ELSEWHERE in the world there is a predictability about each country’s culture, social interaction, linguistic applications (with minor variants) and so forth.
Not here.
Now that the once warring factions of our beloved land have declared peace, but still tentatively negotiate the many potholes on our road to eventual oneness, we remain fluid and exciting. There is hardly ever a dull moment in the Rainbow Nation.
The most recent event illustrating this point very clearly is, of all things, the Oscar Pistorius ‘trial of the century’.
Being familiar with the ways of our diverse cultures, their nuances and especially accents, the entertaining – and confusing – goings on at the Pretoria High Court often escapes us. But imagine the bewilderment of television audiences from all corners of the world.
First there’s the physical appearances. In the UK or USA there will be a courtroom full of white folk speaking the same language and more often than not some ‘nigga’ bad man in the dock being charged with some felony called grand theft auto.
In Thailand or Bangkok the courtroom will be swamped with Asian types and perhaps a lonely ‘honky’ white backpacker smuggling snowy stuff he maintains is baby powder.
But here in good old SA, we are proudly multi-colourful, trilingual and many other things in-between.
A court case here is not a straightforward matter in terms of the above.
There are a bunch of white okes speaking English, but in a strange manner.
Burly police experts with a don’t-mess-with-me demeanour become meek as lambs once they have to ‘gooi the taal’ and focus furiously on calling the judge ‘My Lady’ instead of ‘Missus’. Grappling with Afrikaans to English translation first to formulate intricate evidence technicalities makes for unconventional proceedings.
Now add the black South Africans with their unique accents and way of describing things (…’nou ek kom daar, ek sien hom dinge is nie lekker nie), and to further spice things up with a confident Coloured interpreter rapid-firing out things like ‘thebloodspettersonthetaailswasbecauseofarikkochetbulletmylady’.
So far we are only missing an Indian chappie to entertain us with something like, ‘Oh my goodness golly, my Lady, what I was founding there was a bloody mess of extravagant proportions…’, but he might just surface later on as the trial progresses.
So, who really cares if the world finds us unconventional. It is the rainbow nation in action and we’re doing a good job with smiles on our faces.
We are different, yes, but very special people.
