Search
My name is Kenneth and I write cool Mac and iPhone software. This is my personal weblog where I post about stuff I find interesting. I usually write about Mac development, the business of shareware and the Mac community in general.
read more →South Africa, or “The Rainbow Nation”, as some call it, may seem like a beautiful country with amazing leaders. After all, 4 Nobel Peace Prize have been awarded to South African politicians.
But in reality, all is not well. Far from that. Here is why:
- Electricity shortages
Since mid-2007, Cape Town has been experiencing repeated power outages, sometimes lasting a few days. Now electricity shortages have reached the whole of South Africa, and every day there’s 4h without any kind of power. If you do the Maths, this means that a sixth of the time, there is no electricity. For a year, there will be two months without electricity!
Not only South Africa is affected, but all of Southern Africa. Countries like Swaziland, Botswana or Zimbabwe, who rely on South Africa for their electricity are also down. There are even rumors that Eskom (South Africa’s electricity utility company) is cutting neighboring countries’ power for every weekends.
In 1997, we were warned this would happen. An official document described that if the target economy growth per year goal of 6% p.a. was reached, we wouldn’t have enough power by 2007. The actual growth rate for the past 10 year was 5% p.a. They were warned, and yet the incompetents in charge did nothing. This is how corrupt the country is. The wealthy men in charge use their power for personal gain, and they of course are safe while the rest of the country is in a chaos.
No electricity sounds like a mere inconvenience. After all, our ancestors have lived without power for centuries. But it has far bigger consequences on the country as a whole. Car accidents are so common here that there isn’t a day going by where I don’t see at least one road accident. How much worse do you think not having traffic lights will make it? The road will be a total chaos. There will be traffic-jams everywhere.
South Africa is a dangerous place. Every home is equipped with an alarm system. But of course, alarm systems require electricity. Perfect opportunity for someone to break in. Garage doors and gates too are powered by electricity. If you’ve left your door closed when the power cut arrises (which, by the way, is the safe thing to do if you don’t want your car stolen), you’re stuck at home.
The biggest result of this that affects everybody first-hand is refrigeration. Food is kept in fridges and freezers for a reason. Otherwise, they rot, melt, or become inedible.
In Cape Town, during one of those power cuts that lasted 5 hours, more than a hundred tourists were stuck hanging on a cable between Table Mountain and Cape Town. 900 were stuck at the top of the mountain. For FIVE HOURS!
Entire businesses are going down. Any business that relies on computers now has major problems. No work is going to get done while the power is done. And on top of that, there is data loss, file corruption etc. Communication too is down. All modern wireless home phones rely on electricity, and thus and unreachable and unusable during the cuts.
Do I really need to go on?
This is supposed to continue regularly until 2013, when they will finally have finished building the first new power plant.
- Led by a rapist
As if the electricity shortages weren’t enough.
Have you ever heard of Jacob Zuma? He is president of the leading political party, the ANC, and soon-to-be president of South Africa. Problem is, this man is a RAPIST! And by rape I do not mean where the woman wakes up the next morning and realizes she’s hungover and probably shouldn’t have done what she did. By rape I mean violently forcing a woman into nonconsensual sex.That’s what Mr. Zuma did, and he got away with it. And now he is about to become president. You must wonder, how did this ever happen in a democracy? Yeah, that’s what I’m wondering too.
In court, he claimed that he took a shower after the rape, thus protecting himself from HIV/AIDS and other diseases. What a great example for his country…
To top it off, he is also facing corruption charges.
- Crime, Rape and AIDS
from South African political satirist, Zapiro.South Africa is ranked N°1 for number in homicide per capita and rape.
Statistically, a teenaged girl has more chances to be raped than to learn to read.
Combined with AIDS, this makes South Africa the most dangerous country for women. One in five South Africans is infected. By 2010, we are expecting a cumulative death toll of 5.7 millions due to AIDS. Imagine if everybody in both Durban and Cape Town died. That’s how many people 5.7 million is. Alternatively, picture everyone living in Los Angeles and Paris combined dying. (Note: City populations include only the city itself)
Due to the incompetence of our leaders, no effective action is taken to prevent the epidemic. Indigenous locals rape virgin girls because they traditionally believe that having sex with a virgin will cure them from AIDS. But obviously the only thing achieved is spreading of the epidemic.
DISCLAIMER: I am not South African, but I have lived here for more than 3 years, which is more than enough for me to be disgusted by this country forever.
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 24th, 2008 at 9:07 pm and is filed under English, Politics, Rants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Add your thoughts!
[…] country with amazing leaders. After all, 4 Nobel Peace Prize have been awarded to South Africahttp://www.seoxys.com/reasons-why-you-dont-want-to-live-in-south-africa/Of all units affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, individuals …File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View […]
you say you haved lived in south africa for 3 years. i do hope by now you have done our country the favour of leaving and going back to where you came from.
negativity creates negativity and that is the last thing we need right now. i am a south african living overseas, making good money and living safely, but i plan to return home in december for good. south africa is a beautiful, diverse country with so much potential and so many wonderful people. we have the greatest sense of humour, adapt easily to change, and i for one (having travelled the world on and off for the last nine years) would never want to live anywhere else. all my friends living overseas are slowly starting to make their way back home. rugby, braais, beautiful sunsets….you are clearly undeserving of it all. GO HOME.
lynn, you are of course correct when you say that I should leave. Indeed, I am living come the end of the year, for good. When I first came here, I had high hopes for this country, but as time went by, things became worse every minute. I have only been disappointed and disgusted by this country. The conditions of living are terrible. It’s good for tourism, but definitely not to live here.
Every country that is lead by tribal blacks is in Choas. Zimbabwe is a classic example of a nation that was lead by Ian Smith in which Zim economy was amung the best in the world. It is now a shit-hole. Uganda, Angola, all of west Africa, Sudan, CAR Congo Rawanda Zim and even SA. What was SA like 20 or 30 years ago? I do not agree with killing people black or White. If a person is to stupid, or honest to lead then leadership should be done by the ones capable of doing so. Having enough food and not having murder in the streets is a goon measuring stick ti determine who should lead.
I am an African -American Sales executive who has visited South Africa twice in 2007 and once this year with plans to return in the fall. I have fallen in love with the country, the people. I experienced the brown outs in Johannesburg this past April…and will be interested in how the problem gets resolved. I intend to retire to the country and operate a bed and breakfast there. While I also intend to have private back up generators for the comfort of guests, I have a direct interest in the power issue being resolved. I think that all who wish to live there or do need to work cooperatively to resolve issues central to the well being to the people.
It is a good country with great potential…and I look forward to calling it home.
we dont need wankers like you in south africa anyway, so thanks for the favour of not wanting to live there….what a jerk
One gets used to live in constant fear of being the victim of crime in South Africa. It was only when I visited my children in the UK that I realized what a normal society should be like. I enjoyed the long walks and the sightseeing trips without always having to look over my shoulder. Older people are seen everywhere on the busses and doing nature walks. They seem much younger than seniors in this country because here one is locked up because it is too dangerous to go out on one’s own.
How there you speak of South Africa like this!! I can bet you my last cent that you are from one of those European countries. I’m sure I am correct with that. That is why WE South Africans say that Africa is NO place for sissys.
Every country in the world has its own problems and I gues maybe thats why you ended up staying in SA for 3 years. We are proud of South Africa and what we have achieved and still to achieve. It is Persimists like you that we do not need in our country because instead of bringing growth, you try to let us down. I would be very much happy if YOU NEVER Set your foot in our beautiful country again.
What do you say about the racial abuses experienced by black players who are playing in Europe, especially Spain, Italy and The People’s “Favourite” England? Don’t you for a second realise that Europe needs civilisation more than Africans do? As for one of the other respondends, yes you should walk freely in UK as I also walk freely in SA since that is where I belong. Im pretty much sure that you have exploited South Africa for 3 years and now you are saying you won’t come back here.
We are trying by all means to be accomodative as Africans but It’s people like you that want to drive us into the mentality of Zimbabwe (would you like that?).
I have visited South Africa once and loved it. Of coarse there is going to be crime, just like EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD. It realy all depends on how you look at things, if you want to see things possotivly, then you will, however, if you look at things in a negative maner (which to many people do these days) then you will see everything with a negative perseption. South Africa is the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Nkosi sikeli afrika! :-)
The guys right. I been in SA all my life. those of you living in slighter better off areas are insulated from the bullshit the rest of us deal with on a daily basis. SA is a shitty place and i’ll be so glad to get the hell outta here in a few years time. Yes, everywhere has problems. But at least there they make an effort to solve it. Not here. Here they make excuses and we’re expected to just accept this shit
South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries I have visited, short of my own home, Canada. But it is warmer, which is a treat.
I love the people, love the sights and sounds, but not keen on the violence. There’s an “extreme sports” aspect to a mid-day walk - if you know what you’re doing and keep your eyes open, you’ll probably be just fine, and have a very enjoyable time. But if you make one mis-step or lose focus for a second, it can very easily go pear-shaped, and it’s game-over for you mate.
Now extreme sports can certainly give you a good workout - such as running like hell to the next “safe haven” doorway or 7-Eleven in Capetown’s CBD on a lonely Sunday afternoon when someone’s running down your a$$.
Or driving at night on the N2 thru Khayelitscha with your lights out and swerving back and forth for fear of sniper fire and rocks being thrown off bridges.
All that being said, SA is one of the most beautiful enchanting places on earth, and I would live there in a heartbeat (with the right protection of course).
You mainly get 2 types of hens here in the UK: Caged hens or the free range types:
If you intend to spend your life on earth in a plastic safe environment created by others, don’t stay in SA. You will end up with a 2.5 meter fence, a security system to protect your CCTV cameras from being stolen, a burglar alarm and fire arms to protect you against all possible dangers. You WILL end up frustrated because the government will not look after your “very important” needs.
On the other hand… if you are committed to use your God given opportunities to leave this blue dot hanging somewhere in space somehow better than you found it, South Africa might just be the place for you. There are HUGE things happening, but to discover them you will need to leave your security complexes.
After 8 years in the UK I am on my way back to South Africa just because…… I’m no frieken caged hen!!!
What “kindafa” chicken are you?
I want all of you negetive misplaced foreigners out of my country for Good.
We are trying to build this country and the way I see it, you might as well scram if your not contributing positivley.
I’m sure for 3 years, you have experienced the best weather on the planet
The best beaches and sunsets.
Now just because ur employer decided not to renew ur contract because u are the wrong color is not our business
I say fuck-off and godd riddance, gaaphuuu
hi people ! i want to live in south africa and open up a b/b for the holiday trade……… will i be safe and live life fearly peacefull ?
South Africa is by far my favourite country on Earth! It’s awesome! I’ve lived in Australia, America, several countries in Europe (I’m British) and am proudly emigrating to South Africa in July. This negativity from some people confuses the hell out of me.
Having scoped out job opportunities there compared to Europe and NAmerica at the moment, I was surprised to see there are MORE available to me. My professional friends in South Africa earn salaries on a par with, or sometimes even better, than equivalent posts in Europe and America - but in a country that costs 1/3 - 1/4 as much! The standard of living is astounding.
From my point of view, I’ve done business on and off there for 10 years, and it’s become my most profitable sector - even overtaking the US (and long ago taking over Europe). Before that I holidayed there too. I’ve now spent, collectively, several years there and just love the place.
Also, I’ve never been the victim of crime in South Africa, but I have been four times in Europe (three times UK, once Italy). Now I am not foolish, I know that it’s an issue in SA, but I have found that practicing common sense is all that one need do. I walk around Cape Town all the time, with no ill effect. I wouldn’t lightly do that in Johannesburg, but even there have never had a real problem.
The electricity problem is resolved as far as I understand. I did have the misfortune of being there in Feb / March 2008 when the load shedding was in place - but that was temporary and there have been no problems since. Also, let’s remember that SA supports a half dozen other countries electricity needs! We couldn’t do that without struggling. That’s not an excuse, the people in charge should’ve been more on the ball, but things should be kept in perspective. And as I say, the problem has essentially gone - now that the urgently required maintenance that started the problem has been finished.
As for the politics – of course there are things of concern, but when does a politicians conduct ultimately effect the individual? Yes, when they are an evil despot like Mugabe they DO. But is Zuma like that? I really don’t think so. An ambitious, rather unscrupulous, charismatic popularist – yes. A ‘I will ruin everything’ despot? No. And let’s face it, living in London now I have a racist, misogynistic, homophobic, immature, arrogant twat as my mayor. And soon we’ll have a spoiled, aloof, arrogant public school toff leading the whole country – so let’s not pretend that we’re above bad politics!
As for bureaucracy, having had a LOT to do with South Africa (and lord knows its far from perfect) it’s sooooooooooooooo superior to the UK. Everything takes ages here, with no option out. And the PRIVATE sector is INFINITELY superior in South Africa. Efficient, cheap and quick 95% of the time, whereas it took me years in the UK to find people who will do the job even half decently for me. I find life there vastly quicker, and more efficient – and that facilitates productivity and a quality of life that I simply cannot have in Europe (or even North America, though it is also very productive and efficient).
I find South Africa the most beautiful country on Earth. I have never bee anywhere that knocked my socks off like it does. Just incredible. I find Cape Town the most beautiful city in the world, and when you add the game areas, mountain ranges, coastal areas, deserts etc. - South Africa simply astounds.
And the weather is the best I have ever known. Yes, counting the Med, California and Australia - it’s DEFINITELY the best. I laughed when South African friends said that the main reason they would never live in Cape Town is it’s weather! That’s despite it having more sunshine than any city in Europe, more than San Francisco, 6 degree warmer weather than San Francisco, and a clasically Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters, dry hot summers with Ocean wind) which everywhere else in the world is considered awesome! I know what they mean though, since Cape Town ‘only’ has 9 months of good weather a year! Johannesburgers laugh, as they have 11 & 1/2 months of brilliant weather!
I agree with everyone saying that negativity gets us nowhere. I am not saying be an Ostrich, but heaven sakes South Africa has SO many positives it seems that ignoring them makes one a different kind of Ostrich! I will proudly call myself a South African resident from July this year, and I cannot wait!
Dude, its cunts like you- who come to south africa, cunts like you- who chanted free mandela - cunts like you and your fuckdumb utopia vision from afar, now you here and you see the fuckup - cunts like you who in the first week land and say - to us locals, oh you oprressor, you who brought apartheid, well now you see what this country is about ,
one message for you- gaan huistoe jou sleg poes ons het jou soort nie nodig nie - en as ek jou sien , gee ek vir jou ‘n ma se poes klap vokken terug huistoe, jou eter
Are you stupid man how can you be hating on south africa that much. If you have seen the ANC is becoming the leading laughing stock of the nation. Even a noble prize winner is against it (hint mr tutu). Electricity shortages were scheduled so if you didn’t prepare then that was your own fault, they even made timetables available. The shortages aren’t affecting the whole country may be just your house, so just pay your bills man. Crime & stuff i can agree apon but those stats include the townships & this being a 3rd world country there is a lot of them & of course you could expect crime there its like the “hood” in america. Don’t forget that south africa is hosting the soccer world cup & fifa would not have let SA host if they found this country to be unsafe. The “crime ridden” country has held world class events without any problems ICC Pro20 world cup even IPL is coming here because they are fearing the players safety in some country i won’t mention.
Lets face it South Africa is going down the shitter, but that is no reason for some dumbshit like you to be so negative. Europe was a shit hole for a long time, America was and still is one of the most hypocritical countries on this planet. Us true South Africans know that this country can once again be great like it was pre 1994 and I am not referring to aprtheid but to how strong the economy was. If the DA were to beat the ANC then this country would be tops. So please fuck off and don’t come back when we’re tops.
You people have got to be joking. I’ve never seen such an example of ignorant, in denial, self serving/loving my nice life arseholes, ever. Did any of you actually understand the message that the first post was saying? Your peurile responses about loving the open spaces, what a nice place to live, glory be to “good ol’ SA” had nothing to do with what he/she was saying. Your collective denial/dismissal/lets not talk about that/ of the issues raised is unbelievable. Have any one of you ever been raped? Can you understand the concept of a baby, yes a baby, not just a virgin, being raped because it might cure the rapist of aids? Do you know that this is a belief unique to Africa and that it is as endemic there as aids itself? Do you care? I think not. Why? Because not one response to that post even mentioned it. I know that some of the other issues he raised are just as applicable to other countries, but why didn’t anyone pay tribute to this terrible atrocity?
Terrible things happen when the sunsets and the beauty of the land cease to have meaning for the people who have had it all taken away from them.
You can paint the picture as pleasantly as you wish. I spent 6 months in Iraq recently, and between all coallition forces and Iraqi’s combined there were still less deaths than in Johannesburg ALONE.
The country is burning, and it will be a matter of time before the guilty parties finish what they started. Do you want to know who they are??
Here’s a clue….they’re not white.
So, the outside world who constantly put pressure on South-Africa to stop appartheid finally realized that they did NOT know what they were talking about. The ones who wanted to teach us how to run our country, in fact did NOT have any idea how to run a country like SA effectively. BLACKS CAN NOT RUN A CHIP SHOP, SO HOW CAN THEY RUN A COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!
all i have to say is:::: all u people blaming SA are completely unfair… it isn’t our country’s fault we have sick perverted freaks raping babies…. fight those people then, don’t take it out on South Africa in general!!!!
South Africa use to be good, very long ago. I left about two years ago, after being robbed a few times, hijacked twice and my friends killed in their house for R100.00!!
I will raise my kids in a safe place where they can still enjoy playing outside!
Tsuari and Mangcola is clearly not white people, because no white will be on a beach at sunset.
It is not only places like JHB that is unsafe. Any person seriously considering moving to South Africa must get hold of a few news papers and magazine`s from SA. Get the facts from the real people, not the government!
I have made a very good friend from SA. She moved here with her husband and children in January and I hired her to work with me at my work. She is a smart hard working lady. One of the most amazing people I have ever met. However, she did tell me all the atrocities that go on over there, hence why they left. And she is by far NOT racist, but she does feel that the black people are the cause of most of the problems. I was shocked when she told me three black men walked into her friends home with AK-47s. Her children were there playing with her friends children. They got the kids on the ground and threatened to kill them, pointing guns at them, they robbed the whole house and even took their cellphones. When the police caught up with the perpertrators, they just let them go free!!! They were never charged, they just walked away laughing. They never got their stuff back. These were little kids, her daughter was about 11 at the time. Imagine that happening to your child in your home. She could have been raped or they could have been murdered. The kids also had a knife pulled on them in the street for their cellphone. I freaking cellphone?!?!?! This was in Durban where they lived. She also told me about the disgusting act of raping babies to cure AIDS??? Im sorry but that is just mental and crazy! She now works at another company round the corner as we had to sell the company she was running here. She emailed me today and says she misses “home”. I think it is very unfair that the decent people in SA should have to be torn between loving their home, but hating the way their country is being managed and feeling like they are being forced out. Living in constant fear is not living. All countries have their faults, but wouldnt it be nice to be able to stop at the lights without getting carjacked/murdered? Or got to the supermarket and not have to pay someone to watch over your car? Or go to the beach and not have people start having sex right next to you in front of children? That is how my friend feels. I couldnt imagine not feeling safe in my own country. I hope the good South Africans take a stand and take their country back.
Crime in the sun is far better than peace in the rain. I have been living in England for 9 years and I can confidently say that the grass is indeed greener. But that is purely due to the amount of rain and shit that is all over this England. Give me South Africa any day. You are not a true South African. It is not in your blood. You will never love a country you were not born in. Go home and make room for those of us that want to come back. Graphic design, ha, pussy.
Any rant about South Africa has got to include discussion of the Afrikaans. I have lived all over the world with work including a time in South Africa. It is hard not to meet people you like in all countries. However so many Afrikaans I met were unpleasant, insular, ignorant, chippy, obnoxious and dull. The only shame of the end of apartheid is how many of them have moved overseas where they have a very bad reputation in business and socially. I note a couple of De Whet types on here howling to the website author to leave. Please do the rest of us a favour on the same lines. Stay in South Africa talking ignorant crap at your braae, whining about all other races, congratulating yourself on being so tough (read boorish) and do not leave without developing some charm, manners, losing the massive chip and maybe getting some additional education. Thanks.
I am nigerian n i love southafrica. I wann live there by 2011. Can anybody help me out??
Happy 2010, i’ve just stumbled on to this article now after two years of it being written, would have loved to see it before, i wonder if you have left the country already Mr South Africa is a shitty place to live, if so All the best in your new country anyway its a bit too late but i’ll put my view in anyway, i’d be first to admit that South Africa is facing serious problems: crime, corruption, poor infrastructure and service and now after 16 years of democracy we are still facing some of these issues but for some of us Aficans such things are not reason enough to give up on this country, there is just so much oppotunity and possiblity, we are a country alive with possibilty, what we don’t need in this country is people who have lost their hope, who have no vision, no mission, no clue as to how to contribute, many of our countrymen and sadly many of the white south africans mostly who still live in absolute luxury and comfort compared to most of all the black people have turned their backs on this country, the very same people who denied us equal opportunity, freedom of movement, right to wealth and gain, right to land, right to provide for ones family these very people are complaining about the result of their doing as if this was the black mans fault… its all our fault because we never chose to build an equal, prosperious society in the turn of the 20th century instead we chose to oppress one another, deny one another the human right to live in ones own land freely and now its all our responsability to fix this country, whether black or white or asian, we all have to put in the work, so some of you have given up already then leave!!! so be it but stop whining and crying we’ve had enough, either you contribute to helping this country grow or pack your bags and go…
My husband is South African and while he and his family are wonderful in my experience most South Africans are not.
The South African attitude to women is heartbreaking. That the president is a polygamist rapist says it all really.
My husband’s best friend told me women deserve to be raped for going outside on their own at night.
(Yes he speaks to his best friends wife like that - typical South African man.)
The trains are incredibly dangerous, god help you if your car breaks down (especially if you’re a woman at night ‘cause then you know what you deserve).
Whenever I am in South Africa the news is full of child rape stories.
I challenge anyone to spend longer than 5 minutes with a White South African (who lives in South Africa) without the conversation turning to affirmative action and how unfair it is now blacks have rights.
On top of this London (the city of my birth) is full of South Africans complaining about how much they hate London, without the decency to leave, which at least is what the writer of this blog is doing.
All these statements are generalizations of course they don’t apply to every single South African but it does apply to far too many of them.
I am a white male South African 25 year old. I have a growing sadness about this country that seems to be going downhill. All those considering coming here please remember that you may someday regret it. A traumatic life threatening experience is not something you get over overnight.
I don’t like the generalisations about South Africans. Complainers are everywhere. I for one am nothing like what Kay described and none of my friends are. No woman deserves to be raped, not in a million lifetimes!!! Please remember that most South Africans abroad have no place to call home anymore. They left for a reason and this is hard for them. This generation has to deal with this unfortunately.
I am considering leaving simply because I feel unsafe in my home. Just a week ago a guy a few houses away was shot for his cellphone. Not a single member of my family has not fallen victim to crime at some point. Criminals wonder the streets at night looking for security gaps. I was once held at knife point.
I and many like me struggle because its either tear yourself away of continue to live like this. It really is a beautiful country and thats why its so difficult. I am not trying to be negative. I just wish I could live in a safe and sound society. I have lived in England and its crappy. But a choice between crappy and life threatening is not all that hard to make.
I hope with all my heart SA changes for the good. I love this country and will miss it everyday. I might stay… Oh crap, I am back at square 1!
Im sorry to tell you but you cant really juge SA because every place got their own problems ya I hope you dont have tunnel vision about your future Country because you may be dissapointed!!!
Hi
I might be a bit late…
Whoever the fuck u r to pen this shit bout my country and its people, go the fuck to where u com from…. And if i ever c u useless being again in my country, i will personally moer u back into the whole that gave u life
Have something to say?
Additional comments powered by BackType