18 Feb09

Topics:Arb Thoughts Politics 

I am a white male South African, living in Northern (and slightly Western) suburbs of  Johannesburg. I earn a pretty good income from work a 8 to 10 hour day 5 times a week. I am the chairman of the body corporate for a security complex. I am starting a community forum in our area to beef up security and standards.I live in a country with some of the most advanced laws and policies. South Africa is an innovation hub and has been a world leader in many fields. Ex-pat South African's are sought after the world over for their drive and determination.

During the Apartheid era we were mostly cut off from the world because of policies laid down by a government which was considered to be evil. Yes! Most of these policies were evil. Segregation based on race is a HORRENDOUS thing. If you were of the wrong race, you were looked down on. What they taught in schools was different if you were black, coloured, Indian, asian or white.

I believe that the education given to some of these groups over a few decades proved to be the undoing of our potential.

To explain, the Apartheid government did a few things right. Our urban centres were built up and maintained to first world if standards, if not better. Roads were fantastic. Land was reserved to expand highways and byways. Our water, electricity and sewage systems were fantastic.  Water quality was higher than some countries in Europe and states in the USA. We had a public transport system that worked, people could take trams or buses or trains into the central business districts. Crime in these urban settings was virtually non-existent. You could take your dog for a walk in a park at 3am and not fear for your life.

We had innovative initiatives by government departments (CSIR, SASOL,etc) and private institutions (our banks). We made petrolium from coal where no other country in the world had been able to achieve this. We had real time banking which was a pipe dream for other countries. The education systems for the select groups was fantastic. Qualifications from our universities were recognised world wide. The first heart transplant EVER was done in South Africa, by a South African. Our public schooling system provided quality education and people matriculating could get decent jobs. Our military (even though it was run with conscription *shudder*) was at a standard recognised internationally. The police force actually did their job and wasn't open to corruption.

Sure, there was the contrast if you look at what was happening to those individuals of the wrong colour. Poor schooling, rural settlements with inadequate housing, there was discrimination in the work place based on colour ... and a list of other human rights violations. All enforced by the policies of this government. But as you can see, it wasn't all bad.

In the late 1980ies, when I was a mere spring chicken completely oblivious to all these inequalities based on race South Africa held a referendum which effectivly aboloished all the evil policies.  1994 saw our first democratic election behing held and there were high hopes. Our brilliant consitution was put in place. Laws were redrafted. Our potential had the chance to be realised.

Mandela (or Madiba as the locals refer to him) became our first black pesident. Blacks, coloureds, Indians, asians and other ethnic groups had a chance to get the educatoin which was until that point reserved for the whites.

A lot of good work was done in that time post the elections. Our economy started growing with exposure to the internation markets, our interest rates went up steeply, but then came down making housing affordable.

Since then, with a few changes in the people high up in the government, things have been slipping steadily downhill. In recent years, the momentum of the slide downhill is increasing.

Our roads are deteriorating. Our sewage systems are inadequate. Our public transport system is virtually non existant. (Can any south african aside from @woganmay) say they enjoy the public transport. You can't walk outside at night anymore without fear of being mugged. Our CBD of Johannesburg is run by a criminal elemaent with the police no-where in sight. Our military has lost it's once fine reputation. Government officials are shutting down effective policing units (The Scorpions) because they are being investigated for fraud and corruption.

We as community members are paying private security companies to try and keep us safe in our homes. Community forums are hiring private security companies to do the job the police should be doing. Our open spaces are not maintained, people are dumping things where nature should be allowed to thrive, criminals are squatting under trees. To get a pothole fixed you either have to bribe someone in local government or factor in tyre insurance for blowouts that happen.

Our sports teams are chosen based on grounds of race. You have to be black and/or female to get decent jobs. And if you are a white woman, you are second lowest on the job ranking next to a white male. This is through "BEE" which was aimed at correcting the imbalance caused by the Apartheid government. I agree with the principle, the implementation is stupid. Give the job to the person who can do it. Pepsi co closed down in SA because of mismanagement a few years back. Should that not be a wake up call? Make sure the people can do the job. Don't hire them because of skin colour. Sure, give preference between two equal candidates.

The new government has made a lot of empty promises. They HAVE NOT DELIVERED. They are hiring their buddies who don't know what they are doing and making it a place where only the select few can get ahead.

My taxes are paying their salary. So are all the other hard working South Africans. I should not have to get my private security company to pay police at the local station a retainer so they will respond to calls on criminal activities that are occuring. I should not have to bribe someone to cut the grass in my local park. I should not have to find someone in local government to bribe to get potholes fixed.

I should not be paying taxes - I see no benefit. I cannot claim healthcare because I earn more than R2k a month. The taxes I pay for road maintenance in my fuel prices DO NOT GET USED. My fuel gets wasted in conjested roads which have the space to be upgraded from single lanes to double lanes, or blackouts which stop traffic lights working. I don't want to buy JZ or "Mr" Malema their luxuary 4x4s or their escorts which run innocent people off the roads, nor pay for their ongoing court battles in their desperate attemt to stay out of prisons which they could walk out of after paying prison officals a small bribe.

In a few months I vote, unless the consittution is changed in favour of the ex-freedom movement (considered terrorist group back in their time) turned political party preventing them from being kicked out of government by angry citizens.

Right now. I am NOT proudly South African. I'm ashamed. I'm paying taxes to fund corruption, I would stop paying taxes for these reasons and countless others if I could stay out of jail.

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