African Connectedness

African Connectedness
Sitting here in Cape Town it is obviously a truism to talk about African connectedness – and yet this is a reality that is not always taken for granted. The almost physical awareness of being connected to other people the whole time, is something that has great value to individuals and to societies.
To take but one example of yesterday; a colleague of the Lutheran church called me early in the afternoon. His mother in law had suddenly passed away that morning in the Eastern Cape, some 1200 km away, and he wanted me to come to share the moment when he had to convey the tragic news to his wife. It was totally unexpected so the chock was devastating.
The family lives not far from us, but all of their other friends and relatives are spread over the city. Still, within half and hour there were more than ten people who had come to the house to share the sad news and sit together with the bereaved daughter and her family and occasionally say a prayer. Togetherness, connectedness;
My further comment is that similar patterns are visible in all the various population groups, also among South African whites. You are aware that you belong to a group. The real test occurs when friends and relatives are found across the various old groupings – will there still be connectedness? I believe so, yes I am convinced that a new transformed South African sense of belonging is in the making, despite signs also to the contrary.