First of all I have to say 3 basic things: no 1: it’s a private choice for me to decide to emigrate, and it’s a private choice for you to choose to stay. We all need to make our own choices, we all have our own circumstances, our own destinies and our own personalities. No 2: nobody leaves this country, and especially this city, because they don’t love it, or because it’s not beautiful, or because it does not have advantages/positives. In fact it’s a very traumatic and sad thing to do- because you never get rid of your longing for the country and your loved ones until you die. No 3: I don’t criticize people for staying and I expect them not to criticize or even argue me for going. At the end those going will have to live with the consequences, and those staying have to live with the consequences.
That said, I can only share my point of view and my reasons, as I said it’s a personal issue:
The issues in this country are not just crime or hatred it is complex. Everybody ask me ‘why are we emigrating’ and it is exactly my answer every time: “it’s not just because of one reason but a whole lot of reasonsâ€. I will mention a few:
1) Safety: I want to live in a country where I don’t have to live in fear for my or my family’s safety. The facts of this country are the facts of this country- it IS one of the 3 most violent countries in the world, and that cannot be argued away. The question is do you want to expose your family to that risk or don’t you. Every day 5 people are murdered in Cape Town and that is 5 too many. In fact, more people are murdered in South Africa than in any other country that is not in a war. Every 13 seconds a woman is raped in this country. Just because it hasn’t happened to you does not mean that it cannot happen to you. And no, poverty is not the reason- many many countries are far poorer (African countries, India, Brazil etc) and yet their crimes are not as violent.
I for one don’t want to expose myself, my wife and my child to that risk. I have spend over R60 000 securing my house but at the end that does not guarantee anything. The psychological and mental effect on people from seeing and hearing about murder and rape every day and the fear of crime are substantial but this cannot be measured. The government is incapable of sorting this out. Due to affirmative action, they have lost so many competent investigators that it’s a sad state of affairs.
2) Financially: financially we are getting poorer and poorer in this country. This year, our salary increase is lower than inflation, which means I am effectively worse off than a year ago. This, coupled with increased food prices, and increased petrol prices, and high interest rates, we are becoming poorer and poorer. The Rand is getting progressively weaker and weaker over time (it lost 40% to the Dollar some time ago)- in 1999 the Rand to the Pound was R8=Pound1, now it’s R15. This means that I am effectively 50% poorer (therefore although that oil prices and food prices are world wide issues, the impact on us here is so much more because our Rand is weak). Again, the government is incapable of doing something about it- they still tax petrol prices very highly and refuses to let go on this. In fact, our petrol is exported to neighbouring countries that often pays less for it than what we pay here.
3) Career: I will be in this post for the next 25 years until I retire. There is nowhere to move to- I am not interested in working anywhere else in South Africa and there are no alternatives in Cape Town. As a white male my changes of opening a private firm is zero as in policy/strategy I will never be employed by local governments, provincial governments etc due to my skin colour. Staying here to ‘contribute to the country’ sounds nice and is well meaning, but in practice it does not work like that, not for me it doesn’t. I came back from London as a highly sought-after planner in London, and thought (naively) that I will be able to make a substantial contribution here and implement/advise South Africans on the most progressive solutions to urban issues. I have not been given the opportunity to do this, in part due to my skin colour.
4) Discrimination/racism: Fact is racism is racism, sexism is sexism- whether it’s a woman being sexist against a male, or vice versa, whether it’s a black person against a white person or vice versa. But not here: Its now 15 years after Apartheid, but still any criticism of the government, or in fact of any black person, is that the race card is thrown at you. Affirmative action is still in place, and in fact its implemented incorrectly (the intention by law is that if 2 people are exactly the same ito experience and qualifications, and the one is white and the other one black, then the black should get the job). It’s been used as an excuse to discriminate against white people and against males and that is immoral; and to promote black people and women ahead of white males. The idea is to have a non-racial society and a level-playing field- when is this going to happen? If any country should actively pursue non-racialism it should be this country, but no discrimination is built into legislation. The result? Things like the energy crises (which now affects the poor because the economy is not growing as much as it would without the energy crises- direct result of affirmative action – white males with skills were fired and given packages in groves since 1994. And double standards: I mean we have organisations like Black Sash, Black Management Forum, Black Farmers Association, Black Journalist Forum etc.- yet can you imagine the outcry if you had White Sash, White Management Forum, White Farmers Association, White Journalist Forum? And so-called ‘black empowerment’ is a farce and no empowerment at all- only very few of Mbeki’s friends are getting rich to the expense of the poor. I want to be in a country where my son will have all the opportunities he can get and where he can compete on an equal footing to others of his age.
5) Wastage of money and plain incompetence: we all know the issues that need to be addressed, and yet, money is spent on things like name chances, on expensive flights and luxury hotel stays for ministers etc. ESCOM bosses should’ve been fired due to incompetence, but no, the CEO still get his 11 MILLION Rand a year. And all the executives get their bonuses. I don’t want to even think about the billions that are being wasted and stolen in this country.
6) Injustice / international relations: I don’t know if you follow the news, but South Africa ALWAYS, without exception, vote against proposals that will enforce rules on dictators etc. Examples of this is Burma, Zimbabwe, Russia’s invasion in Georgia, Iran etc. etc. too many to mention. But surely due to our history we should be champions against injustice everywhere? But no, the rule that applies here- as long as the person is not your ally, he cannot do anything wrong. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe- that’s another 15 pages and SA could if it stood up for justice sorted this problem out long before it got out of hand, but no, ZanoPF has always been an ally to the ANC and thus whatever they do cannot be wrong. Not to talk about domestic affairs- our health minister, an alcoholic, basically stole a liver from somebody that needed it more, and she continues to drink, there is absolute no justice and she still sits in her post, why? Because she’s an ally of Mbeki. I want to be part of a country which stands up for justice.
I can mention many other reasons/examples but it will end up being a book. Maybe other people can see this injustice and it does not affect them, but I cannot, it goes against my grain. I cannot longer be confronted by this every living day of my life and expose my son to it in the future, I am very very sorry. This does not include all the advantages and opportunities in Australia, but that’s a whole other topic on its own.
Question
Emille
Some of the reasons why I am going
First of all I have to say 3 basic things: no 1: it’s a private choice for me to decide to emigrate, and it’s a private choice for you to choose to stay. We all need to make our own choices, we all have our own circumstances, our own destinies and our own personalities. No 2: nobody leaves this country, and especially this city, because they don’t love it, or because it’s not beautiful, or because it does not have advantages/positives. In fact it’s a very traumatic and sad thing to do- because you never get rid of your longing for the country and your loved ones until you die. No 3: I don’t criticize people for staying and I expect them not to criticize or even argue me for going. At the end those going will have to live with the consequences, and those staying have to live with the consequences.
That said, I can only share my point of view and my reasons, as I said it’s a personal issue:
The issues in this country are not just crime or hatred it is complex. Everybody ask me ‘why are we emigrating’ and it is exactly my answer every time: “it’s not just because of one reason but a whole lot of reasonsâ€. I will mention a few:
1) Safety: I want to live in a country where I don’t have to live in fear for my or my family’s safety. The facts of this country are the facts of this country- it IS one of the 3 most violent countries in the world, and that cannot be argued away. The question is do you want to expose your family to that risk or don’t you. Every day 5 people are murdered in Cape Town and that is 5 too many. In fact, more people are murdered in South Africa than in any other country that is not in a war. Every 13 seconds a woman is raped in this country. Just because it hasn’t happened to you does not mean that it cannot happen to you. And no, poverty is not the reason- many many countries are far poorer (African countries, India, Brazil etc) and yet their crimes are not as violent.
I for one don’t want to expose myself, my wife and my child to that risk. I have spend over R60 000 securing my house but at the end that does not guarantee anything. The psychological and mental effect on people from seeing and hearing about murder and rape every day and the fear of crime are substantial but this cannot be measured. The government is incapable of sorting this out. Due to affirmative action, they have lost so many competent investigators that it’s a sad state of affairs.
2) Financially: financially we are getting poorer and poorer in this country. This year, our salary increase is lower than inflation, which means I am effectively worse off than a year ago. This, coupled with increased food prices, and increased petrol prices, and high interest rates, we are becoming poorer and poorer. The Rand is getting progressively weaker and weaker over time (it lost 40% to the Dollar some time ago)- in 1999 the Rand to the Pound was R8=Pound1, now it’s R15. This means that I am effectively 50% poorer (therefore although that oil prices and food prices are world wide issues, the impact on us here is so much more because our Rand is weak). Again, the government is incapable of doing something about it- they still tax petrol prices very highly and refuses to let go on this. In fact, our petrol is exported to neighbouring countries that often pays less for it than what we pay here.
3) Career: I will be in this post for the next 25 years until I retire. There is nowhere to move to- I am not interested in working anywhere else in South Africa and there are no alternatives in Cape Town. As a white male my changes of opening a private firm is zero as in policy/strategy I will never be employed by local governments, provincial governments etc due to my skin colour. Staying here to ‘contribute to the country’ sounds nice and is well meaning, but in practice it does not work like that, not for me it doesn’t. I came back from London as a highly sought-after planner in London, and thought (naively) that I will be able to make a substantial contribution here and implement/advise South Africans on the most progressive solutions to urban issues. I have not been given the opportunity to do this, in part due to my skin colour.
4) Discrimination/racism: Fact is racism is racism, sexism is sexism- whether it’s a woman being sexist against a male, or vice versa, whether it’s a black person against a white person or vice versa. But not here: Its now 15 years after Apartheid, but still any criticism of the government, or in fact of any black person, is that the race card is thrown at you. Affirmative action is still in place, and in fact its implemented incorrectly (the intention by law is that if 2 people are exactly the same ito experience and qualifications, and the one is white and the other one black, then the black should get the job). It’s been used as an excuse to discriminate against white people and against males and that is immoral; and to promote black people and women ahead of white males. The idea is to have a non-racial society and a level-playing field- when is this going to happen? If any country should actively pursue non-racialism it should be this country, but no discrimination is built into legislation. The result? Things like the energy crises (which now affects the poor because the economy is not growing as much as it would without the energy crises- direct result of affirmative action – white males with skills were fired and given packages in groves since 1994. And double standards: I mean we have organisations like Black Sash, Black Management Forum, Black Farmers Association, Black Journalist Forum etc.- yet can you imagine the outcry if you had White Sash, White Management Forum, White Farmers Association, White Journalist Forum? And so-called ‘black empowerment’ is a farce and no empowerment at all- only very few of Mbeki’s friends are getting rich to the expense of the poor. I want to be in a country where my son will have all the opportunities he can get and where he can compete on an equal footing to others of his age.
5) Wastage of money and plain incompetence: we all know the issues that need to be addressed, and yet, money is spent on things like name chances, on expensive flights and luxury hotel stays for ministers etc. ESCOM bosses should’ve been fired due to incompetence, but no, the CEO still get his 11 MILLION Rand a year. And all the executives get their bonuses. I don’t want to even think about the billions that are being wasted and stolen in this country.
6) Injustice / international relations: I don’t know if you follow the news, but South Africa ALWAYS, without exception, vote against proposals that will enforce rules on dictators etc. Examples of this is Burma, Zimbabwe, Russia’s invasion in Georgia, Iran etc. etc. too many to mention. But surely due to our history we should be champions against injustice everywhere? But no, the rule that applies here- as long as the person is not your ally, he cannot do anything wrong. Zimbabwe Zimbabwe- that’s another 15 pages and SA could if it stood up for justice sorted this problem out long before it got out of hand, but no, ZanoPF has always been an ally to the ANC and thus whatever they do cannot be wrong. Not to talk about domestic affairs- our health minister, an alcoholic, basically stole a liver from somebody that needed it more, and she continues to drink, there is absolute no justice and she still sits in her post, why? Because she’s an ally of Mbeki. I want to be part of a country which stands up for justice.
I can mention many other reasons/examples but it will end up being a book. Maybe other people can see this injustice and it does not affect them, but I cannot, it goes against my grain. I cannot longer be confronted by this every living day of my life and expose my son to it in the future, I am very very sorry. This does not include all the advantages and opportunities in Australia, but that’s a whole other topic on its own.
E
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