Mpho Putu's notes

South Africa celebrated 16th years of democracy this year. Momentous changes have occurred since the end of apartheid and the democratically elections of 1994. The feelings of optimism about the promise of democracy and a new system are prevalent throughout the country but there are also deep concerns and problems. An unemployment rate of 40%, HIV/AIDS, high infant mortality rate, low life expectancy, and high levels of criminal activity continue to plague the country. The system of apartheid has left deep scars and a legacy that has created deep divisions between the wealthy and the poor, educated and educated, skilled and unskilled. Radical reforms have been undertaken in nearly every sector but it will take years to repair the damages wrought. For more than 40 years, the country's majority black population suffered under a system of racial separation that fostered white supremacy and denied blacks the right to vote, access to free basic education and freedom of movement. Under a...

Mpho Putu, Director of Boundary Crossing Across South Africa - from Kliptown, Khayalitsha, Sekhukhune, Springbok, Mthatha, De Aar, , to the Kakamas - we’ve wondered why some communities are reasonably effective at making changes while others, perhaps not that different, are not. Why are some communities better able to manage their problems and others not? Most communities in South Africa - of every size and shape - face similar problems, such as high levels of poverty, unemployment, HIV and AIDS, poor service delivery, growing numbers of informal settlements and large numbers of immigrants. The only difference is that some are able to exercise a degree of control over those problems, while others become dysfunctional under the stress of their difficulties. In the middle of these difficulties, some communities come together, while others simply disintegrate. Although there are no definitive explanations about why this happens, we can make some educated guesses. Those communities that h...