By Alec Hogg
On my regular visits back to South Africa these past two years, I’ve noticed a worrying and accelerating trend among white folk. Increasingly I’m meeting up with people who tell me they are planning a foreign future for their children.
It baffled me until reading reading a generally upbeat IRR report on its latest research into race relations. Headlined “Reasons for Hope”, the report released last Wednesday highlights how over 90% of South Africans of all races say they need each other, and that three quarters of Black respondents say they have never personally experienced racism.
But an angry pimple in the results is the belief among 61% of Black respondents that “SA is now a country for black Africans and whites must take second place.” Given increasingly potent BEE and Employment Equity legislation, it’s clear lawmakers feel justified in playing to this view.
It’s a destructive perception which needs addressing. No parent would want their child to be a second class citizen in their land of birth simply because of the colour of their skin. So for white parents to seek foreign pastures for their offspring is entirely rational. But surely not what the young democracy’s founding fathers intended.
On 28 March 2018 Capitec Bank CEO Gerrie Fourie will host various analysts during a briefing of the banks 2018 Annual Results from 08h00-09h00. You can follow this full presentation which will be followed by an interview with Fourie live here on Biznews.
Comment from Biznews community member John Carter
Your note on this issue reflects the genuine fear on the ground where a significant segment of those in ‘authority’ or with influence are deliberately aiming ‘non-black’ youngsters below their potential in education and in other queues as the country goes through ‘realignment’ [or as one dutch friend said ‘payback time!’]Of course it is understandable but where folks have any prospects elsewhere they are seriously considering them.I think there are two issues predominating and many prospective solutions;
- Payback time is a factor but also putting every name in the hat and drawing by lot inevitably puts a white kid at best into a 1 in 10 situation that is exacerbated by the slant towards BEE in legislation and in mind-set regardless and sometimes perhaps as a penalty regardless of ability. Thus white [and brown] kids are likely to fall into a worse than 1 in 10 situation. They are also likely to find their own progress hampered by a lower academic level surrounding them. So obviously concerned parents look elsewhere and will do so until a better mind-set or system is developed. If they were not threatened with ‘helot’ status they might stay [see 2 below].
- It seems to me that Government and the ‘nouveau’ leaders all see South Africa as an existing pie to be carved up by the now enlarged eligible population; which would see everyone getting a small slice and those currently holding the assets faced with [urged, cajoled, threatened, intimidated, call it what you will but essentially] a quasi expropriation of their possessions. A major case in point is that of the farmers who are being used as a political football and threatened and maligned etc and squeezed to abandon or dump their farms and livelihoods. This process is compounded by the difficulties of raising finance by ‘whites’ despite the trumpeted equality. Fact is by including farmers in a National Smart Partnership Process [a la CPTM] with recognition of their rights and their inclusion as quality players WOULD see an explosion of growth in farming and beneficiation. The current programme of vilification, exclusion will see ongoing collapse and eventual arrival of new technical ‘partners’ much less likely to include the black communities in real empowerment – think Chinese mindsets!
- The current land incursions promoted by Malema and the other irresponsibles actually is a simple way forward if properly managed – and I do not propose invasion. Having been [long ago involved] in Township Development, I know how Government could organise purchase of large tracts adjacent to cities and towns for home building where with dedicated fast track rail or bus services and dedicated business and industrial facilities we could cater for the current dispossessed. By modifying size and introducing ‘allotment’ options they could satisfy the ‘cultivation hunger’. It is not rocket science but it does need discussion and competent, honest input.
