Miguel SR Photography

A huge revenue source for Cape Town is from tourism, so the city government does much in terms of creating a captivating and enticing space for the millions of travelers that arrive each year. For tourists, many of which come from Europe and the United States, it is easy to shield themselves from the severe poverty and income inequality that is pervasive in the country. The rows of hotels, chic shopping malls, art galleries and fine food purveyors create a sense of intrigue and familiarity for the wealthy travelers eager to see ‘what South Africa has to offer.’ Of course, if you want to be reminded of your privilege you can pay to take tours of the townships, the poor areas that surround the city from the outskirts, you can pay to take tours all from a safe distance so you can “see how the other half live.” It’s as problematic as it sounds and often is devoid of any ethical reasoning when looked upon from an objective stance. 

Many Black and Coloured South Africans are working middle class, and fewer of that demographic make up the wealthy classes. The wealth resides in the white upper-classes that live inside the city center and around it. For millions of black South Africans, the townships are home. Littered with trash and the constant threat of drought, life for many is painstakingly hard. There is rich and there is poor, it is hard to find folk that reside in the middle. Although Apartheid ended 25 years ago, the systematic affects of having a government that legally segregated its populace is something that will take more generations to mitigate. Many strides have been made in a post-Apartheid South Africa including the expansion of the electrical infrastructure, providing electricity to millions more people than during Apartheid. Murder rates have plummeted and constitutional rights have expanded.

Race is the biggest issue that is discussed within the political discussion. After a government such as the Apartheid government, the psyche is more focused on resolving the issues of race over other facets. Mitigating and preventing acts of racism are important, wealth inequality is often considered a problem that will be resolved in the process of solving race relations. Wealth inequality is fundamental in keeping people down. It is almost like it never even happened. Of course, portraits and monuments of Nelson Mandela are present throughout the city and country, his face gracing the side of the currency, if you had never heard or read about Apartheid and its many atrocities it would be easy to come here and not know how much destruction it caused or the many lives it took. 

The poverty is excruciating inside various areas of the city. Countless folks pick us out amongst the crowd, probably because we have that “tourist” look about us and come up and tell us their back story. It is difficult not to feel for these people, many of which have fled their countries due to poverty, war or famine. We have no clue whether their stories of poverty are true, yet that is not for us to decide. I am reluctant to be the outsider that takes it upon themselves to help, thinking I know best, yet I still feel for my fellow human-being. Nobody should go hungry and nobody should fear for their lives, yet the problems of our global society is a burden that I have often struggled to manage. I want to assist in anyway I can yet I still know I, as an outsider, should not come thinking I can solve the issues that plague this country. I am not unfamiliar with the affects of poverty, from being in rural villages in Mexico, where my father’s side of the family lives, to seeing refugees begging on the streets of European cities, South African poverty has appeared differently. People are persistent with their pleas for help. Some, with children, ask for anything as we walk by. Others follow you for minutes. One interaction we had was with a man that was upfront with his pleas for help. He did not want money, just simply for a few provisions from the local market on the next block. He was kind and offered to help us find our next destination. After getting him a few items he was determined to help us find where we were headed. He asked others for help and did not leave our side until we got to where we were going. As we found our destination he was sincerely grateful for our generosity, shaking my hand and giving me a hug. Yet despite this I still felt the burdens of society bearing down upon my shoulder. I thought about this interaction for a long while, I still think about it. Others saw us taking this man to the local store and followed us, begging for small provisions. We simply could not help feed everyone. Perhaps we could. We can always do more yet the act of helping one should not be a mistake. 

White guilt is something that many people experience, yet this is not why I felt worse after this experience. White guilt makes people want to tick a box, something that they can go home with so they feel better about their privilege. “Helping” others for the selfish reason of making yourself feel better about your privilege is quite Randian and not helpful at all. I am often critical of those with wealth. I sympathize for those in the working-class and those that struggle in their daily lives. I have had some modicum of privilege in my life, yet that is small in comparison to many others, and for that I am grateful.