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"Systematically since 1994 the ANC government has betrayed the dream of democracy. A dream that imagined equality, the end of poverty, a thriving economy, and a just and prosperous future for all. Most devastatingly this betrayal can be seen in the failure of educational institutions to develop the talents and skills of the young generations. Given the 'Fallist' protests, given the public service delivery protests, given the voters' message to the ANC in the municipal elections, ordinary people are suffering. Poverty still wears a black face. White racism becomes ever more strident. In this searing critique of what's gone wrong in the public and private sectors, Mamphela Ramphele turns to the tenets of black consciousness and argues for an 'emotional settlement' to heal the trauma of colonialism and apartheid that still ravages both black and white communities. Emotional settlement would unlock empathy for others and unleash the potential of all citizens to work together for a 'socio-economic settlement' to promote social justice and equality for all."--

One hot afternoon in December --. - Moeng etla ka geso, re je ka wena --. - The notion of home --. - boSofasonke --. - School, the institution --. - Matriculation is not a mattress --. - The death of my father --. - Initiation into activism --. - Frank Talk and Black consciousness --. - Personal relationships --. - '...ours is to accept and bear the pain' --. - Community life in King --. - A huge historical burden --. - Detention --. - 'Well, Dr Ramphele, goodbye, you bitch!' --. - A brief interlude --. - That fateful day - 12 September 1977 --. - A matter of survival --. - Forging an independent lifestyle --. - Cape Town --. - As mother and professional --. - When the engine stopped --. - Smelling the flowers --. - The pain of loss --. - Stretching across boundaries --. - In my wildest dreams --. - If you had all the cards on your side --. - A woman in a hurry --. - The VC years --. - Funding the changes --. - Moving on - An exit strategy --. - Being an active citizen --. - Mobilising against the fear --. - Agang

The author looks at how the institutions of family & kinship were deformed by the policies & programs of South Africa's apartheid regime. Based on research in New Crossroads, a township established for Africans in 1982, she explores apartheid's ruinous consequences for local communities, for relations between the sexes, & for intergenerational connections. She finds that apartheid fostered a high prevalence of sexual abuse & that the definition of childhood was forcefully reshaped by the experience of ongoing violence. Although there was pro forma adherence to traditional norms of male initiation, the affirmation of maleness through intergenerational connections within the community completely broke down under apartheid. The author's research demonstrates why living with violence makes it difficult to fulfill life projects enjoined by tradition. 15 References. A. Funderburg