Cluster without Fluster
Racial differences in the complex

By Roy Zazeraj

"A nation is a people who share a common misconception as to their origins and a common antipathy towards their neighbours" Eric Hobsbawn

Yes, it's a real issue for some. So lets address it openly, and consider if race-based conflict is any different from other forms of neighbourly intolerance. And then hopefully build a greater interest in cross-cultural understanding and harmonious living. That is what we want, isn't it? We don't need to be reminded that we are ten years down the road from what Pieter-Dirk Uys refers to as the Happy Hiccup (as opposed to the Big Bang that many seemed to expect). The magical Rainbow Nation was supposedly created. Some people have celebrated with joy and raised expectations, some people have left, some people have returned, some people have prospered and many people have languished in poverty and crime (for the latter it is may be more a Paingrow Nation). Others have retreated into their private nests (the place we call home) and hoped the new world would just leave them alone. Still others have willingly crossed cultural lines (in all directions) to find new friends, colleagues, and responses ranging from delight to horror - you've heard them - at different cultural practices.

It has been a natural human tendency for people to live in cultural nodes (for example a China Town in a big American city, or the town of Oranje in South Africa), and this will perhaps always be a feature of some community living. However, social forces such as economic growth, upward mobility, geographic mobility, and the search for security and convenience all work against this tendency. Add to this the reducing power of extended family, cultural and religious bonds. So, increasingly we are seeing Sectional Title complexes with a mix of races and cultures, in both owners and tenants. South Africans of all hues are living side by side, and being joined by immigrants, expatriates, foreign investors and even tourists - also of many hues. What are the implications for our sectional title living?

The natural cultural glue that holds homogeneous communities together (and minimises conflict) no longer exists in this new context. A new glue of common interests has to be manufactured to reduce opportunities for conflict in diverse groups. And the greater the diversity, the more the effort that is needed. More than ever, we have to co-exist with people of different skin colours, different home languages, different worldviews, different standards, different cultural practices and even different sexual orientations. Wherever we have lived before, our neighbours have always been a little "different", now they are perhaps more visibly different. Not wrong, weird or crazy - just different. Remember, behaviour that is different is not necessarily 'bad". The truth is, intolerance of other races is the same thing as intolerance of anyone. The visibility of skin colour just makes it easy target to hook our prevailing prejudices onto.

Conflict arises for a host of reasons. But in summary they arise from a perception of intolerable behaviour on the part of another party. There are genuine forms of intolerable behaviour - which your Body Corporate rules should cater for. How you deal with them is, of course, all-important. Perceptions (whether right or wrong) can however, be clouded by an intolerant attitude (including prejudice, racism and ethno-centrism), deprecating humour, misunderstanding, false assumptions, bad moods, bad language, alcohol consumption, stress, negative rumour and other personal attitude drivers. All of these are unhelpful in resolving or reducing conflict, racial or not. What do we do when racial differences pose a threat to peace in our complex?

Exactly what we should do in any conflict situation really. First we have to accept those things that we cannot change - people have a right to be different, as long as they are not interfering with the rights of others. We don't have to even like people in order to have a working neighbourly relationship with them. And with open minds we can be greatly enriched by exposure to other cultures and practices. Secondly, if you have a problem, talk about it - constructively (leave out the accusatory "I'm OK, you're not OK" tones). If they won't co-operate, be firm, assertive, but polite - and bring in the trustees where the issue impacts on other residents. For further practical steps, see previous columns of Cluster without Fluster.

The best path, as always, lies in preventing conflict, through proactively building understanding, empathy and respect. I see this as a key responsibility of the Body Corporate (not only of the trustees). Tips here include

- Having regular informal get-togethers of all residents (to build interpersonal links and a sense of community)
- Drawing up a voluntary and inclusive code of conduct (apart from normal rules) that most people are willing to sign and adhere to
- Having cultural days when a specific culture or nationality can talk about and display their cuisine, traditional dress etc. (leaflets and samples can also be dropped in letterboxes)
- At all times encouraging people to acknowledge each other as valid human beings with a right to be different.

Our sectional title complexes are becoming microcosms of South African society and will inevitably experience many of the same transitions and tensions. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to help build tolerance and harmony, whether out in society or back in the complex.
It's worth it.