One of South African students’ oldest traditions, Rag, is starting to change its whites-only image, reports Philippa Garson
IT’S Rag time again. Time for students to take to the streets in the age-old tradition of “Remember and Give”. Or is it “Retch and Gag”, given the beer swilling, rugger bugger image of Ragites of yore, always more enthusiastic about getting drunk than on collecting money for worthy causes?
In the past, students seeing themselves as politically correct would turn up their noses at “Rag types”, believing not only that getting drunk was politically irresponsible, but that collecting money for “charity” (a swear word among politicos) was a reactionary activity which would fetter the rightless masses in their mission to topple the regime.
Now, in our fast-changing times, even Rag is beginning to shed its un-PC, alcohol-soaked mantle, and is dancing to new lyrics like “fund-raising for community development” on the sidelines of seven-a-side soccer instead of rugby.
The reasons behind Rag’s image revolution? The usual case of “adapt or die”, it appears. Since Rag relies on raising money from student-based events, successful fund-raising means being able to attract the growing numbers of black students on its campuses. Many Rag initiatives stem from university residences and, increasingly, residences are filled by black students.
“Our client base is changing from white to black and if we want to be user-friendly we have to cater for our new clients,” says Gert Vermaak, Rag co-chair at Pretoria University.
During its Rag Week, that university hosted jols with specific bands to cater for English, Afrikaans and African tastes and managed to attract 6 000 people to its Boom- shaka gig.
“It was a big shock for Tukkies,” says Vermaak, “but it
worked wonderfully. People really are beginning to get together on a social level and we always saw Rag, which has no political agenda and which organises the biggest social events, as the best vehicle for this.”
National Rag executive member Zane Green-Thompson, based at Natal University’s Durban Campus, identifies a “tremendous change countrywide” in Rag’s image — even at the traditional Afrikaner universities. “A negative image won’t raise much money and that alone is a powerful stimulus to change. Everyone involved wants to take Rag into a new era. We’ve transformed because of the the new realities of South Africa.”
However, there are still some who see Rag as “a white thing”, says Green-Thompson.
Vincent Vena, a black student who is fund-raising manager for Wits Rag, says more and more black students are starting to show interest, but many scorn their involvement as nothing more than a “beer mission or the assimilation of white culture.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re all students in a transitional period. We need to get common objectives. Fund-raising for communities is our main objective and it’s not a colour thing.”
Wits Technikon is so far the only technikon with a Rag fund-raising team, and there it’s fast becoming a “black thing”.
Comments Rag chair Daniel Lekwene: “I’ve seen a lot of change. But we never had the problems of other campuses. When it started here four years ago it was more a white thing. Now, if anything, white students are less involved than they used to be.”
But the technikon’s Rag officials bend over backwards to organise fund-raising gigs with drawcards like Bayete “who attract everyone”.
But there is more to the changing Rag than multi- coloured gigs and other social events. Rag committees, though still the domain of the historically white universities, increasingly consist of students of all races. In their shift away from “charity work” to outreach community initiatives that give participating students valuable hands-on skills, Rag is attracting more and more interest from the historically black universities.
Four years ago, when approached by the National Rag Forum, the black universities were not impressed. Their students were too busy struggling to raise funds for their own education and could not identify with Rag’s policy whereby none of the money raised nationally (Rag has a turnover of R14-million a year) goes to students.
But two years ago the Students Community Development Forum was set up parallel to Rag and, through this forum, the historically black universities are now beginning to come on board. They may approach the National Rag Forum for funds for their community-based student services.
Says Sasco’s Sihle Mzoneli: “It’s important for students to orientate themselves to the challenges posed by the RDP. If Rag is contributing to this, then we have no problems with it.”
South African Rag mags these days are generally anti- sexist and anti-racist — far slicker products than the corny gag-rags of the past. But with all the development- speak, anti-alcohol speak, and doing away with Rag queens, is there any fun left to Rag?
Follow the Wits Rag procession through Johannesburg’s city streets tomorrow to find out.