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Salient. Victoria University Students' Newspaper. Volume Number 39, Issue 6. April 5 [1976]

Apartheid Festival

Apartheid Festival

Self-conscious at first I refused to acknowledge the crowd and clung to the collective security of the other 'actors'. Relaxing a little I realised that the effect would be ruined if I didn't play my part.

My part was as one of six black South African workers shuffling along behind a float in the Festival of Wellington processions.

On the float were a white South African couple shrouded in opulence and decadence, enjoying a game of rugby while commanding the rope that chained the blacks together.

The match was symbolised by two players, with rugby balls for heads (rugby mentality) engaged in rugby-like activity - (scrums, haka's etc).

I bent my head and tried to assume a humiliated stance. As I became aware of the crowd my mood changed. Suddenly I didn't have to try and act anymore; I felt like a black worker because to the crowd I was a black worker:

'Yeah, thats the way it should be'

'Put the ropes around the necks'

There words hit like stones. They hate me. Why? What have I done? Yet I assumed their image. I felt like dirt. I quickly dropped my eyes from their accusing stares and grimaced at their abuse. I shuffled along feeling sad and humiliated.

The Evening Post report of the procession said that this float was 'obviously not' designed with pure fun in mind'. Being part of the float gave me an idea (albeit very superficially) of just how much 'fun' it must be to be a black worker in apartheid South Africa.

Leonie Morris

Flatbed truck carrying people at a festival