Your silence is compliance

So I haven't published a blog post in two months now and the honest reason why I haven't done so is that I didn't feel like it. But, with Collins Khosa, George Floyd and many other black people being killed by the police, I had to say something.

Despite the fact the that both South Africa and the United States are "democratic" countries where equality is one of the rights listed in their constitutions, we as the black community are constantly put through situations that remind us that equality is just a myth. Just three days into the lockdown here in South Africa, three people had lost their lives at the hands of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS). Today, there are ten deaths (that we're aware of) as well as over three hundred brutality cases against SANDF and SAPS in the country all in the space of less than three months. Collins Khosa was brutally murdered in his home yet his murderers weren't charged with anything just because they are members of the SANDF.

George Floyd's murder was documented for all of us to see which shows how confident the police are in the fact that the government will always stand by them. Despite saying that he couldn't breathe, the officer who had his knee on his neck kept repositioning himself in order to exert more force. As if this wasn't enough, he didn't stop despite George Floyd being non responsive for over two minutes of that video. Yes, the police officer who murdered him has been charged with second degree murder and yes, the other three officers who were present at the crime scene have been charged with aiding murder but it won't bring George Floyd back!

Both these cases have highlighted two things for me. Firstly, that police are given way too much power and secondly, that racism is still as rife as ever. We as the black community are still disrespected by most of society, especially those in society with some form of authority. This is why it's so important, now more than ever to speak up against this! Your silence suggests that you have no interest in changing this very flawed system.

There are many ways to raise awareness and contribute towards this battle. As much as you might think using #BlackLivesMatter on social media isn't helpful, please use it. Social media is very powerful and has brought about so many changes due to it's ability to reach a large number of people. Tweeting and uploading Instagram posts using this hashtag shows that you're in solidarity with the black community. It also raises awareness about the gravity of the situation and corners world leaders to speak about these issues and hopefully take action.

You can also sign petitions to help bring justice for all the black people who have lost their lives to police brutality. Unfortunately, I'm not able to add links to the petitions onto my blog but here is how you can find them:
1. All the petitions are on Change.org so typing this into your search bar will be helpful.
2. On the Change.org website, there is a search option where you can search for petitions that you would like to sign
3. Type in the names of Collins Khosa and George Floyd, as well as other black people who have been killed then sign the petitions that pop up.

Dealing with a pandemic and rife racism all over again is emotionally exhausting. I hope you're taking of yourselves. If what is going on is too overwhelming for you, it's okay not to take part. However, if your silence isn't rooted in anything, just know that you're complying with the system and you are part of the problem!

Connect with me:

Email: info.lihlendlovu@gmail.com
Twitter: @sijabulile__