50 Cent

While I was in South Africa, I asked many of the older people about their experiences under apartheid. On my first trip to Pretoria, I met a man whose story shocked me. When I asked him what apartheid was like for him, he just said "I was sold for fifty cents." He and his black friend were laughing, I guess there's not much else you can do about it.

During apartheid, the blacks could come to white areas if they had a pass. This gentleman was doing some work for a white family and had a 12-hour pass for that day. When he finished his work, he went to a bus stop to wait for a bus that never came. He was jolted awake in the morning by a police officer requesting to see his pass. He explained that his bus never came, but the officer took him to jail for exceeding his 12-hour stay.

Once in jail, he was given the opportunity to pay bail of 30 rand, which at that time was more than any black person would have had. It was 30 rand or three months time and he had to choose the three months. Once that matter was established, local white farmers were allowed to come and "rent" the prisoners for labor on their farms and this gentlemen was sold to a white farmer for 50 cents in exchange for three months of labor.

Eventually, the time expired and he was allowed to go back home. He was never able to communicate with his family during this time and when he showed up they were ecstatic to find out that he was still alive.

I spoke with this man for about two hours. He knew more about American politics, past and present, than I did. He was a walking history lesson and was fully aware of the fact that if packaged in different skin, his brilliant mind would have made him a wealthy man. I did not detect any bitterness in him over this obvious injustice. Rather, in the absence of market opportunities he and his wife decided to start an orphanage to care for the children of their neighborhood. It was one of the most beautiful places that I visited during my time in South Africa.