RSA xenophobia May 22, 2008
Posted by Rethabile in human rights, racism, south-africa.Tags: xenophobia
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Anger and frustration in South Africa is a result of many problems, present and past. Before, and ever since 1994, countless promises were made and the majority of citizens truly believed that their lives would change dramatically – and quickly.
Previously deprived and/or excluded from proper accommodation, free education, good and free medical care, and employment, many expected this change to be instantaneous. But that incorrigible and tawdry collection of puerile braggadocio’s known as politicians spread a pernicious poison of lies and illusions, failing to live up to the responsibilities they were entrusted with.
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Globalization has impoverished us at an escalating pace for decades but, with the launch of our latest specator sport, it has evolved into something more ghastly than food riots, political repression, or natural disaster. The army’s deployment may bring about a lull, but this previously hidden or unadmitted nightmare is not going to go away. We’ve entered an utterly predictable, horrific phase in our war against poverty — a phase vaguely familiar and glimpsed briefly in a time and place to which all South Africans swore they’d never return.
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As an American, I expected progress too. South Africa had status in the world economy, industry, modernity and resources, land and material. I could not understand why there couldn’t be more investment in industries and public projects such as housing and roads that would create jobs. With an intact infrastructure, how could South Africa have failed so badly. It is not as if their political philosophy was against doing these kinds of things. I would have expected more in 14 years too. I realize that things don’t change over night, but I would have expected something.
I do realize that all of South Africa wasn’t as the urban citied, some how I never thought it would be difficult to modernize the rest of the country or the failure to realize the potential labor pool.
“As an American, I expected progress too.”
Everybody expected progress. I expected progress, even if I didn’t think it would happen in just fifteen years, after hundreds of years of you-know-what.. Still, I certainly didn’t expect this…
It would also be unfair to ignore the progress that has been made. The fact that a smaller part of South African society is roaming the streets in specific constituencies does not negate from the positives achieved over the last 14 years. There are still other serious issues at hand, such as crime and the widening gap between the affluent and the poor, and the presumptions I made in my commentary should not distract from what a wonderful country this is. What is happening now, which incidently has spread to just round corner from where we live, is a heinous violation of basic human rights. Sadly, our government choose clever rethoric about clandestine “Third Force” involvement who have surreptitiously gone round and planned and organised the violence over the focus on solutions to curb the spread of this anarchy in the short term, and on solutions to create a safe and stable environment for people to coexist in the long run.
I appreciate your sentiments, Hathor. I is not just Americans who expect progress. As Rethabile says, we all do. We are a society coming to grips with our new-found liberty from colonialisms and an oppressive regime – the issue is complex.
This is sort of off topic, but I don’t see any reason the laptops for the One Laptop Per Child program are all being built in Taiwan, by Quanta.
Computer manufacturing isn’t that hard to set up, that is why there was such a proliferation of the companies in Asia in the 80’s. I was a matter of cost of labor, not the educated workforce, for at that time the Asians were expert at following detailed instructions and coping designs. I know the product is Quanta’s, but it would have been more helpful if the sponsoring organization would have suggested setting up manufacturing where the laptops were going to be used.
Hathor,
Good point that needs to be looked into.
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