Double-click on any word and see its definition from Cambridge Dictionaries Online.
Read the article and then do vocabulary exercise (1) and vocabulary exercise (2). Finally, do some writing yourself.
Pre-reading task:
Freedom Questionaire
Discuss these questions with a friend if possible.
1. What is Freedom? What does it mean to you personally?
2. Are people in your country free?
3. If so how are they making use of their freedom?
4. If not how would they make use of their freedom if they had it?
5. It is often noted that extraordinary people emerge in times of great difficulty. Artists often produce their most profound work during periods of extreme misery. If Van Gogh had had a happy life he would not have painted such wonderful pictures.
Do you agree with this? And if so do you think that suffering, and perhaps lack of freedom, is therefore sometimes necessary? Or is this just a stupid, irrelevant question?
6. Freedom is not just something you can sit back and enjoy after winning it. It is something you have to continually fight for, every day of your life, wherever you are in the world.
Do you agree?
7. Everyone is pleased that Apartheid is gone, but there are many other forms of oppression. Can one be oppressed by one’s own family? One’s society? One’s religion? One’s employers?
8. Would you say that a person who is a slave to money / fashion / materialism is not truly free?
9. Is advertising a form of oppression?
10. “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose….”
This is a line from a famous old song (Me and Bobby Mcgee).
Is this true? What do you think?
Now read the article but don’t use the dictionary. Instead do the vocabulary exercise that follows.
In Nadine Gordimer’s novel July’s People (1981), set in what was then the imminent future, South Africa is in flames. Planes full of fleeing whites are shot down as they try to take off from Johannesburg Airport. A white family is given refuge and shelter by their black cook, July. He manages to get them out of the city and to his rural home where he keeps them hidden in a grass hut. If they are caught it will mean certain death for them all, including July himself. They are completely dependant on him and of course, even though they have always thought of themselves as “liberals”, for the first time see him as a proper human being and are forced to realise their deep-seated racist prejudices. But it is too late. The damage has been done and is irreversible.
The fact that this terrifying scenario, which at the time seemed perfectly possible, never actually came about, is nowadays not fully appreciated and South Africa Freedom Day (April 27) may not mean all that much to many, particularly younger, people. A whole generation is growing up who never knew Apartheid. And cynics abound. All that talk about the Rainbow Nation now sounds a lot of sentimental rubbish. There is still poverty, lack of housing, soaring crime, the worst rape statistics in the world and, on a scale impossible to envisage before, AIDS. The fact that the government, after years of ignoring the pleas of Aids Activists, finally started distributing free Anti Retroviral Drugs just two weeks before the elections smartly contradicts the ANC’s lofty claim that they are not a normal political party but a Liberation Movement.
On Freedom day this year, the tenth anniversary of the first democratic elections in 1994, the third such elections have just taken place and the next President will be sworn in. Of course it is Thabo Mbeki again. The ANC’s victory was a foregone conclusion. It is however extremely interesting to see what inroads the other political parties have made. Too great a majority is seen and feared by many as the beginning of the slide towards a one party state. The shadow of Zimbabwe just to the north looms large as a constant reminder and there are many who simply cannot understand and deeply mistrust Mbeki’s “soft diplomacy” when dealing with Mugabe. It seems to contradict all the ANC once stood for - in one key word, Freedom.
What exactly does that word mean? How different is the answer now from ten years ago? What does one do with Freedom once one has it?
Crossing any of the borders which separate South Africa from the rest of Africa is quite a shock, in whichever direction. On the one side is the usual potholed road, a few derelict buildings, empty shops and mostly idle people. On the other it is like America - great gleaming highway, smart cars and shopping malls. Whether this is just a facade or not, it seems that is exactly how the majority would like it to be. Ultra modern. The latest technology. A consumer’s paradise. American. The poor new arrival from the rest of Africa gawps at it all in bewilderment, and the first thing he or she realises is that few have any time or sympathy for him or her, or even knowledge of where he or she has come from. The whole country cares far more about the fact that Charlize Theron, a local girl, has won an Oscar in Hollywood for Best Actress, than the fact that millions are starving across the Limpopo.
But it is too easy to be negative. Re-reading July’s People now is a sober reminder of just how close to absolute disaster South Africa came, just how narrowly complete catastrophe was averted. What happened instead was indeed, thanks to Nelson Mandela, miraculous. For older people, who still remember, every day in the New South Africa is a cause for celebration. And many younger people, who may not be so aware, are nevertheless taking full advantage of their freedom. There is confidence, and an explosion of talent. The South African music scene is one of the most exciting in the world. The economy is growing and South Africa is playing an ever bigger role in the rest of Africa, politically, economically and, with Satellite TV, culturally. What has always been the case, but was never really evident before, now is. South Africa is not and never was just a place full of rich, horrible whites and poor, suffering blacks. It is a highly diverse, complex, multi-layered, fascinating society. A look at its literature illustrates this well. Under Apartheid writers could only write about one thing - Apartheid itself and how it permeated every aspect of life. A whole new genre, The Political Novel, took root and flourished. South African literature became famous, and certainly played a major role in bringing about change. But the format was at the same time terribly restrictive. When Apartheid came to an end writers were all asked the same question: “what on earth are you going to write about now?” Their replies were unanimously scathing. “Do you think life is going to just suddenly stop? If only you knew how we artists have longed for this”.
Ten years later one only has to browse through a music or book shop to see the fruits of the new freedom on display, heading in all directions. Critics however, while agreeing that diversity is flourishing, maintain that now mediocrity predominates over excellence. There are dozens of new artists but no-one really great has emerged. None are of the calibre of older writers Nadine Gordimer or J.M. Coetzee (both Nobel Prize winners), or musicians Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba or Abdulla Ibrahim. South Africa’s main cultural export to the rest of Africa is now the African version of Big Brother, as boring as anywhere else in the world.
One can go on and on. The old Market Theatre in Johannesburg, full of character and where a whole theatrical tradition was born in defiance of Apartheid, is being pulled down and a new, glossy but featureless one built. Beautiful Cape Town is being bought up by people like Michael Jackson and Madonna. Tourism is booming. Fancy resorts and Luxury Lodges are proliferating but less than five percent of indigenous bush is left. It’s all a very scary roller coaster ride. You can’t stop, can’t get off, just have to hold on tight and hope you haven’t simply traded one form of oppression for another.
But maybe it is too early to tell.
How will it be in another ten years?
Try not to be cynical. This anniversary at least one thing remains to give the whole world hope, and is reason enough for a truly global expression of joy. That is the fact that Nelson Mandela is still with us, and no doubt still has a number of tricks up his sleeve
Parvathy Devan writes “I read the article and in my opinion the word ‘Freedom’ is unknown to younger generations, and the pain and sacrifice of our ancestors during the Freedom movement. I am an Indian by origin, but our nation’s great father Mahatma Gandhi was also a freedom fighter for Africa. Nowadays political parties are ignoring the values and social benefits. Their work is concentrated on power and material benefits. Our ancestors were ready to sacrifice their lives for their Motherland’s freedom. But today youngsters misuse their ‘freedom’ and they even don’t know how they achieved their freedom. I don’t know whether there are any youngsters who are aware of the value of ‘Freedom’. In this world on one side there are well developed (financially and technically) nations, and on the other side countries with a lack of food, clothing, housing and even basic amenities for livelihood. On the other hand in Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq the blood shedding continues. Human values are disappearing from humans. They are ready to do anything for money, power and other benefits. I would like to say that Nelson Mandela (and many others like him) are still with us, and no doubt still has a number of tricks up their sleeves.”
What do you think of this article? Send us your opinions.
Wikipedia: South Africa
World Fact Book: South Africa
Lonely Planet: South Africa
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