See, this is why I don’t appreciate it when these foreign johns comment on the state of South Africa. They’re bound to get it wrong.
The worst thing about the World Cup is the masses of scribes, descending onto our little wedge of turf like carrion birds onto the carcass of a giraffe, to prod, peer, smirk and pontificate.
The most entertaining so far have been the British gutter press scribblers. Who can forget their delightful, if shrill articles, warning the unsuspecting tourist of the dangers of Africa? From hijacking baboons, killer snakes and warring tik gangs, they have been there every step of the way, informing and equipping.
Not even Ben Trovato could come up with some of their stuff (maybe if he stumbled out of a pub, as dizzy as an owl, and promptly fell into a vat of psychedelic drugs).
A recent offering, from the BBC no less, runs along similar lines, even though the Beeb journalist respects the readers’ intelligence enough not to feign outrage.
Hugh Sykes, the journalist in question, found a few black South Africans to give him the “some things were better under apartheid” soundbite, and he was away. And it’s quite a statement, coming from a black South African. But it begs the question: Some things were better under apartheid? Oh really? Like what — the police brutality? The fact that millions of South Africans were spared the enormous schlep of standing in a queue to vote for someone they implicitly mistrusted?
It is not undeniable that the prevailing mood post-1994 was one of exuberant expectation. RDP was supposedly going to fix everything. Blame it on naivety, or blame it on devious electioneering if you want, but the ANC eventually sobered up and realised that running a country isn’t as easy as running a pseudo-guerrilla war. That’s when Gear was implemented. Growth. It’s a terribly slow thing at the best of times (ask any teenager’s mom), and the economy is no different. But it’s the correct path, one that will eventually yield the highest returns.
The shift in focus from quick-fix to a more sustainable solution, forced in no small part by the reality that South Africa’s economy just wouldn’t be able to sustain sweeping socialism, doesn’t translate to the statement that things were better under apartheid. Sykes acted irresponsibly by making that connection, something I flatter myself to think no local journalist would have done.
Yes, the corruption, cronyism and general mayhem in our government departments isn’t helping. And yes, we have massive service-delivery problems. But things are moving forward, slowly. One disgruntled former activist doesn’t change that fact.
A lot of black South Africans feel as if the government has let them down by not delivering on their promises. But I also think the government is only beginning to realise that it’s a very long walk to economic prosperity. Some things will take quite a long time to fix. These “some things were better under apartheid” blacks are simply venting their frustrations at what they perceive to be an unjustifiably slow pace of development.
I can’t wait till the World Cup is over so these Africa correspondents can turn their attention back to Sudan and whatever it is that the Daily Mail normally concerns itself it. In fact I can’t wait till South Africa gets out of the world’s spotlight and we can be a normal country, like any other, and not burdened down by the thoroughly unreasonable expectations of the West.
Comparison is meaningless unless done like for like, which makes a lot of sense theoretically, but not always the case in reality.
The reality that we are faced with is that we have moved out of one political epoch onto another, and may soon move onto yet another and so forth. The past is behind us and so we have to contend with the challenges of the present.
Unless if we are looking at the past, with a view to copy some models for present use, i do not see the need for comparison.
And about the expectations of the WEST – the reality is, if we deslike their scrutiy, then we should paly away from them. If we want to be left alone, then why bother compete with them for hosting events like the world cup?
By so doing, we are going out of our way to prove to them that we are just like them, so we should not complain when they throw it back at us
Because in reality, we cannot change them. The only thing we can change is what we do, and let them have their field day
And remember no matter how successful the worldcup is, those so called westerners will not suddenly wake up and say ‘See those Africans are now like us’ – we will still continue to be the third world in their minds.
So, just enjoy the world cup and forget about proving a point
Apartheid was an appalling system, as systems based on racial nationalism usually are. There are not many cases of successful similar systems historically, so this is hardly surprising. The most unfortunate reality is that many, but not all, of the aspects of the old ‘racial nationalism’ have been appropriated so faithfully in the RSA of 2010. If we do not learn from the mistakes of the past, we are destined to repeat them.
Grant Walliser, don’t kid yourself. Ian Smith’s reign was no different to apartheid. More blacks are educated in Zimbabwe than could have ever been under Ian Smith with his bantu education policy. White are scared of any African leader who talks about black empowerment for obvious reasons. South Africa is reaping the benefits of Mugabe’s education policy. Sanctions have destroyed Zimbabwe’s economy but not the spirit of the people. I am saying this as a Zimbabwean. Your views are synonimous with white views about what makes blacks happy. John Everyman summed it up nicely above.
A simple example of this point is the argument above in favour of press censorship. Eschel Roodie and BJ Vorster would have been proud . As a wise person once remarked: “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose”.
Life expectancy under Apartheid (1992) – 72 Years, under ANC (2008) – 49 Years.
How can life be better if we don’t live to experience it?
Conviction rate for serious crimes Under Apartheid – 72%, under ANC (who won’t give the latest figures so we have to use 2005) – 11%
How can life be better if what we have is stolen? How can we have a better life while being murdered?
Employment has decreased by 2.2 million real jobs since 1994 – Yes, the ANC have created almost 1 million tomato and sweet sellers at the taxi ranks and train stations but these aren’t real jobs. Even if you include these we are still 1,3 million jobs short.
How can life be better if we don’t have a job?
When, in SA Medical Services’ long and proud tradition have 151 babies died in one hospital over 4 months?
How can life be better if our children die before they can enjoy it?
Hey ANC supporters – is this how you’ve improved my country? Is this a better life for all? Are you proud?
We shouldn’t compare the current South Africa to the vastly better but still disgusting Apartheid South Africa. We need to compare ourselves against the successful developing nations. Trouble is that if we do, the picture is even more depressing!
Am I the only person that reads the newspaper? Maybe the foreign journalists read the South African newspapers the same way I do.
“But I also think the government is only beginning to realise that it’s a very long walk to economic prosperity”
This is the reason the ANC does not have any sense of accountability; everything is passed of to the future – same argument used before by others on this continent.
The ANC has not even been able to maintain the standards and infrastructure they inherited. But they are very able to loot the coffers in the process of wholesale destruction. No, things were not better under apartheid – the ANC has only managed to demonstrate that they are not capable of thrift, hard work and vision, the very qualities that are the foundation of success.
The DA also had no experience in government but they demonstrated in a very short space of time how to steer around the sinking ship they inherited from the ANC. So, what does that say?
Altogether poor arguments by Sipho.
I’ve read many times about how South Africans are deeply offended by the various journalistic opinions from around the world. And it is just that; an opinion. Do not worry yourself with what UK tabloids write their goal is to shock and awe.
Yes Africa has its problems and those opinions will never change until it starts to actually act on those problems. Look at the UK’s recent expenses scandal, a classic corruption case. What happened? MP’s were hung out to dry and shamed in the media, there was an actual response to the situation.
What happens in SA when there is corruption/nepotism? Absolutely nothing.
Only one word mfaan – jobs.
Its going away. No point freedom if not have the capacity to enjoy it, and those who do, get richer with NO plan for the rest… class apartheid without an economic plan CAN be worse than apartheid with sanctions (the fat lady has not sung yet) and the world bank is coming to take over luthuli house… the boere denominated their loans in local currency… and we are exposed to the full vagaries of the market… hold your breadth and see how GEARed up we are on the down side… its gonna get a lot worse before we even think about making it better…
I was 17 in 1994 and doing matric but I find it difficult that people of my age can claim to compare pre 94 and post in terms of things where better then, Have we bored to check the status of this people is they are in a position to make such statements to start with , with out insulting their inteligence nor them being taken too seruisly?
Some things were better and some things were worse.
During apartheid, Afrikaner psychopaths tortured and murdered people in detention, while the people who paid their salaries sat in church every Sunday.
But they did not steal from their own. FW de Klerk, presumably hated by the majority of the population, drove around with one bodyguard and one following police car.
Today you people have much less torture under police care. But ANC cronies, darlings of the masses down to the lowest papier mache cadre, are never without their team of bodyguards and black vehicle convoys. And whether its Trevor Manuel sallying forth from his 5-star suite at the Dorchester to lecture ‘The West’ on their responsibilities to Africa, or the mayor of a poverty stricken community, they are all hardwired to mug the people who voted them in.
Which is better? If one had to choose between a bunch of thugs and a bunch of hypocritical thieves, I suppose one would choose the latter. But the best choice would be to give your children the opportunity to live elsewhere
@Gunslinger – Nice clear analysis but I would like to add two points:
- conscription – Yes it was put to inhumane uses in the past but it nicely matured the boys and would not be a bad idea to bring back for both sexes this time. A stint doing border patrol stopping poaching and illegal immigration can only be beneficial to growing relationships and undertstanding between the ivory tower and squatter camp kids.
-Parastatal apprenticeships: definitely one where the ANC shot themselves in the foot. In the bad old days, these workshops, notably the Railways workshops, served to give a future to those white kids who’s parents were too poor to sent them to varsity. It did not rule out getting a degree but was a slightly longer, cheaper route, which also served to give people real skills for employment. Instead, the ANC builts a multimillion dollar career opportunity centre that (presumably) will tell kids what is available in the jobmarket, something an afternoon search on the net will duplicate.
But I cannot help but to strongly agree with your last sentence by stating it my way: If we are to make progress as a country, this “us” and “them” business must be left in the past, where it belongs. There is only “us”. Go Bafana! There, I’ve said it.
Sipho, that was a boring long-winded diatribe.
But let’s be honest for a minute. In all probablity the Nats were also corrupt, appointed their mates to get big tenders and they definately werent open and transparent to the public (mirror image of the ANC). So this can be added to the list of vices over and above Apartheid.
But even with economic/trade sanctions in place they still built a world class network of public services for the urban areas that the ANC inherited in 1994. But what do we have now? Crumbling public administrations, service delivery protests, crime has become a joke, Durban (my city) is disgracefully filthy and even though we call ourselves a democracy promoting inclusionary governance, The ANC and their friends are untouchable by our laws.
The bottome line: South Africa has the opportunity to become better than what it was under Apartheid, but in order to achieve that goal the last relic of apartheid (i.e. the ANC) needs to be discarded and replaced by people that want to uplift the poor and make positive change. If you believe Zuma and malema will be the catalyst for positive change in this country you are a fool. So foreign media may be sensationalist but if you water it down everything they say is true.
I know RSA will be great but not with the megalomaniacs that have taken control of the ANC.
The trouble with that statement is that it has “apartheid” and “better” in the same sentence, which implies a view that is only held by a tiny minority. It should rather be said that that the Nat government were better at governing; unfortunately they chose to apply a policy of apartheid.
Proudly South African.
I always enjoy reading these comments more then the articles. It gives me and indication where we are as a nation.
Personaly.
Back then I was shot at by apartheid police, pushed from the whites-only coach on the train, had to commute past 6 whites-only schools to get an education that would hopefully land me a low income job working under a white male who figured he new everything.
Today…after lots of sacrifices by my parents, hard work, Unisa after hours… things are definately much better then back then.
Am I on par with my peers who benifitted from the system back then? Probably not, but I’m getting there!
-Service delivery is a pain, but
+I’m getting some service
-Education is poor, but
+My child can get an education “at any school”
-Electricity is expensive and water quality is poor, but
+We’re servicing the masses not the minority
-Security services are sheit, but
+We havent been at war with our neighbours for 2 decades
Are things looking up for S.A? I will do my part!
Undoubtedly, life is better now, except for the following, which still need to be made better than pre-1994. Spred of AIDS, balance-of-payments-deficit, communications, crime, disinterest, education, energy, Eskom, exchange rates, farming, fraud, fuel price, government departments, government ignorance, health, hospitals, housing, incompetence, infant mortality, inflation, ‘initiations’, land restitution, lawlessness, life expectancy, maintenance, maths-pass-rate, passports, police apathy, potable water, potholes, poverty, power cuts, ‘quiet diplomacy’, racism, rape, river pollution, roads, rudeness, safety/security, sanitation, sewage treatment, skills shortage, slow growth, slowing commodities markets, taxis, TB, Telkom, town planning, trains, travelgate, violence, governance, filthy beaches, sewage treatment, sewage in the ocean, municipalities, brain-drain, mortuaries, universities, shipping, schooling, municipal costs. Simple, reall.
The tragedy was to allow the ANC to measure itself against the Nats (lowest denominator) instead of what could have been achieved given the resources generated,the ideas available available.
D I T T O
Apartheid could never be better, but it leaves one wondering mostly because African leaders in general tend to forget the people and focus mostly on self.
Ash
I am glad things got better for you in South Africa – there was a lot of injustice previously.
But there is no reason to be happy with the current bad service delivery from the ANC government, even if the ANC is the liberation party.
the pillars of our constitution i.e education, health e.t.c are at a state that no patriotic South african should be proud of, however the argument that these mentioned above were better in the apartheid days is a fallacy, these were good for the few millions that were privilleged by the inhumane laws of those times, i remenber sadly how there was no clinic in my rural village of Centane prior ’94, there was only 1 high school in a 50 km radius and people walked long distaces to get education, the was no magistrates courts in these arears and police stations were virtually non existent. Offcourse you would expect thouse who lived at the lap of luxury at the expense of the majority to cry foul , perhaps what we also should look at is that , even though nepotism and corruption have a direct impact on service delivery, the bulk of services in the apartheid era were for the few millions whose skin was paler than most and resources will suffer if you have to extend that to 48 million people of all skin colours and creeds
I find the double standards rather amusing. During apartheid the ANC hung onto every word any Jorno wrote and encouraged some rather dubious reports on the country at the time. Sanctions was the rage and great to bring the big evil empire down. I watched reguarly in the UK (yes the same “Blood Agents”)use any bit of fabricated journalism they could get their hands on with impunity. Every little incident was run over and over from different angles to create the illusion that it was new and fresh. South Africa was burning. Journalists paid locals to stage events, anti-apartheid groups and the ANC orchistrating behind the scenes like a crazed conductor. Whites on a day out at the shooting range was edited in to show them shooting blacks sleeping in the local parks as they do. Not a word was uttered against this blatant falsehoods. Why then now are the press treated like the enemy, they are doing their jobs, exept this time its for real. They fought for your freedom (The west in general)Never before and never after was the condemnation of a state so publicised and hated by the west, the rallies in support of a free South Africa was unprecidented across the world. What they didnt know at the time was that they fought not for democracy but a takeover of the wealth of this country by a few. So get real and stop being so sensitive about your goverments failing of the people.
@Ash – Please infect those around you with your ideology. With more South Africans like you, whom I can proudly call “fellow”, we will make progress.
Seems like everyone is missing a key point:
The complaint that ‘apartheid was better’ is being voiced, not by the journalist who wrote the story, but by poor shack-dwellers.
Obviously, if you are reading this blog you are part of the comfortable middle class. All of you, who gush over how pleasant your present lifestyles are, have no right to judge the views of those who remain destitute since the fall of Apartheid 20 years ago.
The poor constitute the majority in this country. Who are we to dispute their opinion?
“were things better under apartheid”
This is the topic which has been whispered by so many people next to me, and i have been ignorant of such attempts of undermining the hard work, sacrifice which had been endured by truely freedom fighters. please do not get me wrong here by freedom fighters I mean it, not beneficiaries who claim to be one while they have only had fought some for petty struggles such as being involved in the battling of ousting those that are in power as to get their frinds then they make din.back to the point in honour of our true revolunaries for what they had done they is nothing that can be compared to the apartheid period, to dare do that its a denialism of truth and the progress that we are moking as South africans. there is one thing that I want to beseech memebers of the blog, is not to make reference of the ANC when they want to talk about general mayhem that we are experiencing ,do they want to say 1960 soweto uprising was not a mayhem which resulted to so much lives lost.I dare not refer back as better than today. Egibithe was never bettered than kwa-isirayeli. I only infer with the reality of poor service delivery of which ANC is dealing with. don’t forget that many councillors are unlettered where service delivery mattered most that is why you see this mayhem generally.ousiders must back off.
“were things better under apartheid”
thanks Sipho nice argument. let those that don’t belong here leave SA for its business. history taught us that even our former oppressors opted SA as better place. we know very well that there is nothing that pushes one away except competition. those hypocrites pretend to be caring for SA, no its not true their concerns are informed by interests of wishing to colonize us indirectly even if they are not with us through seeing they aspirations prevailing. Nelson Mandela our iconic historical hero once said ” never, never,never again shall it be that this beautiful land, shall ever be oppressed by the white minority” this must find expression in the words of many people whenever they think of SA.