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African-Asian Profile

Azad Essa
Azad Essa

Azad Essa grew up in South Africa, and has studied around the world. He tells us what South Africa means to him. Share your memories here.

     Q: What was it like being a child growing up in South Africa under the Apartheid Regime?

    I was born in Durban, South Africa in the early 80s - during the final stages of the Apartheid regime. To say I remember experiencing an explicit racist assault as a young lad would be lying, although our very lives were socialized and structured within a racist system. Merely existing in South Africa as a non-white was discrimination itself. Beaches, park benches, suburbs - hell, the entire country was segregated. My most clear political memory was indubitably the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990. I cannot say where I was at the time. But even as an 8 year old, I too felt South Africa erupt from within: the veins of the country full blooded with expectancy. I didn't know what was exactly happening, and those who did, were too excited to explain.

      Azad and his brother
      Q: How much of a change did you feel after the abolition of Apartheid?

      Well, the education systems had also been separated, and for the first time, schools opened for all. I was interacting with white and black kids and their parents for the first time on a bigger scale.
      I was put into a former 'white school' in 1992. Sporting facilities and education standards were said to be higher and my father toiled hard to ensure my sister and I attained the best. While my former 'Indian school' had one grassless field, my new school had 3 interchangeable cricket/rugby fields, access to 4 tennis courts, squash courts and a splendid pool. The difference was perplexing.

        Q: To what extent did your Indian heritage influence you while you were growing up?

        In essence, I was more 'Indian' than South African. I ate Indian food, watched 'Hindi' movies, listened to 'Indian music', and knew more about Gandhi and Nehru than Jan Smuts or Walter Sisulu. I rejected rugby, as many other non-whites did, for its affiliation to Afrikaner Nationalism, and its symbol of Apartheid. Yet, cricket was ironically adopted.

        I remember my house in Durban, as it remains today, to be soaked in the melodies of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand movies. My paternal grandfather was born in Gujarat and moved down to South Africa in the early 1940s. My father was born in Durban, but studied Engineering in Mumbai. His affinity for India made my world into a collage of Naushad, S.D Burman compositions and the eternal voices of Lata and Rafi. South Africa entered the sporting arena with their first cricket matches against India in 1990. Soon enough, Ravi Shastri and Kapil Dev became my heroes. Even in front of Clive Rice

          Durban
          Q:  How would you describe your South African identity?

          My travels and adventures in South Asia, continental Europe and the U.K. assisted me in understanding my South African identity. In fact, my experience in India and Pakistan especially helped me deconstruct my façade of 'Indian-ness' and reclaim my South African persona. From being Indian South African, I became South African of Indian heritage. A big difference.

            Q: What does South Africa mean to you?

            I seek not to fall into the common fallacy of romanticising from a far. But while South Africa has a host of problems, including excessive violent crime, a government riding the crest of their former glories, rising unemployment (almost 40%), and continued racism or the excuse of racism to neutralize all criticism - it is still one of the few high profile countries that did not go bananas over religion after 9-11. It is a shining example of secularism, without the farce, pretence and without advertisement. Racism still exists. As one of my European friends pointed out to me, she had never felt 'more white' in her entire life than during her experience in South Africa. Indeed, thinking and judging people from the colour of their skin continues. But this is but the residue of a racist system that lasted half a century. It cannot change over night.

            I have often heard visitors of my country describe South Africa as not really being 'Africa'. But what is 'Africa'? Is it all about huts and spears, lions and elephants? Is it about abject poverty and barefoot kids running though the plains? Is it about uninhabited jungles and raw sunsets? What if Africa has more? What if South Africa is more? What happens if Cape Town rivals many European cities for its design, planning and beauty? Is Cape Town not part of South Africa then? And South Africa not part of Africa? Well, South Africa’s has its fill of poverty, of indifference and indeed, many lions. We also have abandoned beaches, mountains and some jungles. We also happen to have world class cities. Being South African is all of this. It is about being part of the discrimination and pillage that all ‘Africa’ has endured. It is also about being more.

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