InterOuts

Memorium

South Africa is the country of excellence for stereotypical attitudes. In fact they are so ingrained that they have become part of daily life. A good example is the fact that many people judge you by the shoes you wear or the phone you carry. However, it would be unfair to say that it is the only country affected by this plague, but unfortunately it may be worse here than elsewhere. Why is that so?

This is for a Sociologist to determine but one powerful reason seems to be the hangover from the Apartheid era where people were systematically put into their pigeonholes and so tagged for life. Behind curtains and I mean by that heavy curtains, you can always hear that Indians are prone to fraud, Blacks are lazy and that all Whites are racist which is a vain and stupid way to judge a whole group of human beings. Nevertheless, nothing seems to change these strange conceptions despite the passing of more than two decades since the advent of majority rule.

At the International Outsider, we are strong believers of the' butterfly effect 'which is a simple sentence which hides a very complex mathematical concept. To cut a long story short, it is said that a butterfly flapping its wings in Australia could eventually provoke a storm in Johannesburg by a cascade of events produced by the displacement of air caused by its wings flapping. When we came across the story of President Melksak when he was alive, it led us to think that this was exactly the kind of man who could provoke a butterfly effect in a country still affected by its troublesome past. Apart from those who make the effort to know them, bikers are known in different societies around the world to be tough cookies always ready for a fight and certainly very racist. But you will be astonished by what the International Outsider has noticed. By the sheer volume of statistics we have collected and observations which we record assiduously, we have reached very different conclusions. But obviously we were keeping those conclusions for us because in this part of the world, one has to be very careful about what one says and how it is said.

When we came across the story of President Melksak, we asked ourselves if it was so courageous for us who pretend to raise awareness among the international community without having no courage or the class of the man he was. President Melksak got his name 19 years ago while riding his bike like a demented lunatic, he received a sac of milk thrown by his wife hoping it would make him reduce his speed. But if President Melksak had been always a faithful husband to his beloved wife and a caring father, we fear he never reduced his speed on the road burning the tar at each occasion. Until now, you can say that there is nothing very special in the story and certainly not sufficient to warrant inclusion in this journal but despite a very Afrikaner nickname,

President Melksak was not caucasian. Certainly the most sceptical will say it was only for show but no one can doubt the friendship that the White riders had for this formidable man. We will not carry the numerous quotes of friendship and love that poured out during his Memorial service because the image that we publish especially for him on this page of the International Outsider to honour his life, speak for themselves. And after 1175 words mainly written to avoid any accusation of partisanship, here is the reason that we have opened our page for him. One of the first things that astonished us was the words of his widow. 'If you are to talk about my husband, please make it so that it focuses the healing of this country'.

And that is exactly what we hope to do. We do not want to be mawkish but we want to be factual. Anyone who has assisted at the funeral may witness that racism was not present, tears were, despair in friends eyes who could not bear the idea of living life without a companion like him. Coming from a community judged harshly by all and sundry, it is a powerful lesson that the International Outsider could not but report. In these days where publicly politicians praise the Rainbow Nation and again behind the curtains profess heinous speech in the only aim to continue to divide the population so gaining their votes, we should be ashamed in front of such a demonstration of pure friendship.

If any politician could have done half of what President Melksak did for his community, then their career would have been fulfilled. President Melksak was killed by a hit and run driver, maybe perpetrated by a respected member of society having the right Nikes and the latest Smartphone. A man whose morality has not been affected by what havoc he caused. And maybe, you speak to this man every day. In these recessionary days and international uncertainty, we should watch this powerful example and reflect profoundly on what we stand for. One day maybe soon the merchant of Hate will knock at your door. When he explains to you with dramatic logic why you should hate your brother of another skin colour, you can now speak to him about President Melksak.