Thursday, 8 May 1986: The Perils of Black-White Communication in South Africa

May 8, 9:00 PM, Home of Mavis & Bill Urmson, Lombardy East. 

Here’s a short anecdote to illustrate how difficult it is sometimes to communicate with some black South Africans.  This morning when I got up to the main part of the house for breakfast, the family had already left.  Cecilia, the black maid (a Xhosa from the Transkei), was working in the kitchen when I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and some orange juice.  Normally, I drink some hot tea with the family just to be sociable, but I prefer fruit juice and didn’t want any tea this morning. 

When I started eating my shredded wheat in the dining room, I heard the tea kettle boiling.  “I don’t care for any tea this morning, Cecilia,” I clearly and politely announced.  She acted like she got the message but five minutes later, into the dining room walks Cecilia with a platter of tea, cream, sugar, cup, and saucer.  So I told her again that I wasn’t interested in tea this morning but thanks anyway.  She left with a confused look on her face (or was it a confused look – I can never tell with her) and took the platter back to the kitchen. 

Now, Cecilia speaks English (sort of) and she’s been working in Johannesburg for two years.  However, she probably can’t understand why some white foreigner with a funny accent would want tea one morning but not the next.  This is just one example of black-white miscommunication here.  I chalk it up to complete differences in cultural backgrounds and poor command of English.  It’s easy to see how South African whites eventually conclude that blacks are dumb, don’t listen to instructions, and are incapable of making rational decisions.  No doubt, white Americans who come here are expecting the same relatively easy communication we are used to with black Americans.  It’s definitely not that simple!

Peter Magubane. Nanny and child. Johannesburg, 1955.   I found this wonderful photo while searching the internet for pictures of black South African maids as I had none of my own.  Peter Magubane is a noted black South African photographer who risked his freedom and his life to get photos of riots, trials, and police shootings.  In one incident, police fractured his nose because he refused to destroy his film.  In 1974-75, he spent 586 days in solitary confinement.  He won South Africa’s highest award for journalism in 1977.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/nov/12/peter-magubane-best-photograph-white-girl-black-maid-apartheid-south-africa