Post Apartheid Concerns in Sindiwe Magona's Beauty's Gift

Abstract

This paper interrogated Post-Apartheid concerns in Sindiwe Magona's Beauty's Giftand observed that HIV/Aids pandemic and patriarchal domination are the twin evils that compared to, and to some extent surpassed Apartheid in South Africa.  The study was undertaken from the perspective of Cultural Studies. Since culture sets to distinguish between positions in social hierarchy, men seem to be the disruptive influences in the spread of HIV/Aids pandemic predicated on their licentious lifestyles.  The effects of this wasting disease were shown in the life of Beauty, one ofthe Five Firm Friends, who subjected her to be ruled by the way culture structured her life as a submissive wife. She was devastated by Aids and was physically dissipated. Her immoral husband -Hamilton, seemingly healthy because of proper medication, buried her skeleton in an expensive casket and an elaborated retinue of mourners in arrays of customized white Mercedes Cars whereas, during the burial of Beauty's cousin Lungile Sonti, who also died of Aids, the Sonti's mounted up Aids Awareness Campaign, where the speakers addressed needs not met by the government.  They identify their self-interests with the interest of others to save the youth from imminent mass death through Aids pandemic. They educated the masses on need to wage war against Aids: the prevention: by abstinence from sex, use of condom, tests, and repeated tests, treatment through antiretroviral which should be made easily available by the government in place arm and ammunitions, and care through proper diet, exercise and medication. On the other hand, since patriarchy has the power to signify events their particular way, they sought to subsume the woman under their traditions. But the educated women use their new found confidence and power to develop assertive techniques to challenge fundamental hierarchy of control in their world.  This paper recommends that the government, families and other institutions should sensitize the populace, on the reality of HIV/Aids and provide medications, rather than live in denial.  The educated women should create a kind of female community or homo social so that their self-perception will not be ignored if patriarchy seeks healthy societal growth.