In a society celebrated for its diversity and apparent commitment to constitutional non-racialism, the recent events at the University of Pretoria’s Hatfield campus reveal a troubling aspect of South Africa’s changing social landscape.
The footage of EFF Student Command members blocking access to the campus, and summarily declaring, ‘Only black students, go back! Only black students may enter’, has become a vivid symbol of the risk of social entropy, rampant and unchecked.
The concept of social entropy, akin to the natural entropy seen in chaotic natural systems, serves as a mirror reflecting the disorder and breakdown within societal structures. This notion finds a disturbing incarnation in the actions not only of the EFF Student Command this week, but also of the EFF generally: actions that symbolise a departure from the cohesive ideals and the constitutional imperatives propounded in 1994.
The Constitution of South Africa proffers non-racialism as a cornerstone, aiming to subdue the ghosts of apartheid and envisage a future untainted by racial segregation. Yet the spectacle at the campus gates of the University of Pretoria is a stark reminder that the constitutional promise of harmony has predominantly been a symphony of empty echoes. As Professor Koos Malan has written, non-racialism in the South African Constitution was stillborn.
The actions of the EFF students, demonstrating overt racial exclusion and intimidation, raise the question of why such manifestly racist organisations are tolerated in modern South Africa. They also raise the issue of double standards in the application of hate speech laws and the principles of non-racialism. It would seem that tolerance of racism has been coloured by a belief that black South Africans are somehow exempt from any accusation of holding racist attitudes.
Myopic acceptance
The myopic acceptance of this seeming orthodoxy distorts the fundamental understanding of racism. It is not the prerogative of a particular race to monopolise racism, it is a vice that can find a host in any human heart, regardless of colour. Racial intolerance from any quarter should be met with equal fervour and opposition, for to turn a blind eye to one form is to implicitly endorse it in another and, as a consequence, to contribute to the fragmentation of the societal ethos.
The sharing of the Hatfield campus video across social media platforms, coupled with the silence on the incident from the university’s management, accentuate the narrative that South Africa’s social fabric has weakened to the point where blatant hypocrisies are ignored, and the essence of non-racialism is forsaken. This underscores the regrettable reality that the moral and societal constructs are sinking into a quagmire of selective amnesia and convenient obliviousness.
Societal norms and traditions, aptly compared by John Gray to a delicate spider’s web, are at the mercy of prevailing winds of racial discord, and this leads to societal entropy. The obligation to resuscitate the crumbling ideals of unity and inclusivity falls not only on the university administration, but also on broader society. Rebuilding the web of social cohesion requires a meticulous and collective effort, where the pursuit of non-racialism morphs from being a piece of constitutional phraseology to a societal goal which is steadfastly pursued and protected.
The divergent experiences of racial communities and the persisting inequalities that blemish the South African landscape necessitate a candid conversation on racial disparities and latent tensions. To some extent, South Africa has gone beyond the defining moment when it was poised between embracing its constitutional ideals and succumbing to the divisive undercurrents which are now bubbling to the surface. These threaten to erode society’s foundational values.
Racial hostility, regardless of its origin, underlines the urgency of reaffirming a commitment to the principles of mutual respect between cultural communities, equality, and non-racialism. But the sands of time in the South African hourglass are diminishing swiftly, emphasising the urgency of forging a society where racial harmony and mutual respect are not merely lofty ideals, but a living reality.
Chaos
One cannot help but contemplate whether social entropy is an inherent and perhaps, inevitable trait of societal structures. Chaos and the disintegration of order might be the relentless and unfortunate destiny of human societies, much like the decay inherent in natural systems. In this light, the events at University of Pretoria may be seen as merely symptomatic of a broader, irreversible societal malaise.
Societies, much like organic entities, are constantly treading the path between order and chaos, structure and disintegration. The hope and the striving for a society anchored in non-racialism and mutual respect might just be a transient phase, giving way to entropic forces, a societal trajectory destined to descend into disorder.
Such a pessimistic view leads to people being resigned to a fate in which the ideals of equality, respect between communities and non-racialism are ensnared in a tumultuous dance with their opposites. In this sombre picture, pursuing lofty societal ideals is a Sisyphean task.
However, embracing such a pessimistic view is to accept a future without hope, and without the promise enshrined in the Constitution. The relentlessness of social entropy might be a part of the societal narrative, but a collective resolve to counter it must be the defining ethos of all communities in South Africa.
To abandon the quest for a truly non-racial society is to squander the essence of South Africa’s constitutional dream. The introspection and recommitment to respect and mutual understanding are not mere philosophical musings, but the anchors that can halt the slide to social entropy. The shadows of apartheid can only be dispelled by the light of a collective resolve to counter the voices that seek to perpetuate racial discord.
Clarion call
The appalling sentiment, ‘Only black students may enter’, ought to trigger a clarion call, resonant with the urgency of building a society founded on mutual respect and non-racialism. But if it is ignored, in the inexorable march away from such a society, every step, echoing with hypocrisy and racial discord, will be a step away from the constitutional dream, and a step closer to inescapable social entropy.
[Image: Andrea De Santis on Unsplash]
The views of the writer are not necessarily the views of the Daily Friend or the IRR
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