While apartheid’s physical walls may have crumbled, the deeply sown seeds of distrust still poison our society. We pride ourselves on being the rainbow nation, but how brightly can that rainbow shine when suspicion clouds our relationships? We move as strangers among each other, divided by race, language, sexual orientation and more – a chilling testament to the enduring legacy of a system designed to keep us apart. May the voices of reason stay loud.
The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation’s 2023 SA Reconciliation Barometer Report and the Indlulamithi Scenarios expose the extent of this crisis: 66% of South Africans struggle to trust each other. Without a concerted effort to combat this inherited distrust, we risk a South Africa forever scarred by divisions. SA cannot achieve genuine social cohesion, a true sense of belonging and trust across diverse groups, without addressing the root of existing tensions. Unlearning is a deliberate choice, not about erasing and forgetting our past, but about refusing to remain shackled to its most harmful elements. It means proactively identifying and discarding prejudices, judgments, and outdated habits that perpetuate division. We must recognise that systems designed to “keep us in our place” not only harm individuals but also hold back the entire nation’s progress. This work is especially important in South Africa, where historical injustices have caused profound wounds