Trevor Noah: Surviving Apartheid in South Africa - Essay Sample

Introduction

Apartheid is a form of separation that was mostly witnessed in South Africa during the colonial period [from the European invasion to around the 1990s when South Africa gained independence]. Apartheid rules were very unbearable because people were denied most of their social, economic, and human rights. Some of the rights which were put at stake include but not limited to freedom of association and fair distribution of public resources. Trevor Noah, a South African and born of mixed parents, narrates his story; Born a crime and highlights some of the difficulties he, his family, and the entire people of South Africa had to contend with during the apartheid era (Noah, 5). A free mixture between the Asians, whites, and Africans was complicated, and any form of sexual relationship that went beyond a person's race was an offense. So probably, Trevor Noah's parents committed a crime, which increased their life threats with regards to the set laws. The primary theme of apartheid was racism and which has affected South Africa until date.

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Effects of Apartheid Rule

The apartheid rules prioritized the whites in the allocation of public resources, rendering the blacks as inferior. During the apartheid rule, the minority whites, who happened to be the rulers of South Africa, came up with a rule that prioritized them in terms of resource allocation. The second in rank were the Asians, the coloreds, and then Africans came last in the rank. Most of the resources were distributed, and only a smaller percentage reached Africans (Noah, 14). The effect of the unequal distribution was that Africans and the coloreds remained to be reduced as they got a little share of the resources. Today, South Africa is still experiencing the economic disparity between the white South Africans and native blacks. At other times, the natives plan on ways in which they could regain their resources from the whites to fulfil their dreams.

Apart from racial discrimination, another effect of apartheid experienced until today in South Africa is tribal wars. During the era of apartheid, South Africa had two strong political parties fighting for independence. The two parties were the Inkatha prominently dominated by the Zulu tribe and the African National Congress (ANC), which was seen to connect various tribes, although primarily owned by the Xhosa. Trevor Noah narrates that when the apartheid rule was announced, they thought it would be the best time for Africans to rule themselves (Harrison and Alison, 158). Contrarily, the hunger for power created a war between Inkatha and ANC, meaning that the two tribes of Xhosa and Zulu were in a constant battle against each other. The hatred continued and extended to other tribes which supported each of the political affiliations. Tribalism and racism are still a significant issue in South Africa, although various attempts have been made to curb them.

From the narration of Trevor Noah, there was a disparity between races such that the blacks had their churches and other resources different from the whites and the Asians. Although not extensively, the problem still exists in South Africa. Many people still live in fear of socialization (Ebewo and Mzo, 84). The Blacks fear to mix with the whites, and so does the whites, for that reason, white people take their children to schools which are highly dominated by whites and can't be afforded by many blacks because of poverty. Black South Africans, on the other hand, stick to their village schools, which may lack enough resources to sustain quality education. The church is also divided so that only a few people mix with other races while attending church services.

Changes That Have Occurred in South Africa Since Independence

To date, it is twenty-five years since South Africa got its independence. 27th April 1994 was made a holiday known as the 'Freedom Day' marking an end to the apartheid rule. Since then, South Africa has experienced several changes both in the social, political, and economic platforms. The first significant change is reduced levels of disparity in public resource allocation. Electrification, for example, has been done in the whole of South African country and many homes, both in the rural and urban centers, are connected to reliable electricity (Harrison and Alison, 152). The electrification of South Africa as a country started in 1996 and in 2011, an approximated number of 60% had been achieved. That shows that the animosity created by political, racial, and tribal differences had significantly reduced, thus giving a chance for thorough development.

Reduced number of deaths: The increasing number of fatalities highly characterized the apartheid era. The deaths arose due to the hostility amongst different races and tribes. For example, Trevor Noah narrates that the Xhosa and the Zulu would fix opponents' round inside car tires and burn them because of differences in their political ideologies (Noah, 17). Similarly, the blacks were bitter with the Whites, who were forcefully depriving them of their resources, hence used to organize guerrilla warfare to kill them. However, since independence in 1994, peaceful coexistence has been restored amongst the residents regardless of their race, tribes, or social classes. The action is understood to have reduced the death rates by almost half.

Improved Housing: the quality of a house that a person lives in is paramount in predicting their standards of living. Some places in South African urban settings were adversely affected by the apartheid rule. For example, Soweto remained filthy, and the residents lived miserably in that slum (Ebewo and Mzo, 84). However, with the introduction of self-rule, Housing has been improved, and most of the current Soweto residents can afford well-constructed permanent houses. The improvement in the housing standards has also boosted the living standards and the quality of health of the residents. Freedom: walking along the streets in the cities of South Africa was risky and insecure during the apartheid rule. Trevor Noah says that a person had to carry an identification card even if you just left the room for whatever reason. Today, the security of the South Africans has been boosted with the training employment of native police officers who act humanely to the people.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a mutual acceptance that the apartheid era was dangerous and unbearable for human life. People need to be free, and equality must be maintained at all times regardless of race, tribe, or social class. Trevor Noah's book, 'Born a Crime,' gives an account of what apartheid looks like and his experiences with the South African apartheid era. A lot of human rights were violated during the process, and many people lost their lives and property. The disparity and separation which define apartheid created animosity amongst the residents and increased the poverty levels of the native South Africans as they got the lowest share of the resources. Till today, some of the effects of apartheid are evident in South Africa, although they may be experienced at low levels.

Works Cited

Ebewo, Patrick J., and Mzo Sirayi. "Curriculum Transformation in a Post-Apartheid South African University: The Arts Faculty, Tshwane University of Technology." Africa Education Review 15.2 (2018): 82-95.

Harrison, Philip, and Alison Todes. "Spatial transformations in a "loosening state": South Africa in a comparative perspective." Geoforum 61 (2015): 148-162.

Noah, Trevor. Born a crime: Stories from a South African childhood. Hachette UK, 2016: 1-205