You Are Life

By Karl Cloete

In all likelihood you entered life from the farm girl whose attention and interaction was drawn by a farm-boy whose passion at night overcame exploitation and racist slurs meted out during the day.

You are Life
You had to swallow your anger when a young white child called your father a boy and your mother whom you so dearly love Maid
You are Life

You were in very long rows of people anxious yet excited to vote in 1994 and over the moon to see Madiba sworn in as the new boss of South Africa but soon your joy turned into sorrow realising that your conditions in the farm remained the same.
You are Life

Your TV screen showed how there continues to be upward mobility for a tiny few and you are at pains to explain to your kids why they cannot have branded talkies or jeans
You are Life

You took confidence from Marikana mining workers who were massacred and from the truck drivers and you declared ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
You are Life

You Shall Overcome Because You Are Life

I can say with confidence I know exactly what farmworkers endure all the years of their life. I was born on a farm called Steilhoogte (Uphill could be the English translation), a farm between Klawer and Vredendal. I witnessed at first hand the humiliation of my people, the exploitation, the payment with wine instead of money.

But more disgusting was the daily dose of insults from farmers, creating an inferiority complex in all, but particularly men, and how the men would (when drunk) violently take it out on their wives, partners and kids to demonstrate their mistaken belief in maleness. No excuses, but this violent behaviour was an outlet for the humiliation suffered from the white man.

Karl Cloete is Numsa deputy general secretary