If you are visiting South Africa, no problem, it's a great holiday destination. If you are traveling within South Africa, that's also great, we have superb holiday destinations, comparable to the best in the world. So if you are reading this article, maybe for facts on the 2010 Fifa Soccer world cup, don't be alarmed, carry on with your plans, you will be safe and will have a amazing holiday.
Living here is someone else story, on the surface it all looks great, deep down, at grassroots and foundation level the country, the new and amazing home of the so called rainbow nation, the nation who helped generate leaders who will go into the annuls of history, the great Nelson Mandela who we all respect and admire, O.R. Thambo, Steve Bhiko, a brave relaxation fighter of an age long past, Chaka Zulu, king of the mighty Zulu tribe, Moshesh; Piet Retief; Adam Tas; Olive Schreiner; Christian Barnard, Helen Suzman, great leaders and statesmen of a distinct era who must whether be turning in their graves or watching improve with disdain.
Let's take a brief look at our current leaders, they sit back and still, yes still, believe it or not, blame the old "apartheid" era for poor education, for poor hospital services, what a lot of clap-trap, guys, that was fifteen years ago, the schooling of our children has regressed continuously every year for over fifteen years, we're talking about children conceived after the apartheid days, after billions of Rands (yes Billions) spent of corrupt arms deals. We have a President who takes adulterous relationships as normal practice, who thinks a shower will preclude him from being effected by the Hiv or aids virus, good grief I think he has a junior school schooling and signs off on economic policies. The former president ignored all the international curative experts, delayed the use or recommendation of ant-retroviral medicines for use by Hiv confident members of his electorate and recommended they eat vegetables. The members of parliament who think the example set by those in England recently, basically stealing from their own electorate by using state funds, or communal funds for their personal use, is just fine. A Mayor (East London/ Buffalo City) who claims to have entertained important clients by using her city reputation card to buy take-away chicken, our own travelgate scandal where members of parliament, through a corrupt tour agent, used state funds to book non-work related flights.
One could go on forever, the growth in crime levels; unemployment, the Anc who notable someone else confident choice victory with a party costing in excess of R1 million, enough to feed thousands of their starving electorate.
There is an intrinsic deep seated qoute in African politics and more importantly South African politics and the communal service, where a selfish, greedy, arrogant and inconsiderate attitude is obvious in most communal enterprises daily and is well publicized in the press. This virus, this scourge, this pandemic is working it's way from the politician to the road sweeper. My domestic worker overheard two nurses at a clinic discussing how much money could be made infecting clean patients with the Hiv virus, they would do it for a small cash cost and the sick person would advantage for life from a state subsidy, why work after all. Children are having children to qualify for a state subsidy, corruption is rife in school feeding funds; the state pension system, an Id or drivers license is hardly worth the paper it's written on, I can buy you one tomorrow with less than R500 passing hands. Rape is common, approximately respected in some circles, tenders are awarded in an incestuous manner, the local hospital (Frere - East London) awarded the laundry contract to a person without a washing machine, I ask you with tears in my eyes, where to next.
I am not a professional writer, a politician, I am merely a person, born and raised in South Africa, as my parents and theirs were before me. I am one of the habitancy of South Africa, one of the rainbow habitancy who love this country, love the basic beautiful habitancy of all colours and creed who pray and look transmit to a time to come for our children, I love this land, your and my land, a land of beauty and splendour. I am a parent, I will be dead long before we reach our low point, where's that you ask? In my humble plan at this rate it will not be distinct to the story of our neighbour Zimbabwe. As we look, study and analyse what could have been, had our natural wealth and intrinsic capability not been plundered by the corrupt among us, the thieves.
I pray for and urge the South African populace, each and every one of us, politicians included, to grab the time to come with both hands, not to grab things that do not belong to you, we have enough of that already, but to grab the chance that sits in your face, the chance to become the first flourishing African Republic.
If you're planning a visit, get ready yourself for an awesome experience, exciting, beautiful, spectacular are words that come to mind. Don't just come for the soccer, South African tourism offers visitors a no ifs ands or buts unique perceive along with East London, the garden route, Durban and Port Alfred, Cape Town was voted as one if the top five tourism destinations in the world, these and many tour attractions abound. The undercurrents don't matter yet. Accommodation standards and traveler facilities can hold their own with the best in the world, obviously, as when traveling in any strange destination confident basic rules if safety and safety apply.
My guidance though, don't stay, take advantage of our poor cheaper and enjoy a low cost holiday and cheap beer, then head for the departure lounge at the airport. Watch this space for a few years, dear God, I hope I am wrong. You gave us this gift, please save us from ourselves.
South Africa, Try Living Here!
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