South Africans should not be ashamed

There are a lot of news stories going around about how unsafe South Africa can be, how the crime levels are high, and how poor the country actually is etc. Though these news stories are important because you do have to tell the truth and focus on both the negative and the positive, I feel that South Africans have nothing to be ashamed of.

First of, South Africa is a 16 year old nation. 16 years ago, it existed under a brutal apartheid regime which crippled the overwhelming majority of the country. Besides the racists laws and discrimination across all facets of life, the vast majority of South Africans lived in squalid conditions and even worse financial shape. Such economic inequality is hard to address within a generation and impossible to solve within the first fifty years. Just take a look at India, 63 years old this August - for all intents and purposes, it is a burgeoning economy that has steadfastly embraced democracy and has pushed forward ceaselessly, yet it remains terribly poverty-stricken and massively subjugated to both land and upper classes. Such economic disparity is hard to overcome and South Africa is no exception.

Most South Africans live on less that $2 a day. That is a massive crutch for a young country. And yet, they are putting on a show for us. Disregard the stories of theft from hotel rooms, disregard the stories of purse snatchings etc.– these are part and parcel of being in the third developing world, just ask anyone that has visited Brazil, India, or Thailand.

The truth is that this world cup will not do as much for tourism as it will for the people of South Africa; it will, in short, give them the confidence needed to become true global citizens, people that are part and parcel of the social fabric of our political and social world. Few countries get that chance, just a handful, actually.

This is a time to count blessings and to look to the future, with a mindful eye on the past and yes, reality. But it is definitely not the time to mope over all that is wrong, as some news networks are clearly doing.

I say be proud Africa, and be proud South Africa. Be proud, for today, the world visits the Zulu nation and it has come to play the beautiful game.