WE REALLY DO NOT VALUE WHAT WE HAVE & WHO WE ARE!!! (1)

...South Africa has just hosted a flawless and lucrative Football World cup.


That might not have happened had former President Thabo Mbeki insisted on challenging the pressure for him to step down, from his party members. He stepped down, and President Jacob Zuma replaced him. There were those who did not like the idea. But there they are, moving on as the Republic of South Africa.

That is at the ‘macro’ level of things in South Africa. At the ‘micro’ level, they still have their own problems just like we do.

In 2004, I went to Cape Town in South Africa, to present some papers at the 4th International Entertainment Education Conference. For some reasons I still cannot explain, I travelled with only traditional attire for that trip.

In the hotel I stayed at, I noticed that one of the staff, a coloured young man (the ones we call ‘half-cast’ in Nigeria), made extra efforts to be of assistance to me as I sat at meals, or just seated in the gardens to rest or savour the scenery.

Eventually, I sought to know what made him so eager to come to my aid, even when he was not on duty. Well I got to know that he liked my attires(two days later, I found out he was not the only, as I was embarrassed with an award as the best dressed male at the conference, during the gala night!), that he is a Fashion Designer; he showed me a catalogue of some of his works.

Very creative and beautiful designs, if I had had the means I would have dragged him to Nigeria.

Then, what was he doing working in a hotel instead of running his fashion business, with all the business support opportunities available in South Africa?

His face fell, sullen and saddened.

When he eventually spoke, his story was that he had problems accessing support for his business because of the colour of his skin!

Financial institutions headed by blacks felt he was not black enough, those headed by whites felt he was not white enough, according to him.

So, he is working at the hotel (a bed and breakfast lodge really), to make enough money to leave for Europe to pursue his fashion career.

In South Africa of 2004?!!!!

Well, they are still there getting along with themselves somehow...

----BIAFRA:LEST WE FORGET!