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Yazeed Kamaldien
As South Africa continues to promote an international image of a country in transformation and reconciliation, most citizens of the world are confronted with a contradictory image on the website www.creativewebs.co.za/apologies/.
Created in 1998 to encourage white South Africans to apologise to their black counterparts for the injustices the latter suffered during the years of apartheid, the site has instead attracted many megabytes of hate mail.
The introduction page of the site reads: “Bishop Desmond Tutu, from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, recently appealed to all white South Africans to come forward and apologise for our past. We need to learn how to trust and love. We were silent when we should’ve spoken.
“We looked away when we should have looked at ourselves. Whether you are guilty or not guilty, whether you are ashamed or not ashamed … give us your hands and let us make a friendship circle around the world for South Africa. But first we need to say we are sorry, forgive from the heart and never really forget so that it may never happen again.”
Categories for submission are Apologies, I Forgive, Regrets, Confessions, General Comments, Suggestions, Negative Mail and The Future; and a section titled Interesting Articles is included.
More than just a few foul words are included in the lengthy submissions, which show a large amount of racial hatred still exists where South Africa is concerned.
“The African National Congress must take away the white people,” writes Dennis Dlamini of KwaZulu-Natal on I Forgive.
Another person, Monica Xhosina from KwaZulu-Natal, writes : “I would like to ask FW de Klerk, when am I getting my job as boss of my company?”
An English-speaking South Afri-can, Nicky, recalls how she saw her “friend’s father sjambokking their garden boy. I also remember my mother lying to the police when they came to our house to see if our cleaning lady had her pass.
“As a young girl I remember being called a k…. lover,” she relates on General Comments.
White Guy from KwaZulu-Natal writes : “I am sick of blacks and whites trying to discourage white pride. The white nation is the only nation. I have never, ever, ever, ever known a black person who has not stolen.”
A response from Original Nigga in Florida, United States, reads: “Maybe tell me where you live so I can arrange a little drive-by [shooting] at your house. I’ll make sure you get shot right between your two eyes.”
Most entries from South Africans are negative and reveal a high level of ignorance. An astounding amount of input from South Africans wishing to leave the country, as a result of the high crime rate, also appears on the site.
“The hate and complete disregard for human life goes beyond revenge. The Boers as well as our current ‘comrade’ thugs have destroyed the most beautiful country in the world! You are one and the same,” writes an anonymous South African.
South African Wendy Shepherd refers to the website as the “worst display of ego-wanking I have ever seen.
“I’m sorry I ever saw this website. Why don’t you all get a life. Maybe if you weren’t wasting your time passing on your pearls of wisdom, you could stop and smell the petrol. Your car is probably being stolen right now,” says Shepherd.