We Are the Poors: Community Struggles in Post-Apartheid South Africa Essay Example

how it causes South Africans to become discriminated on a class basis. Inhabitants get evicted from their homes since they cannot pay rent and other bills. When an ANC politician tells Chatsworth residents, mostly Indians, to stop expecting special treatment.

He gets a reply that they are the poor, and not Indians (Desai 44). The author portrays “the poor” as the rap artist, a famous criminal, factory worker, neighbor, community, single mother, and unemployed. He further clarifies it as a non-racial and elastic identity for the swelling ranks of dispossessed South Africans. For instance, he reveals that to gain education, twelve-year-old girls require funding from older men because most mothers do not possess child-support grants anymore. For example, a thirteen-year-old girl, Valentino Naidoo who robs a toothbrush gets hit, undressed, and apprehended for producing bad breath yet her mother could not afford to buy her one (Desai 61). Hence, through heightened poverty in the post-apartheid era, Desai depicts how globalization, through capitalism, has caused a massive dissimilarity between the wealthy and the less privileged.

Moreover, Desai portrays how newly appointed politicians turn their backs on inhabitants causing indigenous struggles. Firstly, people run to wash taps and bus stops for homage after being evicted from their homes by a regime dominated by blacks. Desai illustrates that inhabitants feel utterly leaderless and alone (38). Secondly, through retrenchments, the ANC-linked leaders in the public and private sector's wages grow. Moreover, the ruling party eliminates the non-payment culture among low-income neighborhoods. Notably, privatizing water supply hinders the underprivileged from being consumers of necessities. As more people get disconnected from water, they find themselves depending on nearby contaminated streams. Thirdly, the legal

system disregards the South African Constitution by dodging the limited social rights as illustrated in Thulisile Manqele’s legal battle (Desai 72). Hence, the leaders utilize “the market ideology” and “executive sovereignty” to replace constitutionalism. Additionally, Desai reveals the instance when the government used four years less to complete the national garment industry, and approximately ten thousand people lost their jobs (65). Therefore, the post-apartheid regime further makes it more challenging for South African citizens.

As one of the revolutionists, Desai depicts that it requires people to resist because the conditions have become tougher. Juhila et al. conceive that resistance is the behavior meant to protect people from adverse impacts of changing a status quo (4). The authors reveal how people need to change tactics because of the worsening situation. Firstly, the Hindu hold the Diwali festival in Chatsworth and reverse it to a party of no lights due to electricity cutoffs. Besides that, the formation of Durban Social Forum, which counters a summit dedicated for the poor, by people from low-income families such as Mpumalanga, Soweto, and Umlazi portrays they had decided to fight oppression. In addition, on another occasion, protesters disconnect the mayor’s water supply despite two of them receiving gunshot wounds (Desai 147-148). Hence, this shows that the post-apartheid era had worsened. Moreover, Chutel and Kopf disclose that over half of the country’s population come from low-income families. Thus, the opposition happened due to the suffering that the inhabitants encountered.

In sum, despite not mentioning globalization and resistance directly, these themes get revealed in the South African case. Globalization creates a significant gap between the rich and underprivileged through capitalism. In addition, it explains how

post-apartheid leaders take advantage of and oppress the citizens. Accordingly, Desai and other revolutionist have to resist the regime because of severe conditions. Hence, the book is worth a read since it provides insight into how globalization led to conflict in South African society.