I'm not big on TV, and especially not documentaries. I need to watch the news, and then enjoy the occasional light hearted sitcom.
However, tonight I watched a local documentary "Special Assignment". It was a program which each week covers some or other real world South African situation, and this week covered the story of poor whites in South Africa.
One in four white South Africans is rated "poor". This means they live on R1500.00 per month or less.
It was a frightening eye opener. I know there is much poverty, and more and more I see the odd poor white standing at traffic lights begging. I also know that there are more poor blacks than whites.
But, once again it is proof that the current dispensation has not succeeded in bringing up the "have nots" to the level of the previously advantaged, but rather have been dragging down the "have's" to the level of the "have nots".
Surely this is wrong, stupid?
Typically these people were the less skilled in the old South Africa. They were employed to do menial jobs, protected by the colour of their skins. Most were employed in government / quasi government companies like Transnet (Railways and harbors) Iscor (Steel manufacturer) and Eskom ( electricity generation and distribution)
But why create a situation where there is now a growing number of people who are dependent on handouts? Why not rather spend effort and money uplifting the poor to an acceptable level?
I watched the program to the end, and was left feeling sad, empty, frustrated, scared. I turned to the princess and made the statement,"I will leave everything I have just as it is, take the family to the airport and get on the first plane out of here, but I will never go down to that position!"
Never.
I will not allow that my family suffer because of the inefficiency of the government, because that is ultimately where the problem stems from, where the responsibility lies.
When you look at the corruption:-
a) Over 20 current members of parliament currently under investigation for not declaring their interests / membership in private companies
b) Over 50 thousand current civil employees in the same position as above.
All of these can / do have an interest in private companies who benefit from Government / Provincial / Local government tenders and procurement.
c) Our Deputy President using a South African Air Force jet to go to Dubai on holiday at a cost of about R700,000 to the taxpayer)
And again to fly to Sun city to open some or other event
e) Millions of Rands paid out to housing contractors who never laid even one brick.
d) More millions paid to contractors who built substandard houses
f) Millions spent on various celebrations, renaming of city's, streets, provinces, buildings, etc.
And they cant even issue a new Identification document to a 70 year old black man who lost his!
They continue to blame apartheid, the past, the previous regime. But it's been more than 12 years. Kids who started school under the new government are now leaving school. Their education is questionable. Their matric certificate almost useless. They have little or no prospect of employment.
Today we celebrated Human Rights day. What a joke. Where is the right to dignity? The right to access to minimal services like clean water, electricity, housing, affordable but GOOD education, government old age grants, respect?
Every day we have the spin doctors on air giving the same sob story. Talking crap. Highlighting the things that the government has done which fall into a "so what" category at best.
Today, driving to the office I noticed a whole lot of Metro Police harassing road side sellers / hawkers..... Again. Strange thing that. These people will be allowed to conduct their "business" at the spot along the road for anything between 6 months and 2-3 years. Then one day the Metro cops turn up, confiscate their stuff, tell them it's illegal to do what they do, and then leave. These people then have to get to the Metro offices and pay a hefty fine to get their goods back. If they are lucky enough to get them back. Most times the stuff "disappears"!!
But at the same time I observed 3 "taxi's" driving down the emergency lane, skipping a traffic light, going straight through an intersection whilst traveling down a left turn only lane, all within 100 meters of the 10-15 Metro Police!!!
Yup, those fearless, crime busting, brave, macho men in blue were doing what they do best. Harassing soft targets where they know the chances of finding the "victims" is greater than trying to trace a taxi driver who probably has no fixed address!
No "broken window" campaign here, all the windows that aren't broken have been stolen.
It's a sad and scary situation, one that requires close monitoring. I know there is much good, but when the Constitution, which the whole world describes as the most advanced in the world, can be so easily ignored, you know it's bad! And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Salagatle!
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