podcast, recorded from Johannesburg:
South Africa's 2024 Elections: young voters and the legacy of apartheid
Issued on: 17/05/2024
South Africa is holding general and provincial elections on 29 May. In this episode of Spotlight on Africa, we look at young people and the elections and how the country has changed since the end of apartheid in 1994.
>> Link: https://rfi.my/Abxh.X
First, I talked to the director of the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, Ivor Ichikowitz, who outlines the impact of corruption in South Africa and why the youth vote will be important.
Then I received Mary Paccard and Vincent Jackson, two South Africans living in France, to discuss how and why they campaigned for the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, from abroad.
>> Link to listen: https://rfi.my/Abxh.X
As 2024 marks the 30th year since the end of apartheid in South Africa, in 1994, and the election of the country’s first “black” president, I went to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, to discuss his legacy:
The legacy of Nelson Mandela 30 years after his election as president • RFI English
For some background on the campaign and the context it is taking place, here are a few articles I wrote before this trip:
South Africa marks Freedom Day ahead of tense election
South Africa on Saturday marks Freedom Day – 30 years since the first multiracial elections and the emergence of democracy after 46 years of apartheid. However the country faces a myriad of economic challenges which will be at the heart of elections next month.
Issued on: 27/04/2024
South Africans lose faith in ruling ANC as income inequality grows
South Africa will vote on 29 May – three decades after the end of apartheid. The African National Congress has been in power since then, but polls are predicting the party will lose its majority with many voters disgruntled by its failure to address inequality.
Issued on: 13/05/2024 - 13:39
By: Melissa Chemam
When the African National Congress (ANC) came to power led by Nelson Mandela, it promised to improve the lives of black South Africans following decades of apartheid – a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed from 1948 to 1994.
Thirty years on, South Africa suffers from one of the world's worst rates of income inequality.
While the ANC denies it will need a coalition, polls say an end to its single-party governance is likely.
Joblessness, poverty
"I don't want to even talk to the ANC," Dalene Raiters, an unemployed 48-year-old who lives in a single room in Johannesburg with her sons and grandson, told Reuters.
"Mandela's dream is not their dream."
Like those of many South Africans, Dalene's family is sustained by grants.
She receives the equivalent of €54 per month for two minor dependents, supplemented by handouts from the local mosque, feeding schemes and odd jobs for neighbours.
Although record unemployment and a struggling economy are major issues for voters, the ANC is touting South Africa's welfare system – a rarity in middle-income economies – as a landmark achievement.
"These grants and subsidies do much more than give people what they need to live," President Cyril Ramaphosa said in February.
"They are an investment in the future."
Yet support for the ANC is waning as the country's social security buckles with more than 24 million – over a third of the population – requiring assistance.
I also met with members of different parties, organisations looking for ways to fight inequality, and artists who were involved in the fight against segregation for decades.
More on South Africa soon!
Marseille
Before I leave you, a few words on a current festival in the southern French city of Marseille, my favourite in the country:
CONTEMPORARY ART
12/05/2024
Marseille art festival tells migrant stories with an Olympic twist
The Spring Contemporary Art Festival – also known as PAC – showcases emerging and well-known artists around dozens of venues in a three-week festival of creativity across south-east France. This year, with the Olympic Games on the horizon, sport has inspired the program, as well as Marseille's migrant-rich identity.
Link to article: https://www.rfi.fr/en/culture/20240512-marseille-art-festival-tells-migrant-stories-with-an-olympic-twist
Visual insight into the first weekend of the annual art festival held by PAC / Provence Art Contemporain in Marseille, here:
And here:
- Link to my blog here > https://lnkd.in/gPrA3g5Q
As I post less on Facebook (though I have to, for work) and while Instagram has tried to make me as invisible as possible, I’ve also created a WhatsApp channel to share content:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaYYGbB2UPBFwwx6rC2x
With best wishes,
melissa
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Melissa Chemam
Journalist @ RFI English
TikTok Channel: https://www.tiktok.com/@melissaontheroad
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXE4ofFjz0lsRzemjdmFf7w