I recently read an article that, in essence, heavy critique on the infamous drinking culture of South Africans. This article recognised that South Africans had a drinking problem but never went into the reasons why that is. As South Africans, we are aware that there is a drinking problem in our country but never want to have the discussion about why this problem might exist. The first reason we have this problem might be because of our attitude towards alcohol- how we present to others, especially to children. The second reason this problem exists is because of the class structure in this country – which is intricately tied to the racial structure too. The third cause of this drinking problem, and perhaps a manifestation of the first two causes, is mental illness.
My first reaction towards that article was shame. I am not a heavy drinker. In fact, I am called a ‘light weight’ because I have never stretched my alcohol tolerance past two glasses. But, I felt shame nonetheless at the mere fact that I do consume alcohol and perhaps that is where we must start. The first mistake we make as South Africans, I think, is in our attitude with alcohol. Alcohol is presented as an evil substance that ruins lives. It is demonised. This approach is self-sabotage because forbidden fruits are the sweetest. To a group of rebellious, hopeless teenagers, there isn’t a better way to express rebellion and drown frustration. We should have a less rigid attitude towards alcohol. Black parents should explain to their children, in a non-violent manner, the harmful effects of alcohol. Moreover, parents should lead by example in portraying responsible alcohol consumption. When I was in school, my white peers always told me about how relaxed their parents were with alcohol around them; on special occasions such as Christmas or weddings, they were even allowed a glass or two of champagne or wine. This showed them that there is nothing wrong with alcohol as long as it’s regulated and drank responsibly. It also increased their disinterest in alcohol because it wasn’t put on a pedestal. To them, it wasn’t anything special or exhilarating that they needed to try. What I am trying to say is that in black culture, alcohol consumption is taboo and shamed (the shame is also gendered but that’s a conversation for another day) and all that does is make children want to experiment with it and the earlier you start drinking alcohol, the more likely you are to get addicted to it. I sincerely believe our rigid attitude towards alcohol is working against us.
The second reason for this drinking problem in South Africa is the class structure. I think we are all aware that in South Africa (and globally) class is also racialized. The majority of white people in South Africa are wealthy or comfortable while the majority of the poor in South Africa are black people. Money, of course, determines where we live; the spaces we can access. With this said, I also blame The Hood for our drinking problem. The Hood, which in essence is a low cost residential area, is where dreams go to die (Dambuzo Marechera in House of Hunger portrays the psychological effects of living in The Hood so accurately). People (who are all black people) who live in such areas are often poor and hopeless. Many have little or no formal education and this toughens employment prospects for them. The space does not conduce productivity. Mainly because no one is investing in it but the outcome is hopelessness. In The Hood, where most of our black South Africans live, there is not much to look at except your problems and your poverty. Perhaps we should create more affordable spaces in The Hood that offer relief and distraction instead of alcohol.
Another reason we find ourselves with a drinking problem as a nation is because of our attitude towards mental illness. A lot of South Africans suffer from depression or anxiety. Black elders make it seem like mental illness is a new thing, a thing millennials invented but if you look closely, you realize that most of the older generation also lives with mental illness, they just do not acknowledge it. The way they cope with it is through alcohol and they are not even aware of it. South Africans carry generations of stifled trauma that is caused by years of colonial oppression and patriarchal oppression and we have taught ourselves to stifle it, bottle it up. This weighs heavy on our psyches and well, alcohol is cheaper and more socially acceptable than therapy.
The way I see it, South Africa has deep socioeconomic issues and the alcoholism the nation is currently experiencing is a cry for help that those issues be addressed. Simply put, alcohol for South Africans is a bad coping mechanism. As a nation, we should find healthier and affordable coping mechanisms but also, we should pay more attention to why we need to cope at all.