To Serve And To Protect....but not in South Africa

There is so much good that is going in during my time in South Africa. I hope everyone is getting that impression through the posts in this blog. With all good, there's some bad though, right? While this adventure has been incredible, it's also been heart wrenching and really tough at times. If you don't care to read about my angry ramblings, it's best that you don't read today's entry.

Let's begin with a little bit of positive news: I had a phenomenal weekend with both Mzwabantu (Mango) and Xolisani. They both served as my assistants all weekend and we went all over Grahamstown shooting video for a project I'm going to put together about my time here.

On Sunday evening, after our project was finished, the kids helped me carry all my equipment back to the house where I'm staying. I made them both promise me they'd come to school on Monday. They said "okay," waved, and began walking back to the township.

They didn't come to school on Monday.

Today (Tuesday), they showed up about a half hour late. Just as I was about to lay into them, they told me what happened after they dropped me off and began walking home Sunday evening.

Mango and Xolisani were going home when they were stopped by the South African Police Department close to the Rhodes campus. They were accused of selling drugs, but were not searched by the police. Nor were Mango and Xolisani taken to the police station. Instead, they, along with 10 other, presumably poor, presumably black, kids were taken to Bedford, a town they say is about 50-60 miles from Grahamstown. The police pepper-sprayed all the kids, dropped them off, and drove away. The kids in the van were all forced to walk back to Grahamstown and spent all of Sunday and much of Monday doing just that: walking.

It sounds outrageous, but Mango and Xolisani aren't liars. They occasionally stretch the truth, but they've been very up front with me when they've missed school in the past. They aren't afraid to say they were doing drugs or just "didn't feel like coming." I was inclined to believe them, and the principal of the school seemed to believe them as well. She is opening a case against the South African Police Department.

I was recounting their story to a couple people earlier today and while I was happy that Mango and Xolisani enjoyed peoples' support, it was also a bit disturbing that nobody really questioned their story. Everyone seemed to have the attitude of "yeah, it probably did happen." My question is: Then why the hell don't you do something about it? Why don't you try and stop this?

I guess many people just don't know what, exactly, to do. Many probably feel hopeless. I probably would too. The more I see about how South Africa operates, the more I love how the USA operates. Sure, we have corrupt cops as well. But, we have a more direct way of solving this injustice and making bad cops pay for what they've done. Be it calling Cellino and Barnes and draining their funds, pressuring the police to do something by splashing their images across the newspaper or TV, there is some way, usually, to make them accountable. This accountability doesn't seem to exist here.

Mango and Xolisani arrived at school today. Tired, hungry and a bit angry about what happened. They were angry, but they didn't seem outraged or overly surprised. I suppose if you treat people as though they're lesson than human for a long enough period of time, they'll eventually begin to believe you.

I know the principal is opening the case today. I hope the officers who did this are in the unemployment line tomorrow.