Building Peace in the Rainbow Nation

Dear family and friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy New year! Our first 2017 update will not be a recap (you know so much of our year already!) but a special true-life “swords-into-ploughshares” peace story from our work here in South Africa. If you don’t know that reference – old Biblical prophets talked about future societal transformation appearing when weapons are changed into life-giving tools. As Mennonites, we don’t think too much about end-times, but instead believe the Kingdom of God is now – that the peace and love of Jesus is for this moment, that we are called to work for peace wherever we are, and even prophecies about weapons turning into ploughs can happen, today.

The Situation

Years of growing tension and regular protesting by public University students culminated in a series of University shut-downs this fall. Violence across the nation was reported – one library burnt, some buildings and equipment damaged and students arrested. Students are protesting rising school fees and a continuing curriculum of white privilege, and service staff were joining in as they have lost contracts with benefits. This is not just about unruly students. These protests are a microcosm of unrest for the country – disenfranchisement with the young democracy and underlying anger and distrust across race and class divides. Universities have vacillated in their response between pacify or punish, and as more of society has been brought into it, good leaders have realized that issues needed to finally be addressed. Our director, Oscar, has been the lead mediator, working with several mediation-skilled colleagues. Dan and I became Peace Justice Witness (PJW) observers, walking two of the four campuses in our region regularly, and helping organise the team on the ground. Getting to know student leadership and school administrators, building trust for dialogue, and monitoring demonstrations have all been integral to preparing the ground for mediation.

The Swords

As the end of term loomed and school fees for next year went up yet again, students took to the streets and organized protests to Parliament. Concerned schools hired private security companies to come patrol campuses and protect property. Our PJW observers saw what this meant in real terms – militarized men in full riot gear breaking down dorm doors, shooting out windows, and otherwise terrorising student residences. Girls were left vulnerable in rooms that couldn’t lock, and students were arrested without fair process. Student residences looked like war zones. Trash hadn’t been collected for two months; students with no money to return home were stranded feeling more than just demoralized, but traumatized. Dan had a week of night-shifts with other volunteers, and noted that these special private security forces at night were mostly white-skinned ex-military with a history of abusing blacks under Apartheid. They took to this mandate to intimidate students very readily, and we were shocked by some of the things we saw. One evening, security delayed our teams entering the campus for over an hour, and then insisted we leave by midnight. PJW observers stayed by the campus walls, and sure enough, ten minutes after we had been escorted out, the firing of rubber bullets was heard.

The Ploughshares

Our PJW teams, made up of dozens of volunteers from churches, civic organisations and concerned parents, wrote up their observations and eye-witness reports which were compiled and shared. Volunteers organized garbage pickups and clean-up activities. Universities realized they could not simultaneously be in negotiations with student leaders while paying private security who caused more grievances for the students. They agreed to drop “the big guns” and brought back regular campus security. Then our team decided to invite pastors from Khayelitsha, a nearby black township, to join PJWs patrolling the campuses at night. A group (including women) willingly were trained and took over the night shifts, walking the campuses while praying. Students welcomed this new interaction, even requesting counselling support on the spot. As exams started and the mediators continued to bring students and campus leadership together, a sense of calm prevailed. Staff returned to campus, helped with clean-up, and day-shift PJWs reported students walking around freely and at ease. As pastors continued to volunteer eight hours a night, night after night, campus administrators had such positive feedback from the students they decided to pay these pastors for ongoing “prayer walk” patrols. This was significant – most of these township pastors have very meagre incomes, and the relatively small wages they now earned from this service meant a great deal to them. The universities saved money on security while contributing to the livelihoods of these selfless neighbours, and the campuses were more secure.

In a period of less than two weeks, the entire situation had turned around, thanks to many hands working quickly to make a difference. From a coercive approach to a respectful one, from real fear to actual dialogue, from literal weapons to symbolic ploughshares, the outcome was beyond what we had all thought possible.

It’s not over. Mediators and PJWs met in December to prepare for next year’s anticipated unrest. Each of our four universities is at a different place in the process of listening and dealing with the problems on their campus. But we are more experienced now, and have renewed belief in the power of peace. SADRA has had meetings with the University closest to us, and has been invited to give conflict transformation workshops to student residence leaders. As one Student Life staff said, “Our campuses are where young South Africans learn to live together – many don’t have a chance to learn how before they end up in our residences. If we fail to support them in these four years, how will we build a nation?” His vision is insightful and progressive, and the need is real. With a renewed energy and hope, we will need to hit the new year running.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. May you enjoy a peaceful and joyful New Year.

Kathryn, for all the Smith Derksens