In theory, I could live almost anywhere in the world. I have a US education, an EU passport, a work-from-anywhere career and have already called four countries home. I have chosen to settle in South Africa, not because it is my country of birth (it isn’t) and certainly not because of a lack of choices.
Rather, when I was in my early 20s, and had to choose where I wanted to settle, I chose to return to South Africa because I believed in the promise of this country. I was proud of our exemplary political transformation, and was looking forward to playing an active role in the continuous growth and development of South Africa.
As it turned out, it wasn’t such a bad choice. Life here is good. Yes, sometimes unsafe, often contentious and never predictable. The people are great. Most are filled with the same African spirit that reminds me why I am still here when most of my friends are not. I revel in the tight-knit online community, and often I feel as if the soul of this country flows through my veins. I am the heated voice of defence when others start debating the virtues of Australia over Canada. I wear my SA Rocks T-shirt with pride.
Admittedly, my optimism is based on short historic precedence. If we could make a 180 degree turn in our political philosophy, slowly learn to embrace all our different cultures, grow our economy and raise our profile to the height that allows us to host a World Cup, then things are not going too badly.
Sure, sometime shit happens. The crime level is not a joke. The economy is suffering, and the inequality seems to be growing, instead of lessening. Prices are rising, jobs are falling away and the light does not always go on when you need it to do so. The xenophobic attacks were a particularly low point.
But through it all, there was a thread, admittedly sometimes a weak thread, of a common goal. My fellow citizens, my country, my government and I were on a common mission. We wanted a better country. We wanted to grow our reputation as the nation that overcome seemingly insurmountable odds at reversing its human rights record. We wanted to continue to be the glimmer of hope for a brighter future that Africa so desperately needed.
So you will understand why I feel betrayed by my president. His dismissive attitude of the same democratic process that allowed his political party to take the helm of this country hurts in the place where it hurts a patriot most. It is one thing for Mugabe to try and pull his transparent tricks on the world. It is completely another one for my president to condone them, and act stupid. It is, I am hoping, an act.
Mbeki represents my country, and the assumption is therefore that he also represents me. But he does not. And this is not some sort of two-sides-to-every-story political episode that we are talking about. It is a clear violation of the basic democratic rights of the people of Africa. Once again, by extension, of me.
How proud I would continue to be to call myself South African, if the voice of reason against the atrocities came from my leader — if it was him that paved the path to a resolution that set the precedence on how to deal with corrupt leaders.
But no. What Mbeki is managing to achieve amounts to nothing less than the total erasure of our post-apartheid legacy. And who gave him that right? He was elected by a democratic process, and the least he can do is to not condone its abuse.
But, as things stand, I have to question my commitment to this country. Are we really on the same page, my government and I? Are we indeed working towards the greater good? And most important, is the spirit of those citizens who still believe in the future of this country strong enough to see us reach it?
Or is it time to start spinning the globe to find a new destination?
God, I hope not.
Hey Eve
Great post. I am glad to see I am not alone in my feelings on this matter. I am in your space on this one. Sadly I feel the government has lost its way, mostly caught up in themselves and partly caught up in a ‘save’ Zuma campaign. What is sad is we all understand the importance of a credible leader [leadership for a start at this stage would be good] and I think the problem is our country seems to be lacking a good candidate in this area. The future therefore looks bleak. The road ahead appears long and if continue along our current path, we could self destruct. I am hoping not, and it is sad that there is so much talk of running.. I am South African this is my country.
In the end though, I am also not going to hang around if the violence and lack of leadership gets any worse and nothing is being done to stop it…
There is SO much more to being South African than worrying about which fuck-up Mbeki did yesterday, or Zuma will do tomorrow, or any other politician, of any race, anywhere in the world, so stop being such a sissy.
Quite frankly this is the kind of outrageous, white, out-of-touch attitude that makes a lot of people sick. You write, “the xenophobic attacks were a particularly low point.” What the hell! How can you even say, let alone think, that? People being burned alive is not a ‘low point.’ It’s something else–something much more dire. It’s like saying, “Shame,” when toddlers get killed or people can’t afford bread. There are two countries in South Africa and you are clearly in one of them. Don’t presume to condescend to the rest of us.
IMO the xenophobic attacks were the tip of the iceburg.
IF you really want to see South Africa:
- Visit JHB Metro HQ in JHB (becareful they dont shoot you if they’r on strike)
- Visit Brixton Police Station (and attempt to create a case file)
- Take a long hard look at Jacki Selebi, SA’s topcop.
Then wonder why crime is so rampant.
Being a victim of a hijacking, when the cops came to take a statement, they ask “Do you have insurance? oh you do, ok” – said in a tone that they dont have to work so hard on this case because hey, you have insurance!
South Africa has already erased the post 94 happiness. Go down to the average man on the streets. Racsism is growing quicker then one can imagine. Its white on black, black on white, indian on black and so on.
Za has let me down ages ago. Open the daily newspaper in SA and open the paper in lets sayy, Australia.
In Aussieland, 9/10 articles are general news and the 1 odd one is a crime. In Za 9/10 are violent crimes.
So you say your country has let you down? I say the country was down a long time ago.
Naeem
I was told by a cop that they have been INSTRUCTED not to investigate any crime against whites BECAUSE they have insurance!
I think that you are being a bit harsh on Thabo. When Bob took white farms black south africans applauded. Thabo knew that if he went against Bob he would not have home support. He has had to wait for home support to go against Bob, which thankfully it is finally doing.
btw JZ and co intend to remove white economic power, no matter what he says as it is expected of him to do so.
Believing in South Africa as a country is a lot like supporting them as a rugby team. Every now and then it does something great like win a world cup, but mostly you watch a lot of raw talent being thumped by other outfits with better gameplans.
I enjoyed reading the post. Your hope in SA is misplaced. The lights are flashing so brightly.
People will respond and say that we need to provide solutions rather than simply complain. I embrace that idea, but you need a receptive government.
Accept that SA might rise up and solve the many problems. This will take at least 30 years. Or spin the globe and leave to live your life knowing that you could have made a difference but chose not to. You dont need to feel guilty about that at all. The world is a global village.
Africa is crying out in one voice that it must be allowed to solve its own problems. Let it. Wish it luck, and dont look back.
Leave woman! Dont look back.
Go on and enjoy your life. Africa wants to solve its own problems. Let it! Who knows…it may one day be a great theme park.
I have been in SA for a little over 25 years. EU passport, no SA citizenship, no voting rights, just paying taxes. I am here because there is lots of work to be done at every level of the communities: from working with youth to coaching senior managers. I am not the sentimental type referring to “our beautiful country”. There are many more beautiful countries in the world. Sometimes I work for free, sometimes I demand a fee. I always make friends. I don’t care about Thabo and Bob, Zuma or Bush, Blair or any of these political clowns. Go to Europe, the US or Aussieland and you will find the same disdain towards their political leaders. I am here because I enjoy the people I work with. I am here because the people I work with seem to appreciate my presence.
Come on, Eve, no country can let a person down. You can only let yourself down.
There is a leadership vaccum – no doubt! We can’t pretend we don’t need effective government and the rhetoric coming from the ANC is worrying. This is not a whitey thing for those that only see the world in two tones. I am a black African with international qualifications and much like you can live anywhere else. However we chose SA for the reasons you do. But Mbeki is certainly not the reason that SA is on my list. SA is far bigger than that.
I think as citizens we should use our incredible power to turn things around. Eve – you can effect change in your communities by getting involved, sharing your expertise, challenging the systems, providing solutions – in other words, trying your best to build the nation. Not for Mbeki but for your neighbour and the one further down the road too.
Yes it’s tiring, not always rewarding but this is how great nations are built. Living here in the US this year with Bush’s popularity as low as Mbeki’s, Americans aren’t packing for Perth. They are car pooling, volunteering to keep the libraries and hospitals open, starting businesses having got laid off and yes campaigning for candidates other than Bush. It’s the least they can do.
Eve i came to south africa looking for love.
I m british educated , an engineer and also a believer of love.
I left a 40k a year job in london to arrive in SA three weeks before xenophobic violence blew up.
Do i give up tryin to win the hand of the woman i love , becoz of idiots wu dnt understand social dynamics , do i go bk to a server farm in the basement of a bank in Uk.
Hell no , i found love in SA, and most importantly i found myself.
Spread love dnt seat behind gated gates in sandton , talk to yo neighbour , online critics wil always be just that -online critics.
SA gave me the woman i want to spend my life with. Boo if u readin this , i m still batman and ur my Superwoman.
They is more to SA than stupid political idiots and their pawns.
Wil the real people please stand up.
Owen
Cosatu supported MDC all along – there WAS home support. Mbeki’s whole land policy has been working up to duplicating Mugabe. It would have had the same result – investment outflow. Plus less and less food being grown.
In fact SA is already going broke. The inflows of “investment” have mostly been for buying property. The expropriation bill has halted that and made all investors nervous – they do not invest where property rights are not protected.
BEE puts off investors into new business, and our volatile rand does not help. Why set up a new business in SA when you can do so ANYWHERE in the global village without having BEE restrictions on ownership, and impossibly restrictive labour laws.
Shame. So you all thought that all it took was an election, a handsome constitution and a smiling face and we will all walk off into the sunset, hand in hand, just like they do in Hollywood?
Get real, sweetheart. This is Africa. Don’t be fooled by the shopping malls and leafy suburbs. We have more in common with Uganda than the United States. Think Rwanda, not Sweden.
Life in Africa is crazy, violent, illogical, frustrating and most certainly not fair. Elections did not change that. To be a South African (white or black) means you have made peace with that.
Its not nice, it just is.
If you can’t, you probably don’t belong here. You shouldn’t call yourself a South African. In fact you never were. Best you start spinning that globe.