Until the early 1990s, Black South Africans were segregated or kept apart from White South Africans. During this time, Black people were subject to strict and violent laws. While that period of South Africa’s history is over, there are still things left today from this painful past. Now, one dive instructor is trying to change that.
The Black Mermaid Foundation
Zandile Ndhlovu is South Africa’s first black and female freediving instructor. Ndhlovu, 33, first fell in love with the ocean after snorkeling while on vacation in 2016. The next year after getting her scuba diving certificate, she also got her instructor or teaching certificate for free diving with no equipment.
In 2020, Ndhlovu created the Black Mermaid Foundation. Her foundation’s goal is to introduce Black South African children to the ocean and swimming through beach trips. The kids in the Black Mermaid Foundation come from poor neighborhoods and for many of the children without the foundation they would not be able to go to the beach or learn how to swim.
Free diver Zandile Ndhlovu encourages a township youth to explore the marine world during a lesson off Simonstown, near Cape Town. Source: REUTERS/Mike Hutchings
Ndhlovu left her own business to run her foundation. “The water space has not always been diverse, and I wanted to create a space where diverse representation in the ocean is possible,” stated Ndhlovu. She hopes to create a space where the youth in her community can have fun and learn to not be sacred. One student said that the foundation has taught him to not “be scared, and learn to be brave.” Another child, Siyamila Tukani, stated that “Zandile teaches us to swim and know everything in the sea.” For these children, the Black Mermaid Foundation gave them a chance to go out to the ocean experience and learn more about nature.
It wasn’t too long ago that in South Africa, many beaches were closed to Black people. Like segregation in American history, apartheid in South Africa made Black South Africans live under a government that treated them much differently than White South Africans.
Pre-Apartheid History in South Africa
In 1652, many African countries were taken over or colonized by European countries such as Great Britain, France, The Netherlands, and Belgium. South Africa, which is located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa, was colonized by the Dutch from the Netherlands in 1652. In 1815, the country was taken over again, this time by the British. Both countries used South Africa as a base for trading along the spice route to Asia.
Because of the colonization of South Africa, the country’s population was made up of mostly Black South Africans and a smaller number of White South Africans. In 1910, South Africa became independent, and called its country the Union of South Africa, but this new government would not be for all South Africans. The government was made up of White South Africans from different political backgrounds, and even though White South Africans made up a much smaller number of population in South Africa, they controlled every role in the government and had all the power. With this power, they put into place segregation laws that kept Black and non-white South Africans separate from White South Africans. Some of these laws included banning people from voting and only letting them live in certain parts of South Africa.
Apartheid & the Long Walk to Freedom
In 1948, after winning the election, the National Party official started their ruling system called “apartheid,” which is a Dutch word that means “apartness” or “the state of being apart”. In this system, all non-white people, including Black Africans, Asians, and mixed-race people, were to be separated or kept apart from White Africans. Apartheid had many racial segregation laws like: banning marriage between white and non-white people, forcing non-white people to carry identification papers, requiring a curfew, banning non white peole from working in government, and creating separate public spaces for different races such as separate schools, and beaches. Many times the public places for non-white people were smaller, bad quality, and hard to get to.
In response to the National Party’s apartheid government, the African National Congress (ANC) was created to take a stand and fight against the harsh treatment of Black South Africans. The ANC began the Defiance Campaign in 1952. This was a movement of peaceful protest against apartheid. The protests included marches, and acts of defiance or breaking the law, such as Black South Africans sitting on benches that were only for white people, and staying out later than the government said they could. During this time Nelson Mandela, a top member of the ANC started the first Black legal firm in South Africa to represent the country’s Black citizens. Eventually Mandela became one of the most well known figures in the anti-apartheid movement.
The protesting of the ANC was at first peaceful, but when things got worse and White South Africans continued to make more laws against Black South Africans, Mandela and others in the ANC believed that violence would be needed in order to end apartheid. The group planned to carry out bombings on military and public buildings at night when people were not there. Mandela was even arrested in 1956 and charged with high treason or betraying his country, but was eventually found not guilty.
On August 5, 1962, Mandela was arrested again along with other activists for bombings and planning to overthrow the government. Mandela was sentenced to life in prison. He would spend his next 27 years in prison. Most of his sentence was spent on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. While in prison, the anti-apartheid movement continued in part because of the leadership of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s wife. Along with Winnie Mandela, Steve Biko also helped with keeping the movement alive until he was killed in police custody in 1977. In the 1970s, Mandela became South Africa’s national symbol of the treatment that Black South Africans had to live under. The anti-apartheid and “Free Nelson Mandela” movement had gotten the attention of the whole world and in 1974, the South Africa was removed from the United Nations, and would not be allowed back in until apartheid was ended.
While Mandela was in prison, a violent protest broke out across the country. In 1990, the violence between Black and White South Africans became too much and South African President Willem de Klerk decided to let Nelson Mandela out of prison. On February 11, 1990 after being in prison for 27 years, Mandela was finally free. This was not the end of apartheid in the country, and after being released Mandela met with President de Klerk as others from the government to see how apartheid could be ended. While many were upset with Mandela’s decision to work with the government, for Mandela, non-violence and working with the government would be the only way to end apartheid in his country.
Nelson Mandela, accompanied by his wife Winnie, walks out of the Victor Verster prison, near Cape Town, on February 11, 1990 after spending 27 years in apartheid jails. Source: REUTERS/Ulli Michel
Mandela spent many years giving speeches, asking for peace, non-violence, and an end to apartheid. He believed that all people no matter the color of their skin deserved to be treated fairly and to have equal rights. In April 1994, South Africa had its first election with Black and non-white voters. Black South Africans came out and voted in big numbers for Nelson Mandela. On May 10, 1994, Mandela became the first Black president of South Africa. This date also marked the end of apartheid.
Apartheid was a painful part of South Africa’s history. While South Africa has worked to move past apartheid, there are still things left from that time that still hurt the country today. People like Zandile Ndhlovu are doing their part to make sure the country will continue to move forward and be a place that is equitable or fair for all South Africans.
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