I AM a South African currently teaching abroad. I bring my students to South Africa every year and marvel at the peace-building that is happening since Madiba showed us how.

In the capacity that I now come to South Africa, I have had intimate chats at Wandi's (a pub in Soweto), a braai in Seshego (Limpopo) and a sit-around-the-fire with fellow Afrikaners.

The heartening news is that most Afrikaners have accepted our new future together.

I see that acceptance as I have talked to many white school teachers and principals in schools with an obvious white minority.

They are proud of their work and their pupils' achievements - that is the success of the new South Africa.

It is beautiful to see that love and trust is being built. We can all be proud of ourselves.

Today's perspective on our country's past fills me with sorrow and deep shame for the profound wounds the whites brought on this country with apartheid.

I offer my sincere apologies for the continued suffering that many still experience due to disruptions to their families and the dysfunctions this brought about.

With this apology, I take heart as I have seen us sacrifice for each other and shown love and respect, even though we talk different languages and have different cultural sentiments.

We can all live in the spirit of South Africa's ubuntu but my heart is troubled by Juju (Julius Malema). He is unwisely focused on creating sensation. He is polarising us. This will not help or bless any of us.

Viva South Africa, viva.

Jacques du Plessis, School of Information StudiesUniversity of Wisconsin