Two weeks
ago I watched 'Cry Freedom', a movie that I last watched 20-30 years ago. I
found it to be a very powerful experience that brought back memories of times
in the 80s that were challenging & important for many people around the
world.
When I had
first learned the story of Donald Woods, who was a white journalist in South
Africa who became friends with Steve Biko, I had not really warmed to him or
his story. He & his family struck me as privileged & unlikeable, which
to be honest is the feeling that I have usually felt towards many white South
Africans. Arrogance, meanness & superiority always seemed present, and
although Donald Woods represented a better version, there still seemed to be a
superiority & entitlement aspect that I found very off-putting.
Compared to
the freedom fighters like Steve Biko and the violent ending that came to him,
Donald Woods story seemed so easy.
But time
changes things & puts events in perspective. Maybe we become better at seeing
things from a distance.
For me, I
was very involved in anti-apartheid activities in New Zealand in 1981, when the
Springboks came to play against the All Blacks. The tour divided our nation,
protests turned into conflicts at rugby games, the country was torn apart. By
the end of it all, NZ separated off from South Africa. Prior to these events,
in 1976 NZ had played rugby in South Africa while the government shot &
killed over 600 school students at protests. That same year Steve Biko was
tortured & killed by the police. Also, that year many African nations
boycotted the Olympics in Montreal because of NZ participating after having
played sport with South Africa. For us NZers who believed in racial equality,
it became a big issue to stand strong against engagement with racist South
Africa & show that NZ was a supporter for change.
Now as I
look at the story of Donald Woods, I realise how terrifying that experience was
for him & his family, to be put under house arrest, to have a shirt with
acid burn one of his children, to have to leave their country in order to
publish the true story about Steve Biko, and to work in the international
community to isolate South Africa.
Later I
googled what became of him & his wife. After Apartheid ended, he returned
to South Africa. He died in 2001. He had been organising a sculpture in London of Nelson Mandela which was later opened in 2007 & attended by
his wife Wendy. She died in 2013 a few months before Mandela.
The
realisation of mortality, that is part of the deal of life, certainly gives a
change in how we often view people I believe. We all do the best we know how;
we all achieve to a point & probably never complete or fulfil in all
regards that we would like.
But at the
end of the day & something that has become very evident to myself & I
am guessing millions of others in 2020, we all need purpose. Having taken a
break from casual teaching since I returned to Australia in late June, there
has been lots more free time to do my own thing. My days are filled with
reading, writing, watching videos, doing stuff on the internet, daily walks to
the gardens which keeps me fit. Not much interaction with others as I have
often spent time on my own & in 2020, it seems a smart decision a lot of
the time to basically keep to yourself.
I now look
at Donald Woods & his wife, and realise that leaving South Africa was a
huge change for them. Once they were in the UK they adapted to a new country. So,
in a sense, apartheid cut them off from their original nation. They went on to
build great alliances with South Africans & others all working for change.
I find the stories of the white South African activists pretty amazing
actually, the ones that I have read about anyway. Being in privilege & not
challenging the system meant a life of protected indulgence & splendour. But
challenging that system could lead to all kinds of mistreatment &
brutality. I recommend learning the story of Ruth First who gave her life in
the struggle to end apartheid. A great leader.
So, I guess
watching 'Cry Freedom' for me in 2020 helps to reinforce this awareness that
nothing lasts forever. Life is not permanent. Our lives are finite. When we are
gone, what will remain are the memories of us in others who in turn will be
gone in time as well. Maybe if we achieve something of note individually or
collectively, that will continue as knowledge of something developed or
created. So, while we are here, we do what we can & hopefully feel that we
are doing something of use to others & the world. To have purpose to evolve
& advance humanity and those around us.
I believe
that we are living in times of change. So many ideas that were never challenged
have begun to adapt. The world is not perfect, but many things are getting
better. And yet there are many challenges too.
Donald
Woods & his wife & family served an important purpose. They used their
white privilege to escape racist South Africa & help expose the truth about
apartheid to the world. In particular they exposed the true story of Steve Biko
to the world. Amandla!
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