“Are you going to the white show or are you going to the black show?”

Date: 06 August 2015   Read: 1876

Dear the rest of South Africa, here in Louis Trichardt we have two different town shows; a white show and a black show.

You cannot be white and go to the black show, because everyone will look at you and you will probably be told a few times to go home. You cannot be black and go to the white show, because you’ll probably be beaten up.

I have never in my life been so ashamed of who I am. In Cape Town people used to tease me because I was from Limpopo, and I was always proud to be from here, but this last weekend I was ashamed, and I have reached my full capacity with this racist bullshit.

The rest of the world and South Africa is moving on, but oh no! Not Louis Trichardt. We are still fighting to not give in.  

What do white racists see happening in the next few years? Do you see the 8.9% of white people making a good life for yourself if you:
* Don’t let your children socialise with black children
* Don’t sell to black people
* Don’t have black partners
PLEASE GO TO AUSTRALIA if you feel this way, the new South Africa doesn’t want you.
The rest of us South Africans who are neither white nor black, but just people who recognise each other as humans, will continue without you and we wont miss you! Not at all!

If, however, you want to be a part of this country and its future and you want your children to be happy about this - then get your head out of your ass and start being a South African.
As for the black racists in this town, don’t treat all white people like they were the “architect of apartheid”. Some of us were not even born yet.

I had two friends coming home from university; one was black and one was white (They were a couple – SHOCKER!) and we wanted to go out for a drink and some dancing.
They asked “Where can we go?”
The truth was nowhere. I couldn’t take them to the old Rumours (which was only white), because like many times before, I would be asked by friends (friends who are not racists) to please leave, because I was going to start a fight.
I couldn’t take them to Jazpers, because although we would be treated with warmth, we would still be looked at like we don’t belong.

This letter is not to ask all you racists in the town to stop being racists, because I don’t care - it’s your loss, not mine. I’m just asking you to make room for the non-racists, because I don’t want to feel like a foreigner in my own home!

Mike’s Kitchen is where we finally went. Thank you, Mike’s, for not being racist. Now just start a dancing section and have a sign “NO RACISTS!”.

- Emily Bristow

Reader Response:

21 August 2015 - “I don’t think our local multi-cultural community is doing too badly”