Velile and the Beloved Country

In the office next to mine sits my work colleague, Velile, who is the Senor National Content Coordinator here at the Bosasa group of companies. Velile is slightly older than me, by slightly I mean only a few months, but we lived worlds apart as he grew up on the other side of the Apartheid railroad, so to speak.

Sitting down and getting to know him, we could have been friends in a life time before, as both our hearts ache for the plight of people, if it wasn't for the fact that he grew up in Soweto during the Troubles whereas I grew up protected from all what was happening while our country burned. In our late teens, I was sent to the Army to protect the people from the Rooi Gevaar, or the Communist Threat, were I eventually ended up on the border. All the while majority of the people including Velile struggled against the police and Army in the township.

After twenty years of democracy, we are both going to vote tomorrow in the 5th General Elections, most likely differently, nonetheless we will still be friends. So whatever your colours are, blue, red, yellow, or even green, Velile and I, both pray for a safe, peaceful, and corruption free day tomorrow.

South Africa, the Beloved Country.