Mark has been preparing for a trip to South Africa for himself and his wife-to-be at the end of the year. Luisa's parents are from Mocambique so he and Luisa want to visit there as well. Somehow in the process of preparing for this he discovered that he lost his South African citizenship when he became a Canadian citizen. We were all under the impression that dual citizenship was automatic but we have now learnt that we had to make special application to retain our South African citizenship before becoming Canadian citizens or lose it. Sooo... since 2003 we have been Canadians, proud of our South African heritage, but not South African citizens - just Canadians with South African accents (except Judith.) We just didn't know it.
I must say that for me, personally, I am battling to get my head and heart around this new information about my identity - or loss of part of my identity. I'm trying to understand why this is an issue for me. Nothing has changed in my personal or family history. My memories are still the same. I still have the same friends here and in South Africa. Lots of people ask me where I come from when they hear my accent, some have even told me that they love my accent, but nobody has asked if I am still a South African citizen, or a Canadian citizen for that matter.
So what's the issue? Why do I feel like I have lost something? I have lost the right to vote in South African elections but then I have never attempted to vote from outside the country because it is my conviction that I have nothing to say if I am not prepared to live with the consequences of my vote. I have lost the right to free healthcare in RSA but then I never had free healthcare in RSA and the Canadian system is 5-star by comparison. I have lost some rights but I cannot tell you which ones that really seem to matter to me. So that doesn't seem to be the issue.
I think the feeling is more like having or not having full membership in a club. However dubious its reputation, there is a spirit of loyalty and belonging among the paid-up members even when they argue among themselves. They have a right to be in the club-house. Friends of club members can only be visitors. I can now only ever return to South Africa as a visitor. If the Government were so inclined they could demand visas from Canadians just as the Canadian Government requires South Africans to obtain visas for trips to Canada. That jars me - being a visitor in the country of my birth. That's like losing a hand or a foot if not an arm or a leg.
Ja, well, no, fine. My rugby team is still the Sharks even though they let me down in the last half of the Super-14 and I am now supporting the Bulls as the only SA team left and they must blerrie-well win the final. Life goes on and more is nog 'n dag and 'n boer maak 'n plan and all that. I have no regrets for the decisions I made in coming to this great country which is Canada. Maybe next season the Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup, or at least make the playoffs...
