Sydafrika efter apartheid: Forandringer og 'Rainbow Generation'

Apartheid ended 29 years ago. How has South Africa changed?

During a memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela, people young and old dance and sing in Johannesburg’s FNB stadium.

On April 27, 1994, Thandeka Sidaya wasn't headed to a regular job in the City Center. Instead, she was determined to be at the polling stations when they opened at 8 am. This day was a big deal in South Africa's history because it allowed people to vote for the first black president, Nelson Mandela, after many years of apartheid. Thandeka waited in line for a long time to cast her vote in support of Mandela and the end of the unfair apartheid system. After voting, she went back home to take care of her newborn so that Roseline Sidya could also go and vote. This story shows how important this historic election was and how committed people like Thandeka were to bring about change. The 25-year-old graduate in industrial engineering explained that, for many, the opportunity to vote for the first time was incredibly significant. They were determined not to miss this chance because it meant they were contributing to ending apartheid. Tshabalala, born in post-apartheid South Africa, is part of the "Rainbow Generation," the first generation to grow up without apartheid's legal and political system. In an interesting twist, a 34-year-old Dutch woman, Ilvy Njiokiktjien, who was raised on a houseboat in the Netherlands has become a champion for post-apartheid South Africans. Her journey, culminating in the release of her photo book 'Born Free: Mandela’s Generation of Hope,' began when she took a photography course at the age of 16 during a high school exchange program in South Dakota. Despite her Dutch upbringing, she had already experienced diversity in Utrecht with classmates from Morocco, Turkey, and Sri Lanka. Ilvy Njiokiktjien's journey of understanding apartheid's impact on South Africa began during her college exchange program at Rhodes University in 2004. She was initially shocked by the stark divisions between whites and blacks in Grahamstown, with a pristine city center in contrast to a nearby township filled mainly with poor black residents.This story is about a photographer named Ilvy Njiokiktjien who took pictures and talked to young people in South Africa. She learned a lot about the tough times they face, even though apartheid, a time of unfair rules, ended. Some young South Africans have to help their families who don't have as much money, which makes life hard for them. Ilvy Njiokiktjien started to notice these issues when she saw protests and demonstrations in South Africa in 2007. People were standing up for their rights after apartheid was over. She realized that apartheid's old rules still affect the country today. These rules, like the ones that separated people by race, continue to make life difficult for some people. In the story, there's a young woman named Sibonisile Tshabalala who just got a job in Johannesburg, but she doesn't get paid as much as some other people with similar jobs. She believes that even though apartheid is gone, there are still unfair differences for young black South Africans. They have to help their families a lot, taking care of their parents and paying for their siblings' school. It's hard for them to chase their own dreams. Ilvy Njiokiktjien met a young South African couple, Wilmarie Deetlefs and Zakithi Buthelezi, in Johannesburg. Zakithi is the grandson of a famous Zulu leader and is in a relationship with Wilmarie, who is white.While Zakithi Buthelezi hasn't had many problems with having a white girlfriend, his girlfriend, Wilmarie Deetlefs, once heard a mean comment from a taxi driver. But now, they live in Cape Town and think they can help make things better in South Africa. They want to help people come together and be friends. A photographer named Ilvy Njiokiktjien made a book about young South Africans like Zakithi and Wilmarie. These young people are working hard even though they face tough things like not having jobs. They believe that their hard work will make South Africa a better place in the future.