South Africa's Coloureds Better Off Under Apartheid

New Zealand TV3 news report on South Africa:

"Like many of his countrymen, Ryklieff is starting to believe he was better off under apartheid."


Counting is well underway in the South African election, and while results are not known at this stage it is clear that the African National Congress, led by Jacob Zuma, is going to win.

Turnout to vote was high, around 80 percent, and people queued for hours for their chance. Many polling stations stayed open late.

Zuma has the support of Nelson Mandela in what is being seen as the most exciting election since the country's first multiracial vote in 1994.

While the outcome of South Africa's election looks to be predetermined, things in the rainbow nation are not all black and white.

The coloured community says discrimination is still rife.

They say while they were not white enough under apartheid, they are not black enough for the post-apartheid African National Congress.

They are often overlooked, and subject even today to discrimination.

Coloureds make up around 10 percent of South Africa's population. They tend to be a mixture of Indian, Indonesian and African ancestry. Discriminated against under apartheid, people like Ismail Ryklieff say under the ruling ANC they are still suffering.

He says he will not vote in this year's election, because "most of the people are going to vote ANC anyway. They promise you this and that, and nothing happens."

Ryklieff stood on the front line of the anti-apartheid struggle, and he has the scars to prove it. In 1985, he was one of a group of unarmed civilians gunned down by South African police in the infamous Trojan Horse massacre.

"As we were running into the house we were all shot - brothers, cousins, young children, we were shot here on that day."

Incredibly, the bloodshed was recorded by an international film crew. It was called the Trojan Horse massacre because South African security forces hid in a wooden crate on the back of a truck and when the anti-apartheid protesters threw rocks at the truck they replied, firing indiscriminately into the crowd.

"Lots of us got shot," says Ryklieff. Three people died on that day, and lots of people were wounded.

Ryklieff was shot four times. He has never seen footage of the massacre until now, and spots himself being carried to an ambulance.

It brings back painful memories, exacerbated by the knowledge that he and other coloureds who fought apartheid are not reaping the benefits.

"Are they really working for us or are they there for their own interests, for money and power?" he asks.

Like many of his countrymen, Ryklieff is starting to believe he was better off under apartheid.

While that may seem like a very depressing thought, it is one that has been echoed by a number of other people 3 News has spoken to. Ryklieff told me he is so depressed about the future of South Africa and the country his children will inherit, that he would leave tomorrow if he had the chance.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Apartheid
• South
• Africa
• Elections
• 2009
• Verkiesing
• Coloureds
• Kleurlinge

[beamprimary]

we need that truck with the wooden box for the uk

[57worldwide]

@57worldwide Post a link to the video. I can't see any videos when I search for the term you suggested (aside from some photo montages, which don't really prove anything).

[53Africa]

@57worldwide? Who kill the most whites in US & Europe every year? U never live in African so try to read between the lines coz I dont believe white lies especially when I know the answer correctly

[57worldwide]

@53Africa Who kills the most Blacks every year, year after year?

Blacks kill more Blacks than any other race. Just the same as Whites killing more Whites than the number of Blacks killing Whites.

If you live in Zimbabwe, and you aren't Mugabe's family, and you aren't in the Army, then your people are being oppressed, made and kept poor, by their people. Black/White is not really an issue there anymore.

[53Africa]

@57worldwide? As long as I am black, there is no reason for fearing my own people unless if ur white or black trowing rocks at the Police Vehicle

[57worldwide]

@53Africa Provide links.

I don't mean every person has knowledge of the state of Zimbabwe; I meant that anyone who knows about Zimbabwe knows that it is very bad to live there right now (unless you are a member of Zanu PF or the Army, or their family; then, it is not as bad to be living in Zimbabwe).

[53Africa]

@57worldwide? Not everyone know that and I can prove it 2u; Just watch The Zimbabwe they never show you on tv or either the Africa they never show you and shut up! 

[53Africa]

@fargonbastedge? U the shit hole u here me!!!Colourds People were a mixture of Black woman and white man so they should come and vote for the ANC. Most of them are DA members but only a few vote for our mighty ANC Government.

[fargonbastedge]

@ImGonnaKillYou2nd not per capita

[ImGonnaKillYou2nd]

@fargonbastedge Honduras got more murders then SA.