Pearl MnCube, who writes on this site on 23 May, The rainbow nation is dead, needn't worry. She should take a look at the front page of Naspers's sister publication, Volksblad, that covered events in the legislatures of the Northern Cape and Free State with this week's inauguration of the new office bearers across the political spectrum, and take heart!
The Volksblad story is unfortunately in Afrikaans - one of the challenges of our rainbow nation - so if Pearl can't speak Afrikaans, no worries. It's I who am hanging my head in shame at the fact that as a senior South African of more than 60 years, I STILL only manage a few odd words in an African language.
Anyway, Volksblad mirrors a colorful version of yesterday's swearing-in ceremonies that truly lifts the spirit as we read how new office bearers from all races - black to white, pink to yellow - the EFF to the Freedom Front Plus and in an array of local languages, indulge in humor, forgiveness, solemn prayer, confessions, apologies and last but not least, thunder and brimstone, that culminates in what can only be described as uniquely local is lekka/rainbow nation/only in South Africa stuff.
Maybe at the end of the day at some unseen level, we still love and appreciate one another, and manage a smile?
