A VIEW OF THE WEEK: Riverlea and Malema are proof SA is struggling with PTSD

As I watched the burning of tyres, vehicles being stoned and looted, police raids, and the outrage over the chanting of “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”; I wondered why I was numb.

Like most weeks, the events of the last few days have shown the anger, frustration, and division that exists in South Africa.

Protests – from Riverlea to Slovo Park and Cape Town – threw a spotlight on the living conditions of many South Africans struggling to keep their families safe, get running water, or move from one point to another.

Those not taking to the streets were likely engaging in fierce debates around the water cooler or online about EFF president Julius Malema’s chanting of the controversial “Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer”.

ALSO READ: Malema sticks to his guns over ‘Kill the boer’

It was hard as a South African to decide on what to focus on. It felt like how police described the transfer of special anti-zama zama task teams from the West Rand to Riverlea: moving from one problem area to another.

Living in South Africa is like floating down a river of crises – only broken occasionally by the beautiful vistas of warm winter sun and Banyana Banyana.

And, like the floater, we often don’t notice just how disruptive the ripples of crises can be. When we do, we launch into fierce action that can lead to violence or public disorder.

While both sides have used the “Kill the Boer” debate to sharpen their political weapons, it is easy to forget such lyrics are far from normal and cannot be disregarded lightly. Neither should they spark racist outbursts.

The reason we respond to these issues the way we do is that we, as a nation, are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘There was nothing police could do’ – Riverlea resident details the night zama zamas came guns blazing

Common signs of PTSD include feeling like past trauma is happening again, intrusive thoughts or daydreams of perceived threat, intense distress at the reminder of past trauma, and emotional numbness.

We have all been scarred by our apartheid past. It has shaped our thinking, interactions, and lived experiences. It made divisiveness as normal as breathing. It harbours feelings of racism, tribalism, and xenophobia. Its architects intended for it to be that way, and they succeeded.

South Africans want to live in harmony and peace, in a country where opportunities are equal and, most importantly, where we feel heard.

We do not want to be reminded, by failed service delivery and the chanting of songs once used against a divisive system, of the traumas we once lived.

In response, we either take to the streets or become numb. Every time government fails to deliver, corruption is exposed, or political parties use divisive words, it creates fresh traumas to be relived later.

So, while the state of governance in the country is in the ICU, it doesn’t take a doctor to know the rest of us are dealing with PTSD.