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Tales from Dystopia

Tales from Dystopia is a series of blog posts I am writing of memories of the apartheid era in South Africa.

I started it because of some comments made by some South African Christian bloggers about the need to remember history so that we are not tempted to repeat the mistakes of the past. Some were also too young to remember what the apartheid era was really like. And some noted a tendency of some, even those who had lived through it, to say that it was not so bad, and that it had good intentions, and that in any case we should forget about the past and “move on”.

But it is not so easy to “move on” if we forget about the past, because the past is also a great weight to which we are tethered, which keeps us from “moving on”.

So here are some memories. They are just one person’s memories, but if others follow a similar idea and write about their own memories, we may get a fuller picture, and be better able to come to terms with the past.

If you don’t have a blog, it is quite easy to start one at sites like WordPress or Blogger, and just start recording your memories of the time. and encourage others to do so as well. Many of those who struggled against the evil of apartheid are dead, and their stories perhaps did not get recorded in the history books, but they live on in the memories of others, and those others can record them and share them in blogs.

 

11 Comments
  1. Roger Saner permalink
    8 March 2007 12:05 pm

    Hey Steve, good stuff! I’ll be following your blog for a while now, so hope to contribute some decent comments. Where in SA are you based? It would be good to meet up some time! I mostly hang out in Joburg…and blog here.

  2. nic paton permalink
    13 March 2007 4:33 pm

    Steve – I’ve tried to comment on “More experiences of a generation” twice but its not coming up in the comments there, there may be something wrong with your site?

  3. Steve permalink*
    13 March 2007 6:17 pm

    Nic,

    First-time comments are screened for approval, to prevent comment spam. Once you’ve commented once and been approved, your comments will appear immediately.

  4. sokari permalink
    2 April 2007 9:17 pm

    Hi Steve – welcome to the blogosphere. I am so happy that you are blogging from SA and raising some of the issues around Black people blogging. Good luck and keep up the good work. Please join me on MyBlogLog sometime.

    cheers

  5. Izz permalink
    22 May 2007 1:12 pm

    Keep it rolling.

  6. Marcelle permalink
    7 July 2007 12:38 pm

    Hi Steve!!!

    I am new to your websites, Tribe.net etc, but I am very keen to be reading all your news, and being kept up to date with Greek Orthodoxism in Johannesburg. I am also happy to finally also have a voice in this community (its been long overdue!!). So keep up all the good work, and let me know if there is anything I could do to assist in the community, as I am very enthusiastic to do so (please note that I am part of the Alberton Greek community and parish, and I would love to represent the youth of our community, along with Pate’ Petro ofcourse). I’ll be keeping in touch!!! God bless!!!

  7. Nic Paton permalink
    5 August 2007 11:34 am

    Hi Steve
    I’ve added Khanya to my links for a new Cape Town area emergent blog, http://capeconversation.wordpress.com/. Also I’d like to do a short profile of you and your work at some point, do you mind?

  8. compassioninpolitics permalink
    30 November 2007 7:28 pm

    I noticed your blog at Revolutioninjesusland, great blog. Very cool.

  9. dennis permalink
    14 March 2008 10:50 am

    I work at SABC AFRICA on a show called 180 degrees. Trying to get some guest for show next week on church and money. Will you take part of know of someone who can.

    Regards

  10. Rethabile permalink
    16 September 2008 12:38 am

    Steve,
    Just something a friend pointed out to me, and that I reproduced on my blog. Please kill this comment after you’ve read it. I didn’t find better means of bringing the article to your attention than spamming your comment space.
    🙂

    Link: basotho.wordpress.com

  11. blackincense permalink
    2 October 2008 12:52 am

    Dear Steve,

    Greetings in the Lord.

    I just discovered your blog and that you had already linked to mine. God bless you! I will add you to my list also….Glory to God for the internet that brings Orthodox Christians together.

    Much love in Christ,
    Suzanne

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