In fact, there was a time when I regarded anyone who moved to Australia as a traitor, and quite possibly racist. The sort of person South Africa would be better off without, as Pallo Jordan might say. When JM Coetzee moved to Australia and learned how to smile, I felt personally affronted. I never met the man, but he was one of ours and he had betrayed us. That Nobel prize was earned off writing about our horrible history, not theirs.
The truth is that at the beginning of the month, I climbed aboard a Qantas flight to Australia — on a one way ticket.*
Oh, I am not going to talk about the E-word. Emigration is too final, too loaded — too redolent of bitter Castle Lager-fuelled conversations standing around the braai. It reminds me too much of the fabled chicken run of the early 1990s and beyond, the people to whom the usually conciliatory Nelson Mandela said “Those who have not got the courage and the patriotism to remain in their country, let them go! It is good riddance!”
My reasons for leaving South Africa for Australia are both complex and obvious, generic and personal. As they are, perhaps, for most of those South Africans who leave.
For a start, I was offered a great job, one to which I could not say no. I get to work on one of Australia’s biggest advertisers, in one of its biggest and most successful advertising agencies, with a friend I have always liked and respected. I never did take the gap year or do the London stint in my twenties, like so many other South Africans of my generation. I’ve felt for some time now that I have missed out, that I need to experience working in a different country, a different culture.
Johannesburg had become such a comfort zone, its roads rutted by memory. Even the ambient fear had become oddly comforting in its familiarity, in the rituals of panic button, locking doors, checking the street for lurkers as I approach my garage and scrabble in the dark for the opener. If I did not make the leap now, as I remind myself that in a couple of years’ time my biological clock is going to start screaming for attention, then when?
Of course, there are the attractions of living and working in a country that is for the most part without the constant possibility of personal harm; I won’t lie about that. There’s the usual whinge about Eskom and Jacob Zuma yada yada, but for me it’s the relative freedom that is a huge attraction. That, and the chance, not only to step outside of the familiar, but to enjoy an element of anonymity. I like the idea of being an observer for a while, rather than a participant.
Why write about all of this on a platform like Thoughtleader? Well, I have long been interested in the relationship between South Africa and Australia, and how both have addressed the task of nation-building in an era where nationality no longer equals ethnicity. Both are addressing the challenge of multicultural societies, albeit in different ways and under different circumstances.
Then there is the fact that Australia is regarded by so many South Africans with an awkward mixture of jealousy and resentment. If I were moving to London, nobody would bat an eyelid. But Australia — Australia is too similar to South Africa, too much an example of what might have been if … who knows? As I wrote in my first book of South African insults,
The South African rivalry with Australia is to be expected. Like us, they’re an ex-British colony, although, unlike us, they can’t get over their fetish for old women wearing crowns. They play the same sports as us, at which they beat us soundly and repeatedly. In the family of those nations that once saluted the Union Jack, Australia is the golden-haired, blue-eyed sibling who wins all the sporting and academic awards at school and can do no wrong. Meanwhile, bolshy and resentful, South Africa — the black sheep of the family — loiters in dark alleyways, dragging on a joint and scratching listlessly at a mildly Satanic tattoo.
In the weeks and months ahead, I plan to reflect on this rivalry — which is, for the most past, hopelessly one-sided — and the ways in which South Africa and Australia are similar and different. Compare and contrast, you might call it. It’s a subject that receives relatively little coverage, and those column centimetres it does score seem to laden with an overt agenda: proving the disloyalty of expats, or the ineptness of an ANC government.
I’d like to write about moving to Australia with a little less aggrieved patriotism, perhaps a little more dispassion. After all, if JM Coetzee can learn to smile for the cameras, anything is possible.
*Mainly because if you get the International Organisation for Migration to book a one way ticket for you, you get a 40kg luggage allowance, which can come in handy when transporting a winter wardrobe.
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113 Responses to “This is why I moved to Australia”
Bon chance, Sarah.
At least your account of migrating to Australia can be believed unlike a certain someone else’s recent fake story about (not) moving to Australia.
Hey, great! All I ask is: 1. Talk well of both experiences - they’re both terrific (believe it!); 2. Don’t think it’s that huge: Your ancestors did it in a far more frightening way, with far less knowledge (they bounced over in a wooden boat, for heaven’s sake!); 3. Regard it as an adventure and a freedom-granting experience;
I echo: Bon chance, Sarah!
Although I never condone emigration from South Africa, I must say that this piece is quite interesting. Save for minor historical misrepresentations in your quote, it’s a really apt critique of the situation between Australia and South Africa.
If you are just going for a job, what’s with all the who-haw? It sounds like you’re not just going for a job, but trying to justify some broader agenda.
As for the entertaining bit about Oz being the successful older brother, I’m guessing you didn’t read John Pilger’s piece on the glorious history of Australia? or maybe you did, hence the golden hair and blue eyes quip. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=338867&area=/insight/insight__comment_and_analysis/
I must applaud you that you have managed to find a creative and self-comforting manner to leave our shores, I find it difficult to distinguish your sentiments to . . as you refer to them . .”bitter Castle Lager-fuelled conversations standing around the braai”
Your emigration has the same effect like all others and hope that South Africans will not in anyway take a leaf from your actions but rather take advantage of opportunities our Country has to offer.
As someone who migrated from South Africa to Australia decades ago and continues to travel back and forth, I agree with you that SA’s look at Aus with jealousy and resentment - obsessively so, in the media and common discourse, hence the deep-seated need to put Australia down; whereas in Australia, South Africa is almost marginal to consciousness
Hi, how can I obtain a copy of Sarah Britten’s PhD thesis? Sarah, will you be publishing it at all, or is it available at one of the university libraries? Wits, maybe?
Do us a favour, go and shut up. Nothing is more irritating than the South Africans who live in some other city and endlessly blogs about how right they were and wrong and dumb we are to stay. Go and be an Australian, have fun, and leave us alone.
Sarah you should have gone back to icy cold Europe where your ancestors came from to disturb our peace. Australia is for aborigins, South Africa and Africa for Africans, New Zealand for the Maoris and America for the native red Indians.Food for thought.
With all of the columns that I have read lately (and the nasty back lash that usually follows in the comments section), I am really impressed at your lovely addition to the ‘E’ topic. Good Luck in Australia and thanks for the heads up on the IOM’s extra luggage.
My little family is moving to Edinburgh in search of the ‘pound’. My silly sentiments about my country of birth are just not enough for most people. Have you seen Blood Diamonds… the cheesy part where Leo holds up a hand full of dirt..?
My brother married an Australian girl, her family came here for the wedding. You would have enjoyed observing the OZ/SA interaction. They just couldn’t understand the constant onslaught of weak wristed Aussie jokes. Very interesting indeed.
Surely, we cannot identify a nation on the basis of its former colonial past. South Africa is nothing like Australia.
Australia is a majority white country with English links. South Africa is a country of a majority black people with absolutely no links to the UK.
A majority of girls and boys your age cannot and do not take a gap year. That is something enjoyed by a small proportion of the population.
While South Africans do play cricket and rugby like Australians, soccer is actually the overwhelming majority sport in the country.
While the Australians have had a black rugby captain and have included players of any colour since the 60s/70s/80s/90s, the idea of a rugby or cricket team featuring black people is not even 21 yet in this country.
If there is any similarity with Australia, I presume that India, Kenya and Canada would also feature in this similarities.
We are more different than similar, unless you are white English individual who sees similarity in the culture of a minority.
I am not being otherwise, but one does get tired of this selective comparison of South Africa as if it was a white dominated country like Australia is. The countries have very little in common if we look at its people, culture and even history.
Quite frankly SA does not care. I suggest you consider writting such a pierce for your new inherited fellow citizens. Quite frankly I could not care what you got up to. You are doing your bit to survive and so is everyone anywhere else in the world. You are not celebrity simply because you have changed passports. So keep this stuff for your personal journal. Africa has more challenging problems to deal with than entertain your reasons for leaving, Zimbabwe, Aids, Electricity shortage, etc but life goes on.
Good luck Sarah, hopefully I will be off to Perth in October. What I don’t understand is why we don’t criticise people who move from Joburg to Cape Town? If you think about it, the immediate impact is the same on that City or suburb.
I think the days of having to explain oneself to friends and family for emigrating are over. The world is a global village. Likewise I think if one doesn’t like the country of one’s choice, there is no reason to remain there either. I had visa’s to settle in Aussie, but after 250 days of residence, I decided that 700 days was too long to wait for permanent residency that I would never use. It must be regarded as a personal choice, not everyone is the same and likes the same things about a country. There is a lot I dont like about South Africa today, but there is also a tonne of stuff I still do like about it. I felt Aussie was too rule bound and too controlled. Entrepreneurship was constricted by 1000 claustrophobic boundaries. Most of my friends don’t feel this way but then they are lawyers and accountants who’s biggest sense of adventure is buying a lottery ticket.
Yours is the only account of emmigration to Aus which is not laden with insults towards SA. Getting a good paying or fulfulling job is one major reason for emmigration that many forget to mention when hurling insults. Enjoy yourself in Aus! We have many challenges here in SA that I hope we will be able to overcome, and I will also make whatever little contribution I can towards resolving them.
Nice to read a piece without the usual doom-and-gloom rationale expounded on so many other S.A. blogs. I moved my family to Sydney two months ago, after much soul-searching. We are absolutely passionate about South Africa, and as an avid follower of politics, I have tracked developments in the country for the past 20 years.
Our reasons for moving, like many others, are complex. I too was offered a job-opportunity that I couldn’t resist, as it has allowed me to take my career to the next level which was increasingly difficult in S.A. given that the implementation of affirmitive-action legislation, whilst well-intentioned, has become an execise in statistics and box-ticking in corporate South Africa. I also wanted to give my family some exposure to the world outside South Africa’s borders, as I am well aware (having worked for globalised corporates) that we live in a world where geographical boundaries are increasingly irrelevant.
Although there are many similarities between South Africa and Australia, there are significant differences as well, and it takes quite some getting used to. I am struck by the similarities in reporting of local events in the media in both countries - if the local papers are to be believed, Sydney is on the point of infrastructural collapse, politics are a mess and the future for Australians (despite having a new government) is bleak in the face of rising interest rates, fuel and food prices and taxation. So I guess it depends on what you read and believe as to how you respond to events. Having said that, I am very happy (as mentioned in your article) to be part of a society where we can debate the real issues without the past intruding on every facet of the conversation.
Although my immediate family was mercifully spared the direct ravages of crime, it is a relief to live somewhere where you are not constantly on the alert, and where there is freedom for your kids to bike down to the local park for a game of basketball without worrying about their safety.
I read the websites and blogs daily, and my fervent hope is that South Africans can rise above the (often) petty issues and start to take ownership of the future. The recent post by a 19-year-old member of the Y generation gave me much hope for the future of South Africa, and it is our hope that we can return one day to further our contribution to the development of a truly wonderful country. No worries, mate.
We South Africans who live outside the country need only ask two questions. Who is more honorable? Those of us who ran to live in countries whose history included the annihilation of people when dealing with the natives or South Africans who still deal with the natives. The second question being. If you were a native of these countries which country gave your nation the best chance to survive?
It sounds like “Chapter two: the first day of the rest of my life…”
Mind you, sometimes it turns into “Chapter two: the first day of the one more chapter, before another one comes…” (It has happened to me.)
You know what? It takes courage for someone to decide to take “the Big step” in life. Easier, might be to accomodate to the same cycle, even if this cycle seems to go within a generalized mess. Why accomodate if there seems to be no improvement, taken the consecutive problems in our society? It simply seems to be “of no use”…
Good, good luck for you, and for all who dare!
Khoza, your ancestors originally lived in West Africa and colonised South Africa. Before they did, there was nothing here, so try not to be such a self-righteous prig about people from other countries “upsetting your peace”. Whites weren’t the first people to colonise SA (and many other countries), just the most recent ones…
Hey I dont particularly care for the penal Colonists, give me good old USofA. Problem with the bitter einders is that you aclimatise, todays savage attack becomes next days “thats life” I wish my family ws here in NY with me where I rarely lock my house.
Sarah Please don’t disturb our peace. we are busy, please I’m begging you. they are enough blog sides in Australia and we are not interested in why you left and for haven sake Australia is not similar to South Africa, here we don’t live like sheeps we have life
Reading through the comments I’m reminded of how rude and intolerant South Africans can be. Thankfully, some of the comments also reflected those South Africans who are well-mannered and gracious.
There is a line from a John Prine song: “We never knew how brave he was until we saw how scared he was”. It is a rallying cry for everyone suffering mental and emotional illnesses - fighting their lonely, isolated battles.
That is how it is in SA today. We stopped thriving years ago. We don’t even live here anymore. We barely survive. And it is gradually, inexorably, resolute as the incoming tide getting worse and worse and worse.
Once I have exhausted all my resources in getting my children safely out of here to somewhere they will be cherished and valued, I will sit back and wait for my end of days far, far away.
We interpret from the writings of others what we can. This is what I take from Sarah’s superbly crafted piece. The asinine, docile, word-weary ripostes from the sheeple above simply underscore Leonard Cohen’s view - “I’m patriotic, if you know what I mean, I love this country, but I can’t stand the scene”. Like Zim, SA is beautiful & alive with possibilities, but under the criminal ANC alliance the only probability is the same as Zim.
Read Peta Thornycroft’s exceptional piece on News24. It’s just a matter of time & we will all wish Sarah had more space in her luggage.
Running away is not the answer. Africa is not going to develop if everyone keeps running away at the first opportunity. We must face our challenges and make it an envious continent to live on. We owe it to our children.
Sarah, you should have gone back to icy cold Europe where your ancestors came from to disturb our peace. Australia is for aborigins, South Africa and Africa for Africans, New Zealand for the Maoris and America for the native red Indians.Food for thought.
“… never condone emigration from South Africa…”
“Those who have not got the courage and the patriotism to remain in their country, let them go! It is good riddance!”
“ Hy moet sy goed vat en f…f man”
There are many more examples of similar damning language I have heard aimed at people who emigrate.
Why the vitriol?
Why the hate for them?
Let’s use that thing which is not so often used anymore to (try to) come to the bottom of this. Logic, instead of emotion.
Does patriotism fill your stomach? Or put a roof over your head? Or have some magical, spiritual dimension linking you to the soil forever?
Or is it the last refuge of a scoundrel?
My forefathers emigrated to SA from Europe. Did they forsake their European countries? Should I (we?) damn them for running away? For being unpatriotic? Did Mandela imply the white settlers should have stayed in Europe? As good patriots would have done? Why is it ok if a Chinese emigrates to the USA or wherever, but heresy if a South African does what his forebears did? Why the double standards?
Is it hidden jealousy or fear that a sense of shame would be destructive to my self-esteem? As in, “I actually want to emigrate as well, but don’t have the guts” or “We need your skills in SA, but I can’t say it to your face”.
I am not planning to leave, though lord knows I have been tempted. I have traveled four continents. I have seen majestic mountains, azure seas and flowing grasslands. But nowhere, nowhere, have I seen the beauty and natural diversity of this country. Nowhere.
But to live in a prison in your own home, worry every time your child travels somewhere, open the paper and read about corrupt politicos, see the crumbling infrastructure, hear of a friend who has been attacked, shot or robbed, you need hope my brother. A lot of positive thought. Sometimes I think the optimism borders on hallucinations.
I have many friends and some family who have emigrated to Oz, NZ, Canada, the USA and Britain the past 20 years. I never discouraged them, never denigrated them for it, did not call them cowards or unpatriotic, but wished them well in their new venture.
The world has changed. It is everybody’s oyster now. Why can’t I sample it? Go where opportunity beckons? Where my kids are safe and can achieve their best on merit. We were all made free with Mandela. Part of that freedom is to live where you want to live.
Without being damned for it. Without having to apologise for it.
Khoza you absolute willy. As a black African your heritage is Nguni so p*** off back to Central Africa where your ancestors came from and leave us San people in peace here in the south.
Nice gentle blog that generated some of the bitterness you mention. My current view is that the racist vitriol spewed by many, many ANC politicians, the likes of Jon Qwelane and plenty of his acolytes makes me think of Rwanda and Germany in the 30’s. Some of this is evident in the comments to the blog.
Then work in some economic gloom, large scale mismanagement (health and education), a smidgen of unaddressed corruption, a pinch of AA and BEE then a dash of resource wastage (2010 and defence) and you are well out of here.
But don’t go to get escape, go to better opportunity.
I think I will write my piece about coming to SA after 8 years in foreign countries. SA is still worth going back to. but Sarah is also right in talking about her reasons for leaving.
Good Luck and Bon voyage.Forget the sour mouths,they never amounted to much and never will and I do detect jealousy in many of their
posts,which of course they will deny.
Ah, the usual insulting comments for anyone who dares to explain why they left.
Could it be that this intolerance is the reason we leave?
Could it be that Xenophobia - like the hate surfacing now in Alexandra so callously against innocent Zimbabweans makes South Africans not deserve the beautiful country they live in?
Australians seem to be able to move to other countries and are not held up as traitors by their countrymen, why is that?
This is perhaps the reason why living in Australia makes more sense than living in a country where the president cannot bring himself to admit there is a crisis in Zim when ( as the Australians would say ) Blind Freddy could see the disaster happening on the northern border.
Where AIDS stalks fully 20% of the population, electricity outages are so common you can set your watch by them ( but not your clock radio… )
Crime is so rampant that people hide fearfully behind their razorwire and the authorities ( such as they are ) hide behind cooked statistics.
Where the president-to-be takes a shower to rid himself of a possible virus infection?
I could go on but it’s depressing.
People claim that the above facts and problems in SA are “insults” when they are raised by an outsider - an expat, but if only they would open their eyes - constructive criticism is what it is and a lot of South Africans don’t take kindly to that - a trait they share with Bob the Destroyer in the North.
I too once thought that we lived in the rainbow country, that we lived in a golden age. I voted for Nelson Mandela to deliver us from the evils of apartheid. And he did , there is no question of that. Post Mandela however, SA seems to be headed down a dark path, and much as I love my homeland - which it will always be - I cannot return, I owe my daughters a life without fear and prejudice.
I’ve been away from Thougtleader for a while and came back today to read this piece. I’m just amazed at the intolerance of the comments, from seemingly white and seemingly black alike. And I remember now how negative it made me to read the comments on Thoughtleader before. Maybe I should emigrate to another blogsite.
If Sarah wants to write about her personal experience, let her do it! She sounds like a great South African to me and some people are interested in such personal observations. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
I’d suggest, however, and ask, that you pick a South African charity that you make a commitment to support on a regular basis, maybe donating R500 per month.
I think it’s only fair, and is the least that could/should be done.
If you are one of the Previously Advantaged South Africans, you have gained an incredible amount thanks to (dare I say it) colonialism. Personally, I don’t begrudge the fact that you are now moving on; I would however suggest that some ongoing contribution to a charitable cause in the country that (unfairly?) gave you the platform from which to launch your new life, is the least one should do.
But otherwise, good luck and be sure to come back & visit!
Go for it, and have a wonderful life! Someone above said that after six months all will be fine, and they are right. I moved to the USA in ‘96, and it took at least six months to chill out, and realize that the sky is actually blue, and that there are flowers that grow and smell wonderful, and that the kids can ride their bikes in the street without them either being raped and killed, or their bikes being stolen from under them. The relaxed atmosphere alone is worth the move, not to mention the obvious financial benefits. One of the things that struck me first here was that folks look around and smile a lot. They are not looking around in the hopes of seeing a mugger/rapist/murderer before it is too late, they actually enjoy what they see, and smiles and casual greetings are the order of the day.
I understand that these are frivolous matters to the diehards like the person above who actually believes that the problems in SA will be solved by hanging in there, and vasbyting until the ANC actually does something other than enriching themselves and their cronies, or the world is taken over by benevolent aliens who wave a ‘be nice’ wand over us all, but there are folks who know a fact when they are confronted by one, and that for the next few hundred years at least, there is really no hope for Africa in general, and that SA is going to be pulled down to the lowest common denominator like the rest of Africa. It is the African way - the mentality of it’s indigenous people. Don’t build up anything of value - take what there is of value and to hell with the rest.
One thing that the diehards must also start facing up to is that talking about the horrors in people’s lives there, and them being a part of their decision to relocate to a more civilized part of the world is not mud slinging. It is fact, and it is just another nail in the African coffin when those facts becomes unmentionable insults.
I agree with the different but complementary views of Anthony and Johan above. The world is a global village and if someone is moving elsehwere for opportunity, why not? If someone is moving not to something else, but to get away from South Africa and its perceived problems, that is, as Johan says, their own business and rabbitting on about it on a blog is doing nothing but trying to justify what they are doing to themselves. Who the hell cares? It would be far better if, while here, people didn’t sit around on their hands doing nothing to contribute towards building a better society, which unfortunately is all too common in all sectors of our society. If such a person goes or doesn’t go, who notices? Go in peace, Sarah, enjoy the freedom to travel the world (you’ll have to do something about your carbon footprint after travelling such a long distance by air) and don’t make such a fuss about it. If you come back, so be it. If not, so what. The world moves on.
@ Anton - did it ever occur to you how much we South Africans would love Australia to be as marginal to our consciousness as it deserves, which it would be if folk like you didn’t keep running back and forth, many of you running businesses here and exporting profits to Oz, telling us all the while how great it is in the desert and how dumb we are to stay here? I admire people who emigrate and really become an American, or an Oz, or whatever - but the saddest are the SAns who leave physically but cannot ever leave emotionally, and haunt the rest of us with their sad whimpering.
People might understand your move, but how the hell are you gonna cope with such high food, clothes, car, accomodation prices?. Where everything you buy is just as high as Petronas Towers…That’s what is different between our country and the Aussies. Oh! i should further mention that the obsession over artificial assets such as the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, etc is just over the world. They’ve got no natural attractions whatsoever other than few hopping Kangaroos and Crocodiles. I feel pity for you, You just gonna miss that “crime overclouded country” on the other side of the hemisphere…May you not forget where you come from.
Siphiwo Qangani "with" Kangaroos on May 13th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
The weird thing is why it is even an issue that someone moves from South Africa to anywhere else. People move from other countries, and I’ve never seen anyone called a traitor for moving. South Africans: it’s about time to grow up - if someone leaves SA or moves or returns to SA - good luck to them - why bring all this emotional blackmail to the table?
@Len van der Merwe - this section of paper caters for white interests only or did you not know???. Gap year indeed.Talk about a gap year to a black child and he or she thinks you are talking about the space where his fathers incisors were supposed to be.
Gap year -my foot which south africa is she yapping about
I find your diatribe quite interesting for a number of reasons. I wondered reading through it if you are trying to ease your conscience or justify your actions in some way. We are all free, or at least we should be able to live where we desire. You try and seem to get way with not tackling the racial dimension regarding your desire to leave South Africa. You touch on the inept ANC government as if to suggest the Apartheid government served the people better. Alas it probably did, just the minority, though. I wonder if you were of the same age during that era if you would have EMIGRATED (you can’t run away from that word) aside from the great job offer. I pose a question to you, don’t you think that the system prior to 1994 and those that enjoyed its privilege are at least partly responsible for the poverty that exists today….as crime is a just a symptom and further evidence that it existed lest we try to forget those days…and therefore we owe the society that we helped create to rebuild itself. I am in not way condoning the ineptitude of today’s or tomorrow’s government but let us at least try and stay closer to the truth, no matter which side of the fence we were fortunate or unfortunate to born on. As for the comparison between South Africa and Australia, perhaps if white settlers in South Africa had been as successful as the white Aussies in exterminating the native inhabitants and in more recent years ignoring their existence (save for the recently apology from the head of state)…maybe South Africa would offer that same freedom that you talk of. It seems freedom is not as universal for all Aussies…I guess it goes back again to which side of the fence your were born. It is time that we stop playing the poor victim card and be constructive in finding solutions to the ills in Africa. I wish you the best and every success in Australia…just don’t forget there is a land that we are all responsible for shaping…for good or for worse!
Sipho - An African - for good or for worse on May 13th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
South Africa is no easy place to live, it is, without any doubt, very challenging to live here. It is tough because of how our history has unfolded. But our history has also given birth to individuals who have risen, through their struggles to live in ways which heal the traumas that are part of us, to great and glorious heights of humanity. It is in honour of them that I want to do my bit right here for those self same ideals.
Sarah… sad to see you go. Enjoy it, turn your talent for quirky phrases onto the Australians, and best of luck.
Still sad though. No matter what anyone says in the comments, the country is poorer for your leaving. I always saw you as quintessentially “Johannesburg” and now it will be a city with one less unique feature.
Thanks for the times of being able to add to that ” Johannesburg” together.
A well balanced, entertaining story. The only problem with Australia is the fact that there is no problem, so every best wish in the lucky country, at least you’ll be amongst winners. Don’t forget to come and visit New Zealand too while down under, at least we can boast beating them most of the time at rugby!
i always follow these stories in bewilderment. what on earth has australia to offer that’s different? some things are better yes, mostly on the materialistic side. but is that all? why can’t people be more proud of south africa? look where you’ve come from and the opportunities you have. why is it always the middle aged/retired white person who always tends to go through life whining and complaining and never manage to enjoy him/herself and see the bigger picture.
stop living in the past, look ahead into the future and see opportunities instead of obstacles. stop being so semi-intellectual but get on with it. south africa has so much more to offer than australia: hurdles are only steps on a ladder that brings you higher.
The only problem with going to Australia , is that should one wish to procreate, one ends up raising little Australians…Having said that, one can balance the pro’s and con’s of staying v emigrating on a balance sheet all things being equal it will balance. The only anomaly which will not balance is the violent crime SA has to offer. Food for thought, but at current prices maybe not…
I spent some time there last year. A very odd experience as it was like South Africa in 1980 without the racial issues. It was very pleasant to be among fellow professionals, to be accepted quickly and easily - similar vile sense of humour, similar ethics, similar attitudes - particularly towards ‘battlers’. Also it was safe, very well-run, a bit prissy about the ‘rules’ (that was the most ‘different’ thing I found). I actually found I got on really well with Australians, which I hadn’t expected to do - admittedly they came from either the same work background or the same sport, so not really a representative sample. I realise a blog comment area is no place to look for the best any country, but one has to look at the racism and intolerance expressed by posters to make me think South Africans of all colours are certainly doing their best to show the world what scumbags they are. Actually, it’s the left wing who seem to feel they must prove they can out-bigot the right that always leaves me a bit stunned.
Anyway patrotism is a two way street. The President is also my president even if I did not vote for him. He’s supposed to be the leader, and we look to such leaders to lead by example - to show a patriotic regard for all the people. Until you get to that point - where the protection and loyalty of the state and representatives are for all Southg Africans not just ANC or, previously, Nat supporters patriotism is an empty thing, merely an excuse for scoundrels who have no other reason to ask for loyalty. Try that Nelson Mandela statement on a few Australians but attribute it to Kevin Rudd. That should be a good point to start your comparison. Should be very educational
Thank you JMC for the many hours of truly pleasurable reading you have made available, and I will still do,via your pen. I have the joy of taking your work with me to many parts of the world, leaving them there to enjoy. South Africa is certainly not a boring country, and that you will miss, many other circumstances you can do without. Forget the critics, if they had an ounce of your ability, or even understood it, they would not comment as they have. You are free to do as you decide and enjoy the rest of your days wherever you wish, its your life not theirs.
Bon Voyage Sarah, you sound lovely and I am sure you will make a success in Oz. They say the biggest stressors one can endure in Life.. are Death Divorce and Moving House - in that order..so, it isnt easy making that decision - so courage and strength and all the very best in your new adventure. Remember, as one of the previous commentators to this blog said..The worlds a global village..so it doesnt matter where one is…those that choose to live in SA..and those that decide to live elsewhere - we are all connected. Cheers and enjoy yourself.
The sad thing is that any account of emigration from SA does not need to be laden with insults. SA is insulting itself by allowing an intolerable society to develop.
Don’t forget to mention that the black cricket captain (symonds) and the black rugby captain (gregan) were both foreign-born: symonds in britain, gregan in zambia.
someone born in zambia would never, ever run the springboks, no matter if he spoke all 11 official languages fluently and could write the european verses of the national anthem in one hand and the african verses with the other AT THE SAME TIME.
why are you going to a country suffering with drought and floads due to global warming?? silly boy.africa is the best continent at present because there is less problems of climate change effects.OnLY if you can plan policies well.After all the aborigines are going to take over thier country and your kids will move again , just like your parents who moved from rhodesian to sa when it finished.Maybe , the moon with be the best destiny for them.WE ARE ALL OVER MATE!!.
Sounds like you are feeling guilty about leaving…?
I think in a globalising world patriotism is dead. We are citizens of the world. All the anger, loss and sadness comes from humankind dividing territory up.
Enjoy Australia and remember the diverse background that SA gave you. But I don’t think we should compare the two. Australia is an island, inflicted genocide on its original inhabitants, invites(d) skilled labour from Asia and thus has made its economy a success. South Africa, on the other hand, is a first world economy on a third world continent. The country has porous borders offering refuge to millions of Africans. Most Africans are unskilled (in the capitalist economic sense) and the infrastructure to skill people cannot keep up with the growing population which is double the size of Australia’s 20 million odd with a GDP far higher than SA.
Khoza, that is a VERY apartheid view point that you have there.
I have similar feelings to Anthony. Maybe it is very unpatriotic, and smacks of capitalism, but I will stay in which ever country provides for my needs in the best way, and wants my skills. If SA provides for my needs and wants my skills I will come back. If the vatican provides for me and wants me more than any other place I will go there.
Many countries in the world experience an emmigration net loss. The only difference between most other countries and South Africa is the attitude of South Africans who leave. Most speak of an inefficient ANC government etc and bad mouth the country. This does not help anyone. Leaving is fine, but to distroy the country’s already delicate reputation is not right. I hope you writting is balanced and inspired those who have decided to stay. BTW I am a black South African living in Singapore
Interesting selection of comments - the negative ones are exactly what I expected. As for the man who says that I should keep this for my personal journal, I would imagine that he is more than welcome not to read anything I write on this subject. I do, however, think that given the ongoing debate about skills shortages and the nationalist/ essentialist tone of a lot of this discourse (go back to Europe blah blah fishpaste), there is a need for a more reasoned approach to the discussion. In fact, a discussion in the first place, and one in a forum that is not restricted to the crazies on places like RSA Online.
The longer you’re away, the weirder and weirder South Africa will become. Have you changed or has it changed? (Perhaps it’s one of those Zen things which pretentiously clever people talk about?)
You are missed by those that know you, and it’s nice to see many people wishing you well.
To the rest, as a South African who has no intention of leaving, I am really ashamed of your aggressive and childish comments. The inability to wish the best for someone who has love for SA in her heart merely confirms any outside prejudices of us as a nation of backbiters and insecure people.
An honest and personal analysis, without any insults or superiority, is brave when faced with the usual accusations and rudeness.
Good luck and please do a follow up in 6 months time
It is too much to hope for that ALL South Africans will work together to achieve a situation where nobody wants to leave our shores.
Posts like this may upset some peole but they serve an essential function in reminding us all that our country is bleeding to death because of skills loss. If we all remember that this is the bottom line in the debate, then it easy to ignore the insults
Hi Sarah,
I am amazed at all the critisism you are getting. I have been living in Perth for the last 3 years and I did not emigrate. We are here on working visas. I must admit that Autralia has made me feel more welcome and I feel that I can be proudly South African while I live here as they do have an understanding of who we are and where we come from. But its sad when I see how fellow South Africans react to us being here. I suppose they feel betrayed. Australians don’t have the same issues with us as we seem to have with them. This is the first thing I realised when I came here. I suppose the longer you live here, the more you get influenced and you see things differently. We left South Africa on an overseas adventure, but we are scared to go back. It would be difficult for us to go back now as the crime situation really scares us. We really got used to feeling safe again and that is hard to trade up. I do miss our people though and that will never change.Good luck here in Australia. You will see that it takes a while to get used to it, but I think you will be a changed person in two years time and your opinion would have changed tremendously.
Brilliant summing up by Sarah on 14th May of the comments,especially of the insufferable Johan M who considers himself able to speak for S.A.
A South Africa which obviously, by the comments, DOES care.
I am African studying in Oz and have had the opportunity to meet ex-South Africans who are trekking here and their comments are SA is falling apart because of violent crime, being pushed out of jobs by blacks because of BEE, and the list goes on. They are very bitter in short but my conclusion after listening to their blah blah is ‘grapes are sour’ they are no longer in that ‘usual position of privelege’ and are now having a taste of equality. To those staying behind some come here and find it tough so do not believe all the stories of being in la la land, they wish to be home, back in Africa.
Khoza, I have been here in Australia for a year now and have not seen an ‘aborigins’ is that a local tribe?
I suppose if we all go back to ‘icy cold europe’ France, Spain, Greece, Italy…… you will be happy. Then we could stop all aid and trade and you could go back to the tranquil life you once had……..
Frothing like a bubble bath, Sarah overflows with wretched opinion. Unwanted but somehow fascinating political and personal trivia that exhude blonde logic. Against my better judgement I will probably read more…
SB, Well done and happy sailing, driving and flying. Keep on giving us (those that have to stay behind) some snippets of your experiences over there, and make us all proud. Let the world know the truth of what realy is happening here, and enjoy every moment of your stay in Ausie-land. To the Khoza’s of this world,”wake up!” Your xenophobic attitude will be to your own demise. Hate this thought, but take it as reality,”only when all of us prospers and have an equal opportunity to prosper will this place become a better place.” (After all that is what we voted for in the early 90’s)
Really Sarah who cares about you going to Australia or any other place for that matter. Could’nt you write about something else(value adding) than trying to justify your leaving. As far as I am concerned most SA people do not even know you and so the value you added to them is almost null, so I cannot find any reason why you would feel compelled to write this, except perhaps the deep sitted guilt you alone can explain, which I personally do not care to know.
Will you be perpetuating the abuse and discrimination of the Aborigines as is currently happening. Was this one of your reasons to leave?
Australia might look good from outside for people to run to, and for the general white population there. But for the poor Aboriginal natives, it’s a sad state of affairs.
@Sara
Based on some comments from Aus/NZ, I would say that for some reason they keep an eye on SA. So, maybe in some cases I might be right about that “Chapter two: the first day of the one more chapter, before another one comes…” which I have mentioned before.
@Kwena Mokgohloa, Khosa, etc.
I have seen such comments long ago, back to Samora Machel’s days. Afterwards the guy got sorry, but it was too late. Just look at their prosperity! Only now, that the older generation is going, Mozambicans are starting picking up all the pieces, and it’s a damned Big Puzzle… Don’t worry, keep acting like an ostrich, and if you are many, maybe history will repeat itself… again.
By the way, Mr. Khosa, Rift Valley is moving appart. That means it’s widening. That means it’s getting more space. Do you get the picture?
Hi Sarah
Loved your insults book - we bought several as gifts for friends - can we look foward to one on Oz? (no shortage of material there, and I say that with great affection for all the Ozzies I know).
My partner and I left SA 9 months ago to live in London. I hear more South African accents than any other nationality (bar the born-and-bred Brits) and it really saddens me.
Not because we are all traitors, or that we fled when the going got tough, or that because we’re white, we dont deserve to be in Africa in the first place (or any other attack hurled at people who leave).
I am sad because so many families and friends have been torn apart by people feeling that they had to make a difficult choice - in fact ‘choice’ is a misnomer. Anyone who thinks that South Africans leave SA for ‘a better life’ elsewhere as a selfish gesture is at best misinformed, and at worst, just vicious.
Those of us resident in other parts of the world know that invariably the cost of living is higher than in SA and the standard of living is lower (smaller homes, no domestic support etc).
But there is a lot to be said for being able to live in a home that has no burglar bars or alarms, where the subject of dinner party conversations is not which friend/relative is the most recent victim of a brutal crime, and where you can use public transport - even as a woman on her own - without fear of being murdered or raped in broad daylight.
Personal safety is something I suggest many South Africans would willingly sacrfice much for. Professional opportunity is another.
No-one who leaves SA does without a heavy heart.
Good luck in Oz - it is a beautiful country, and many of the people I met there are quirky, funny and generous.
This comment thread (and recent events in Alexandra township) mostly confirm what I have banged on about for ages - Most South Africans are small minded, brainless, racist, stupid, nasty, foul mouthed pratts.
I love South Africa, I just dislike most South Africans.
Great blog, Sarah and good luck for the job. We need more comparisons between SA and Australia, and I imagine there might even be a book in there. I think as South Africans we should get over the you’re-either-with-us-or-against-us attitude. In the modern global village people move around all the time for many reasons (mainly economic and social / familial). Look forward to reading your blogs from the other side.
I haven’t had a chance to read all of the comments yet but I wanted to say that I am donating to SA charities (as per Sean’s very good suggestion). And I plan to contribute to the local economy when I come back to visit - clothing is very expensive in Australia compared to SA so I will be bringing a large,mostly empty suitcase with me when I visit towards the end of the year and filling it before I return to Sydney.
Why must Sarah donate to a charity. We have paid enough in taxes in this country and they get stolen. The people on the ground have been forgotten by this ANC government as they were by the previous NAT government. If we leave it is because no one respects law and order in this country, white, black, pink or green, and no one has the will to sort it out.
You just know how to spurt alot of drivel. Actually, native Australians are free to immigrate too SA if they wish. There are quite a couple of important positions held by Aborigines in Australia for your info. And the truth is they are not interested in Africa and what it has to offer, as they would not be welcome in SA as is the case with the people from Zim, Zambia, Botswana ect.. I could go on and on. It has a fancy name in Africa, but when in actual fact it is just an excuse for tribalism, greed, selfishness and rasicm in a different form. I don’t know why Africans(white and black) always have to make war, kill and steal to prove there worth. The world doesn’t give a crap about you and your petty tiffs, they just watch and wait for Africa to do enough damage so they can have a reason to step in and take control of a once proud country out to destroy itself due to pettiness and hatered. Isn’t it time to put pettiness aside and take control of what happens in SA rather than try to exterminate other people?? South Africa isn’t even metioned on the news in Oz unless something really dramatic happens, thats how much the other countries take notice of you. The only news that ever comes to these shores normally shows how corrupt and incapable the SA leadership is, and the fact that first world countries are watching everything they do very carefully, including crime, landclaims ect. They make sure they get the right stats not the crap dished to other SA citizens. Don’t fool yourselves, the world is just giving Africa as a hole enough rope to hang themselves, so stop feeling selfrightous and try to prevent the inevitable if things keep going the way they are. Intervention from the UN!!!!!
The neat thing with donating to a charity is that you get to give money to causes of your choosing, rather than, say, the transport-the-prez-in-presidential-style benevolence fund. Taxes in Australia, by the way, are incredibly high: because I don’t yet have a tax number (I applied online and should get it within the next couple of weeks) I will be taxed at 46.5% this month.
See the next blog entry for a reflection on the utter stupidity of the notion of sending immigrants back to their country of ultimate origin.
I’ll have to get back to the comments that are proving as interesting as your post!
Happy re-locating! (For however long). I have always wanted to know what was REALLY going on there on the other side of the Indian, good bad ugly appealing parallel etc, so I look forward to this regular “column”!
Sarah Britten, your contribution, though sounding innocent just goes to show how wide apart black South Africans and white South Africans are. In fact most of the contributions by whites simply reaffirms this viewpoint.
Apartheid has left such a legacy, that as a people, it will take hundreds of years before we can start seeing our future and that of our country in the same way, hence work towards unity of purpose. Here is what apartheid has left us:
1) The African child attends classes under trees, walks kilometers to school, could not play a sport of his choice be it rugby or cricket, could only study languages and no mathematics or science subjects etc - The consequences?? talking about a gap year is foreign to him,he has no skill to export, he can only wonder at a distance as the white rugby and cricket players make a comfortable living from these sporting codes;
2) The white person you find in Mamelodi, Soweto or Thembisa is most likely to be a foreigner (a tourist) - I bet you now know Australia far better than the South Africa you have called your country all these years;
3.)The African in the rural areas and townships has never known of electricity. Apartheid ensured this was meant for the white community only. Load shedding by Eskom is thus a concern to the emigrating whiteman than to the remaining blackman;
4) The blackman in the townships walked and played in the dusty dirt roads. He never knew of a tarred road, for that was what apartheid had decreed. The ANC government now tries to tar these dusty roads with the limited budget - the blackman sees a change for the better, the whiteman in the surbubs sees deteriorating standards, for his roads are no longer maintained at the same high standards that he was accustomed to under apartheid, as we all now have to share this limited budget;
5)Apartheid decreed that the blackman who worked in the towns and cities had to leave his family in the rural areas, whilst the whiteman stayed together with his family. The result?? - the ANC government is now burdened with a heavy social welfare problem; disfunctional families, drugs, alcoholism, township hostels, slums everywhere etc;
6) The disfunctional families have led to rising crime levels, unemployable youths. Whilst this has always been the blackman’s experience in the townships and rural areas, its a totally new world for the hitherto comfortable whiteman, hence the emigration to Australia;
Given what I have sketched above, surely we are not talking about the same people, when we talk about “South Africans”, as you referred in your article.
Sarah! At least in Oz as an expat Saffa you will be looked at strangely when you mention a “robot” and growled at when SA beats the Ozzies.
Our neighbours across the borders who have moved here get to live in fear when absolute morons band together and drive them out of their homes.
The world is a global village and wne you return you will have more to offer SA.
At least to locals in Sydney are unlikely to arrive at you pad with pitchforks and burning torches!
I look forward to seeing Oz through your unique perspective and in reading some more amusing but sadly ininformed resposnes. Africa for the Africans? Not in Alex it would seem….
Well I’m SOOOO pleased to see that you took that idea onboard, and you’re going to do it! Thank you so very, very much!!
One of my pet hates is how first-world countries poach/hire/lure our doctors/nurses/teachers etc. As I said in my previous post, I’ve got nothing against people deciding to or wanting to go. But I really wish that the UK/AUS/etc would reimburse South Africa for the country’s investment in those highly skilled professions. Studies have been done to show how much the goverment subsidises a doctor’s education (all doctors, not just those on bursaries etc), and the figures are astronomical! I’d love to see a further study showing the cost of human capital leaving the country, versus the FDI coming in from the countries our human capital moves on to. I strongly believe that one day in the distant future society will look back on this matter as another form of colonialism.
Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent. I mean to have more of a go against the governments, not the people. But I do feel that those living can still contribute, and I’m really glad that you have decided to!!
@pens - you’re going to be bitter ALL your life. Nothing will ever change that. You will always find a gripe about South Africa. I can’t believe how many South Africans (assuming you are) like you are so bitter and negative. I’ve seen Alisdair Budd’s comments all over this site, and it never ceases to amaze me how much bile that person can spew out. (I suspect he’s a zimbo, though). I’d love to say, “Be the change that you want to see in the world”, but I reckon you’re too far down that bitter road to listen or consider an alternative (for your OWN mindset).
I hope you will continue to write once in OZ, you look at things from all sides, and could put things in perspective for alot of people. Good luck with your new venture, and looking forward to reading more pieces written by you.
Sorry about leaving out the all important disclaimer: “White”. Historically correct (overlooked in the actual circumstances of blog writing after hours) but nonetheless a little sad.
We’ll only have sortecd ourselves out when we can stop using racial prefaces for everything, but that is going to take generations.
Khoza, quit wallowing in self-pity. Millions of amakwerekwere came to live IN apartheid SA, so all those legacy of apartheid sob-stories are wildly exaggerated, and you know it. Grow a chin, dude.
Wow, what an exhausting but fascinating read! The Social Science student in me is enraptured with these comments. And it definitely shows we might have a more-than-slight issue we need to nationally deal with (you dear emigrants & travellers & explorers included).
I posted on my blog about some of the thoughts all this stirred up in me, but still have yet to work out how to track back. So this is my trackback notification.
@Khoza (15th May comment): You do make some excellent points there, but why so defensively/ aggresively?
And was the change in political systems after 1994 not a national decision to stop facing South Africa & its issues as non-white vs white, but to face our issues as “South Africans”? So, like in a family, while I might not have the same issue, the fact fellow citizens have that issue makes it an indirect issue for me. Why can you not accept your fellow South Africans’ issues in the same manner?… If you accept SA as we now try to be - rainbowed.
Also, I think you have just landed yourself a new initiative!… get an organisation going that helps impoverished black South African children to take a “gap” year, to explore other parts of the world & bring their lessons back to help develop SA. Rotary would be a good place to start the research.
Khoza, your words are the most truthful I have read in a long time on this blog. I didn’t read anything agressive or accusion in them, only wise and honest. Unfortunately, many people like Sarah are only able to view the world from their perspective and do not understand that there is a parallel universe in SA. One has to understand the protected background someone like Sarah comes from and take this into account when reading her work. We are all very different, but your words are really those that make the most sense. Please write some more.
I can agree with almost everything that you say in your second post.
I’m just not sure about how that message should be delivered.
I do believe, though, that the majority of whiteys in SA need to come to a realisation as you mention above.
Just wonder how to get their consciences pricked without incurring their wrath, or raising their stubborn denial, or without precipitating aggressive confrontation.
Do you blog, Khoza? I’d be interested to hear more of your thoughts…
Naah, Sean, the majority of whities in SA really don’t NEED what you happen to think they need. They just aren’t going to buy into your hair-shirt and sackcloth-wearing I’m-so-sorry Contrition Fantasy.
Get over it. And tell that to the self-pitying Khoza too. Don’t encourage him.
1/ The ANC now have within their ranks a number of old Nats including good old Kortbroek
2/ The old Nats just happen to be the party that inflicted apartheid on South Africa
Does it strike you as strange that so many people continue to agonise about apartheid when its authors are now part of the ANC.
Are you prepared to consider the possibilty that there is a measure of inconsistency buried in there somewhere.
To my mind the biggest political disgrace this country has seen since 1994 was the integration of the old Nats into other political groupings (wait for it…….including the DA)
@Jon - I wouldn’t call deeply perceptive analysis of a very complicated situation ’self-pity’.
This is just the issue, so many white south
africans don’t like to hear others’ truth or put themselves in others’ shoes, but prefer to stick stubbornly (and sometimes arrogantly) to their version of the story. As they have done throughout the world and the continent’s history they impose their opinions as ‘whats correct and what’s best.’
The lack of regard or consideration for the perceptions, ideas and knowledge of millions of people is what got us into the quagmire we find ourselves in now. Ridiculing opposing thoughts and opinions, and dismissing then as having no relevance or worth, is just not strong enough an argument.
Khoza’s view is just that, his view, and I’ll stick my neck out here by saying that his words probably hold the sentiments of many thousands of South Africans.
Correction!
Contrary to what some people would like to believe, the Ngunis did not colonise any part of Africa - including what is modern day South Africa. The Khoi also originate from the northern part of Africa, does that mean they also “colonised South Africa”? The Nguni co-existed with the Khoi, intermarried (Xhosa clans with Khoi ancestory), borrowed from each other’s cultures and languages (click sounds in Nguni languages) etc. The Nguni did not come to “SA” on a boat, they were just populating their land (Africa) due to increase in population and searching for graving land etc. There was no taking over or imposing of Nguni way of life onto the “native” Khoi - it was not a colonisation, as some would like to believe.
If migratition southwards in the land of kush amounts to colonisation, then the same intepretation can used in Europe; Europe was colonised by Indo-Europeans from the Caucus mountains, and that is just utter nonsense! In the whole wide world it seems some SA whites are the only people who are in denial of the blatantly obvious, surprising?
American Indians are natives of North America (but that doesn’t make George W. Bush less American), just as Ngunis and Khoi are natives of Africa, but it doesnt make whites less “South African”.
A fantastic job opportunity would be welcomed by anyone regardless of race or nationality. So why all the fuss?
I have been living in the Middle East for 2yrs now and yes it does offer the “privilege” of a life lived without paranoia. I have not emigrated, just took up a job offer I couldn’t refuse.
Relocating is a complex and emotionally taxing effort. To be able to leave the comfort zone of friends, family and a system (good/bad) that you have grown up with takes a great deal of courage no matter who you are or what your background is.
I am neither black nor white, just another colour in between, I don’t understand the need to bash South Africa nor the people who choose to leave it. Life is about new experiences, how you choose to do this should be your own indaba.
Hi Sarah, great article and I look forward to hearing more of your experiences. We moved to Western Australia exactly a year ago, and the experience has been great. We loved SA - and will always enjoy a visit back to family. We are really enjoying Oz - kids riding to school on bikes, house unlocked, car unlocked - stunning scenery and great opportunity. Attitude is everything.
I have realised that for self-preservation we each view our choice as the right one and will seek out opinion that justifies our choice. While living in SA we chose to focus on the good in the country and screen out the negative. Being in Oz we stick to that choice and can embrace the wonderful opportunities that exist here.
Moving countries is a great opportunity for self-development if you allow it to be!
I am a Polish-born Saffa living in the UK.
My parents left a crappy country (Poland) for a better one (SA). When I moved and for many years after, I was never happy in SA, and I would always try tell ppl how great Poland will be and how crappy SA will become…
Now, years later, i love SA. It consider it my home. The worst thing is that my adolescent prediction are becoming true, and i do not feel vindicated, just sad…
I live in UK now… but would want nothing to go back to SA, but i cannot see it… no matter how i cut it in my head, i do not see SA as bouyant country… its not about the usual crime, BEE and so on… i just know from living in Poland what ineffiecive government looks like, and i know where it leads… i cannot help but see it in SA more and more…my paradise is lost…
FIY Khoza… SA government is running a budget surplus… the resources are not scarce… the people who allocate them are simply inept in puting them to correct use
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Sarah Britten has written three books on South African insults. The latest has a yellow cover and would make a perfect Christmas present. And yes, Julius Malema gets a chapter to himself.
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Bon chance, Sarah.
At least your account of migrating to Australia can be believed unlike a certain someone else’s recent fake story about (not) moving to Australia.
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