South Africa's scab

Why does a scab itch? I was once told that it was a sign of healing. But what do we do? We worry the scab until we have removed it. Sometimes we will cause the underlying sore to get a bit bigger or deeper. Our body then tries to heal itself again by causing white blood cells to help form a new scab. Once again the itching starts and we scratch and scratch until the scab is removed.

A few nights ago I half watched a programme on TV where the presenter was visiting Robin Island. A "custodian" was interviewed and all the perceived wrongs of the imprisonment were laid bare for all to see and experience again. The scab was successfully removed and the underlying currents were once again stirred up to see if the healing process could overcome this new attack.

Within the same week a poverty stricken neighbourhood was the subject for the investigative reporter. Those interviewed were bemoaning the injustices that still hovered around them and the blame was visited on the apartheid era. Many of those interviewed were not even born in 1994. Another of South Africa's scabs was successfully removed.

The students and mineworkers are rioting and demanding and the reason is still the injustice of apartheid. Again most have only lived in the post apartheid era. Which scab has now been removed?

Whites are being accused and threatened purely because of the colour of their skin. We are all lumped together as being evil because some of us were guilty in the pre apartheid era. Bang goes another scab.

One only has to watch the news to learn which other scabs have been irritated or removed.

Please South Africans – stop worrying the scab. Let the wounds of the past heal. Historians say we need to study History to learn from the mistakes of the past but we never do. The same mistakes get repeated disguised in many ways. If we continue to worry those scabs of the past we may get a nasty jolt when those scabs refuse to heal and become noxious.