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3A NEWSUte Ct4i:Uittt $ot Thursday, December 8, 2005 S. Africans recall apartheid By Melde Rutledge THE CAROUNA PEACEMAKER GREENSBOJIO - Nalini Dorasamy said that her first realization of apartheid in South Afiica struck her at the age of 14, while she and her family were preparing to order food at a takeout restaurant “We weren’t allowed to buy stuff through the main entrance,” she recalled, ‘because we were non white.” Only whites were allowed to enter the main entrance of the restaurant to buy food. Dorasamy, a second genera tion South Afiican now resid ing in the United States, is of Indian descent. “So somebody had to explain to me at age 14 that this is our plight. As non whites in South Afiica, we _ were not allowed to use the same entrance as white South Afiicans.” Apartheid, which means “separateness,” was a social policy enforced by the white, minority-ruled government in South Africa. Races were segregated, and the non white majority was denied common rights, such as vot ing or owning a bu^ess in white populated areas. During the apartheid era. South Afiica’s population was divided into four groups: black, white, Indian and “coloured.” Tbe coloured group included people of mixed Bantu, Khoisan and European ancestry ‘T think my fear and igno rance kept lots of things oppressed,” Dorasamy explained about her belated awareness of apartheid. Along with Dorasamy, fel low South Afiicans Dr. Bheki Langa and Winlyn Manveld were at N.C. A&T State University to also give per sonal accounts of their life under apartheid. The program, called “My Life Under Apartheid,” also gave the audience of about 100 or so - mostly A&T stu dents — the opportunity to ask questions of the pan elists. “At a very early age it was important, at least for me and for many of my peers, to be cognizant of the role that young people were supposed to play” said Langa, who is also a visual and performing arts professor at Beimett College for Women. As a teenager, Langa was a member of the Pan African Congress, an organization that advocated open resis tance te apartheid through strikes and protest marches. For his involvement in the PAC, which was harmed by the South African govern ment, he told the audience that he had to flee the coun try relocating to Swaziland. A close fiiend of his wasn’t as fortunate, and was cap tured by police. “And I never heard of him since,” he said In contrast, Maneveld, who lived in a small town about an hour away finm Cape Tbwn, said that during her early years, she lived a very sheltered life. She explained that this was due in part because the National Party, the ruling party at that time, “did a perfect job of dividing the people and conquering them.” In 1976, she took part in student movements, which disputed the highly Ekirocentric curriculums in the schools. Maneveld was considered te be “coloured.” She told how her fair complexion gave her a tad more access than an Indian or black per son. However, her husband is fairly darker than she. And because sex and marriage between the races were pro hibited, she said that such things as walking on the beach together was out of the question for fear of mis takenly being thought of as a black and white couple. Maneveld is now an instructor at Hampton University, but plans on returning to South Afiica. “South Afiica is my home,” she said Apartheid was officially dismantled in 1994 when the country’s first fiee elec tions led to the selection of Nelson Mandela as presi dent. Tbousands of victims of apartheid recounted their stories in 1995 when the country held the South African TVuth and Reconciliation Commission. It was considered to be very successful. Langa commended the Greensboro TVuth and Reconciliation Commission for their examination of the shootings of 15 people in Greensboro by Ku Klux Klan/Nazi members. Five were killed as a result. Joya Wesley, moderator for the program, is the commu nication’s director for the Greensboro TRC. Langa told the audience that the radal tension in the United States could be eased if people finm both sides sim ply talked and listened to each other. The original laptop reading experience Charlotte Tues. - Thun. HAM • IIPM * Fti ■ Sai. HAM • 12PM • Sun. HAM ■ WPM 704.331.0047 or 704.331.0019 3116 North Davidson Street Fax: 704.331.0076 Charlotte, NC 28205 Catering & Private Parties Welcome (Comer of 35th & N. 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After the hearing, the university issued a statement acknowledging that seven students had been charged with what it called “a minor procedural violation” and none had been expelled as a lesult of their actions. Five of the students reportedly were ordered to do commu nity service and two were issued warnings. Shipping Services Packaging Services Mailbox & Postal Services Moving & Packaging Supplies Copying Services Finishing & Printing Services Hoff i^OFF i^loFF •fAff^^sBRyKE ' . Tha UPS St*rtf Or I . - TiM UPS StM«r V I Th* UPS StO«4r V I ©2003 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. The UPS Store 4365 Hwy 49 South Ste. 500 Harrisburg, NC 28075 Tel-704-455-3367 Fax-704-45S-9760 store5532@theupsstore.com ss The Nordstrom Gift Card. Always a perfect fit. For the holidays and every day. there's rx) easier way to give to family and friends. Nordstrom Gift Cards are available in the denomination of your choice at any sales counter, at nordstromcom, or by phone at 1.877771.CIFT. 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