Comments on: More World Cup babalaas

By: Paul S

Paul S — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:46:34 +0000

For a better understanding of the ‘grounding’ SA really has, go read the latest OECD report on the country. SA is in deep trouble, and if GDP growth doesn’t lift to above the 6% mark and unemployment doesn’t drop sharply (especially among the youth) things will rapidly spiral out of control. The highly respected OECD is not Afropessimistic – they state cold fact it as it is and without bias. Problem is SA and especially its government is so busy with post-WC mutual admiration that they can’t see how bad things really are. The spend on the WC just helped us closer to a possible brink.

By: Ekhaya

Ekhaya — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:33:43 +0000

The good economic grounding bit was with reference to potential, not that we have capitalised fully on the natural resource wealth.

Ja, you’re quite right on the unemployment figures stats Oldfox, and MHL, I cannot argue with the point you make on the impact of the WC on the rich, employed, and the poor. In fact, I have seen some of the devastation of un-met expectations from WC expectations that did not materialise… devastating debt etc.

BUT, we still have to do whatever we can to ride every positive or benefit from this great event… while staying fully aware of the dire poverty and challenges of the majority of our people.

I hear you loud and clear Atlas Reader, but if the WC makes me dream a brighter future while living in abject poverty or in middle-class debt, I’ll take it. There is enough doomsday news going around to feed all Afropessimists the world over.

By: Atlas Reader

Atlas Reader — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:58:06 +0000

What “solid grounding”? There isn’t any.

Debt is spiralling, growth is tiny and jobless, entire industrial sectors are now globally uncompetitive and in shut-down, SA has now become a net food importer, the currency is weakening …

Nothing solid there.

By: MLH

MLH — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:33:55 +0000

What you don’t seem to understand is that we’ve had our fun and now must pay for it. The longer you carry on bragging about the WC, the longer you put off acknowledging the hard facts: that a lot of people are paying a lot of money to pay off this country’s debt. Not all the result of the WC, it’s true; some for Eskom’s frivolity and government’s corruption, etc. But I’d suggest you write a few columns explaining that we need higher employment levels so that more people can be bled dry paying that debt. The people who have poor services are no longer celebrating the WC; the people who are facing bankruptcy are no longer celebrating and the people without jobs are no longer celebrating. Sorry to rain on your parade, but you must be extraordinarily wealthy (perhaps you have a full-time job) to be still wallowing over the WC.
I must be having a bad day!

By: Graham Johnson

Graham Johnson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:31:43 +0000

Goody for you Ekhaya, an attempt at sunshine blogging. But Libya is not a ‘sub-saharan’ African country and is as african as Morocco. And no one want Liberia’s culture or Africanness, they want Liberia’s badly managed oil wealth. And any good gun shop can sell you a stab proof vest, just ask. Finally, world views about Africa have not run their course, they are just starting to take effect, but we are not allowed to discuss these on M&G fora, so maybe another day.

By: Oldfox

Oldfox — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:34:47 +0000

A country with around 60% youth unemployment and around 50% of the population living below the poverty level, cannot rightfully claim to have an economy with a solid grounding.

By: laurence dann

laurence dann — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:14:28 +0000

Yesterday, I spoke on the phone to a CEO in the USA. At one point in our conversation he was quoting a report on African economic prospects over the next 10 years. They sounded good and more than interesting enough for investors to take a serious look. Afro-pessimism hopefully will dilute rapidly and the continent benefit soon from its rich resources.

By: Jeremiah Kure

Jeremiah Kure — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:47:26 +0000

Good read. The tide has turned, but it could recede as well. Hence we must invest in doing all we can in maintaining and sustaining our changing fortunes as a continent.