South Africa's World Cup legacy
The vuvuzelas have stopped punctuating every moment. Most cars have shed their flags. And the newspapers are slowly returning to their more regular diet of introspection and gloom.
Yes, the World Cup is nearly over here, and South Africa is wondering what it all meant, and what comes next.
A couple of days ago I spent the afternoon in Sweetwaters - a bleak township south west of Johannesburg - surrounded by tin shacks, shoeless children playing in the dirt, and a dozen teenaged boys furiously kicking at an old football.
The tallest boy, Lindo Sithebe, 18, folded his arms solemnly. "The World Cup is not for people like us," he said without expression. "The World Cup is not for places like this."
After weeks of euphoria, confidence, and vuvuzelas, it was a sobering moment, a reminder that a month of football is not necessarily going to transform South Africa.
But a few yards away, I ran into a group of middle-aged women who begged to differ.
There were five of them, sitting on upturned plastic tubs behind Esther's vegetable stall, catching the fading warmth of the afternoon sun.
Sharon, tall and argumentative, was drinking beer and complaining that she didn't have enough blankets at home.
But all five women were in agreement about the World Cup. Samantha Mphahleni put it best.
"It's much easier to say I'm a South African now. It makes you feel proud. It makes you feel more alive."
Pride and confidence are hard things to measure. But in recent years, South Africa seems to have been running low on both. The magic of the Mandela era has been wearing off.
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But over the past month, the change I've seen has been remarkable.
White families - faces painted with the national flag - have ventured onto buses and into black townships for the very first time - giddy with the sense of discovering their own country.
Immigrants from around the continent have rubbed shoulders in crowded bars. Sharp-dressed Congolese, laid-back Zimbabweans, rowdy Ghanaians with their drums and body paint. All united by a rare, but tangible sense of pan-African unity.
Then there are the fans from further afield - shocked to find, as one columnist put it here, that they're more likely to be killed by kindness than by criminals in South Africa.
I was in Bloemfontein for England's final performance against Germany. After the match, the fans poured out into a nearby shopping centre, to drink, mingle, and sing.
I stood watching one group with two black South African office workers. "Your fans are amazing," said one of the women. "We were all scared they would be hooligans. What is that wonderful song they're singing?" It was actually something about German bombers and the RAF. But I didn't spoil the moment for her.
Now, of course, the holiday is nearly over, and a "back to school" feeling is starting to grow here.
A few days ago I managed to grab a moment with President Jacob Zuma. He was at yet another tightly choreographed Fifa event, looking less exhausted that I expected.
Mr Zuma is a bit like his country - his background is turbulent, heroic, and in recent years buffeted by scandal. He's a man of big appetites, and flaws, and enormous personal charm.
After the tournament South Africa, he assured me, would never be the same again. He spoke of the upgraded infrastructure, of the social cohesion, of the invaluable experience gained by police, government and so many other groups.
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But now comes the hard part. The authorities here have finally shown how competent they can be, given a real deadline and enough commitment. But that is, frankly, something of an exception.
South Africa may be a stable, stunning, sophisticated democracy. But it is faced with high unemployment, a crippling housing shortage, a school system in crisis, and one of the world's biggest wealth gaps. The government's record in tackling these problems is nothing to boast of.
"We cannot go back," said Mr Zuma. "We must maintain this momentum, and build on our successes."
Let's hope he can because expectations here have just risen sharply.
Back in Sweetwaters, Samantha and her friends said goodbye and walked back to their tin homes before the sun dipped below the hillside.
The day before, President Zuma had paid an unexpected visit to the township. He'd handed over the keys to three smart new houses built by a charity for some of the poorest residents.
"I saw him," said Samantha, "in the flesh". She's lived for the past 17 years, in a shack the size of a garden shed. She shares it with five others.
"I believe the World Cup will change my life," she said. "I hope it will. Zuma came here and gave us answers. Now I have faith in him. Anything is possible."
A version of this report appeared on From Our Own Correspondent.
I’m 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~58~RS~)
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The poor have become tourist attractions. For every poor kid that realizes the dream of athletic enrichment thousands die in violence and starvation...the media likes to show those who escape but that always reminds me of some poor sole who had their entire unit wiped out during some war and they are the only survivor. Behind those smiles is always a deep deep sadness.
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South Africa has a proud but fractured history. If this is the next step toward ecomonic and social progress then it has been a good excercise. Unfortunately I fear there is still a long way to go.
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Even if anything positive came out of the world cup, this blog like so many, isn't interested in pointing that out. It's another lets feel sorry for/bash Africa fest.
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I may be missing the big picture, but the gobs of money they used to build those soon-to-be-derelict stadiums could have lifted so many of the SA people out of the poverty they were in.
As the kid said, 'the world cup is not for us', it was for us - the people with tv, food, internet and the luxuries in life.
3rd world governments focusing on trivialities such as the world cup (which I love btw) means they're ignoring the real problems in their country so there will always be a long way to go.
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Here we go, the first in a long line of articles about the end of "World Cup Euphoria". Hopefully all the others will be as balanced as this one, but I fear they won't be. Doom and gloom sells newspapers much better than euphoria (even though SA always offers as much of the latter as the former).
As Bill Maher says "If there's one thing I hate more than a prophecy, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy". I fear the effect of the inevitable doom-mongering gutter journalists on the much-needed feelgood factor in SA.
As for those who say the stadium-building money would have been better spent on housing or whatever, I genuinely believe that more houses are likely to be built as a result of having hosted the WC. Spend the money on houses and you have a few houses. Spend the money on something that improves the country's image, self-confidence and morale, and you have the chance to do far more.
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biffa_bacon
You are correct but human beings and governments have been ignoring the poor since earliest times. Rio will wipe out slums for the next Cup and fence many of the inhabitants away from the tourist. Millions will be made and the poor will remain poor. Over the next four years there will stories of corrupt politicians and contractors making millions off of building facilities and no one will be punished. Poor protesting involunatry displacement will be arrested. The Stadiums being built for the Commonwealth games in India have already begun to unearth abuse of workers and no or little pay and most sleeping on the grounds where they are being built. The wealthy and corrupt always abuse the poor and are always shocked when revolutions come.
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I think this blog is fair. So far Andrew has tried to provide a balanced view of things. He has been to the poor, middle class and affluent areas. He may not be perfect but he does try his best. His reporting is much better than Sky for example and the tabloid press (who having failed in trying to destroy the image of South Africa since January 2010 - ANC, payed some soused fan to gatecrash the England dressing room - that failed too). The revenue generated from the world cup will help build schools, roads, hospitals and much needed facilities in the poor areas. I feel the government is really serious about this. SA want to host the Olympics in 2022. Go for it i say.
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Lets hope that when the World Media comes to UK for the Olympics Games and Commonwealth Games that they take their own 'township' tours of the two cities most deprived areas and enlighten their viewers on the poverty, crime, drugs and sexual abuse.
Perhaps we might see western middle class visitors sitting having jellied eels in an East End pub or visitors sitting in Kilmarnock's 'The Scheme' pub having a fish supper with the locals. Or perhaps we might see western visitors riding in 'white township tour mini buses' around Tower Hamlets or the east end of Glasgow taking photo's of people through the windows.
South Africa has put on an amazing World Cup to which the world should be so proud. Share in the glory that such an event was put on against all the negativity that the world media placed on them.
I will raise a toast to all those in Southern African who made this event happen and made it happen in a true African way.
Nkosi Sikelel Africa
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South Africa sweet South Africa...
We're gleaming with pride after being given the chance to host the SWC. The infrastructure developed for this event will benefit the country for generations to come,Gautrain, Riya Vaya buses and the special courts are but a few to mention. Yes it might seem trivial to people from a 1st world nation but for us, its progress!We will continue to struggle for the better in this historic country of ours.
Im proud of being a South African, warm vibrant colourful AFRICA!
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I have always wondered if a country like SA could really justify the money they invested in the infrastructure. Even the more wealthier countries with a far lower unemployment rate would never make the same financial commitment. And those countries - like the UK and others in west European - would have the ongoing opportunity to make regular use of the stadiums after staging the World Cup, with similar football tournaments and pop concerts, for example.
South Africa isn't the same as it is too remotely distant, 'off the beaten track', but maybe there is hope that the more wealthier rugby fans will now make use of these new first-class facilities?
I apologise for being so pessimistic, but might I make a suggestion? BBC News should re-visit SA in 6 or 12 months time and they can see for themselves as to whether the country and its people have benefited, and whether those stadiums have been put to good use since FIFA 2010.
("FOR SALE: Several Football Stadiums, Perfect Brand New Condition"...)
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What is it with the British Media? Six months ago we were treated to the Daily Star and its "Machete wars in South Africa"
OK lets fast forward to the Olympics to be held in Britain
Imagine the worlds press descending on Heathrow and and spreading out across England, will we get articles like yours about
Slum high rises in the inner cities
No go areas for the police in towns such as Manchester
Will we find hundreds of unemployed, underfed in Liverpool? Will there be interviews with Muslims with a raging hatred for their adopted county, interviews with Polish farm workers?
Will we have stories of the crime rate in Leeds?
Prostitutes in Bradford?
The prison population?
The shocking school feeding scheme that is failing generations
Immigrants who sleep rough in the streets
I could go on an on, what you have managed to Andrew is focus on the negatives that any country has, Brazil next, will you be there writing about their slums.
South Africa has managed to create a wonderful world cup, its stadiums all built on time ( Unlike Wembley, two years late )
The transport system upgraded
The wonderful sense that yes Africa did it....
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I was in South Africa and travelling in a train when the news came through they had won right to host World Cup.
Everyone was jumping up and singing , there was enormous joy and pride and as we have been there many times we joined in easily.
South Africa is without doubt one of the most beautiful countries in the world and a big favourite of mine as I travel in the bush or the cities mixing with everyone.
What strikes you most is the enormous possibilities as the country has everything to be on top with great lifestyle, but like so many places it is stuck on hold.
Getting an effective government leadership that is honest and Mandelalike is seemingly an impossible dream.
There is enough there for everyone to have a good life as it is rich in resources but poor in administration.
It may follow Zimbabwe as white farmers are being murdered in the outposts and the violence in some of the townships is growing, it is becoming more of a socia economic divide than a black and white issue , with unemployment so high
Iwas interested to see in hotels i stayed in , that workers would work one day next day another worker would be doing that job , to give as many as possible work.
The actual people are warm and friendly and smile a lot , so its not always easy to see the heartbreak, but when you go to Sowheta townships like that and see living conditions you see the magnitude of the problem.
Not that there are not very wealthy black South Africans , there are thousands but too many in poverty, while the wealthy whites live in places like Santon isolated from all that.
One hopes that they will all one day realise their potential , but frankly I am not too optimistic
I just hope and pray that it does not sink lower and destroy what it already has, and this boost may see a revival of tourism which will provide employment as many will surely return to this beautiful country.
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Thank you so much steve I hop those British self claimed to be professionals journalists particularly Andrew Hardings will respond on your(comment11). And as I told Andrew that we are waiting to see THEIR coverage on the Olympic 2012. I am one of those who still believe that England is NOT fit to host the games as ABC etc. A- it’s a very rude & racist country (I lived there and I know what I am talking about). B- Very expensive country and will be hard for fans. C- The country have anti immigrant laws and their unpleasant policies on visa applications will make it impossible for any non European to go there for the games.
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World Cup, South Africa and the Toronto Connection:
Don't ask me about legacy, ask someone who really knows.
It’s all talk, speculation - except for the people of South Africa that are left behind.
Jono Somo was South Africa's youngest professional footballer; he played for the Orlando Pirates, Colorado Caribos, New York Cosmos, and Toronto Blizzard. But he could never play for his national team (This was the 1980s.) because of South Africa's apartheid laws. Even today he feels very emotional about his country, South Africa, about the hosting of the World Cup.
Somo quote: "I feel like I could turn the clock back and play now. But everything happens for a reason."
Everything happens for a reason; progress is slow, but to be black and prohibited, and then so many years later, to be black and not prohibited - that makes the heart sing.
Jono Somo called Toronto his second home.
Somo is a former player with the Toronto Blizzard.
He played on the 1977 New York Cosmos team that won the NASL championship, a team that featured Pele and Giorgio Chinaglia.
This world cup must mean the world (literlly) to Africans – pride, capability, a sense of equality.
Known as "The Black Prince," Somo returned to South Africa where he has had an amazing post-playing career. He coached the South African national team. He is now a successful businessman, owner & coach of the Jomo Cosmos, a team that plays in the South African Premier Soccer League.
Somo sees how the World Cup has united his country. That alone is a great legacy. Somo quote: "With the World Cup here, everybody has been united. The rugby people are into soccer. We are into rugby.”
Somo quote: "God loves Africa."
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This is where the BBC thrives – digging muck when it is unnecessary. Happy to make caricature. What about England? Solve your problem at home before going to other people’s country. Actually more to the point: Stop referring to South Africans as ‘Black South Africans. They are the South Africans and the rest are ‘White or whatever South Africans’.
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To Andrew and the other ignorant reporters around the world,
as a born and bred South African, this country is my roots, my soul. Africa like no other continent in the world has soul. Unlike you who will only be here for a short time, I have lived 45 years on her soil and plan to live many more.
As an advanced life support paramedic (there are only 100 or so of us in the whole of SA - we are indeed a scarce skill) working not only the streets of Jozi, Hillbrow but the dusy township and squatter camps roads, I have helped bring many into this world, and I have held the hand of many as they breathed their last breath. I work as a white female often alone in my response car. I am welcomed by my people and will work anyday with the smiles and generousity of the poor communities I so love to serve. they have class that many in the suburbs will never ever come to have. I still and watch the children playing soccer in dusty soweto, sit on the pavement waiting for the funeral undertakers to come and take their loved one away, sitting with the families having a cup of hot tea. the one thing that stands out is that the children in the townships and squatter camps roam free, a playround paradise, the street parties, the interaction of locals amongst themselves, strangers joining in for a local beer in a strangers house, this is what my children are missing, in the suburbs we dont even know who our neighbours are, we only want our children to mix with the right people are we really as happy as I seem the kids on the dusty streets of soweto, i think not. So before you come for a visit and comment on one person's perspective look at the big picture, look at how & what Madiba's rainbow nation has achieved, where else in the world do you have a country with 11 offical languages and a multitude of cultures living together in peace!! Andrew people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, but then I am sure you know that. when my best friend a Zulu got married, my husband and I were the only white people there in the middle of Soweto, we partied and enjoyed till the wee hours of the morning and guess what I am still here!! When my same friend was murdered, shot 7 times by her on duty policeman husband with his service pistol in the street where they married 2 yrs before this is where we had her funeral, I spoke at her wedding, at her funeral and I am the guardiun of her 18 month old baby. I still as a white women drive into the township on a regualar basis to visit Khabo's mom, and you think that its only the world cup that has brought my brothers and sisters together, no andrew we have been together as one for far longer than than. I do hope that one day you will be able to write the true about my beautiful country, that is alive with possiblities. my Africa my Soul, viva Africa!!!
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As with England so with South Africa PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL.I just don't get this national pride thing, sure show dignity, courage, good will etc. but pride really? Proud that for an entire month the world could be lied to that crime isn't a factor! PLEASE go back to South Africa in December walk around Hillbrow without bodyguards and chums and come back and talk about pride. You see the media just don't get it this little organised circus, hides the real facts, crime in South Africa, is no accident it is a purposefull onslaught againgst white people it is race motivated, study the stats look at the larger amount of crime and which group is being targeted then compare that to the amount of white people actually in the country and the intent is clear, ask for the stats on white people leaving, after all the government at present openly advocates such people get out, it won't be how you paint it though, Racism has an excuse its called crime. Let me guess the media will be to PROUD to follow up.
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Black South Africa will in time go the same way as black Zimbabwe. Efficient white administration will be replaced by a corrupt black one and the white population will be blamed for the disintegration of the national economy. White farmers will be driven from their homes and awarded to ANC officials as reward for their ‘services’ to the nation. And we can expect the BBC to report such a disaster with its normal impartiality where the whites are painted as those completely responsible for the mess which has resulted. The violent crime and corruption which blights the continent of Africa will continue to be the blamed on former colonial rule whilst ANC officials deny any responsibility on the part of itself or its administration. The UK government will then be expected by other African states and the UK’S multicultural to bail out another developing world basket case at the same time it is itself struggling to clear its own national debt through its ludicrously generous foreign aid budget. And the only thing the recent deluge of PR window-dressing in the ludicrously biased campaign by the BBC to positively promote black Africa has achieved to provide a smokescreen to the obscure inevitable looming disaster.
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Quite a fair summary of the SWC and its aftermath. But I do believe it should be pointed out that all this is not really an "African" success. The facts are that the architects, the engineers, the planners and the construction companies were virtually all white or white-owned - with the exception of course of a few token blacks in terms of the Black Empowerment legislation in force but circumvented daily because of the lack of knowledgeable and dependable black engineers, etcetera. And even after 16 years of black rule and continued attempts to improve this situation, there has in fact been little progress. There are also strong indications of FIFA involvement in ensuring that the projects were completed on time. The extent thereof is being kept very secret.
Therefore Africa as a whole has no reason to rejoice in this SWC. It was not made possible by Africans, but by men and women of European descent. And only SA still have enough of them left - but they are leaving the country in droves - mainly because of black affirmative action and BEE.
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@badvocate: Nasty people like you nor one needs you anywhere. The issue and our complain here is that crime is in all over the world, and if you knows how to use Google you can just Google the top ten countries with high crime in the world and I am sure you will found that South Africa is NOT even on the list while England is 6th in the world, so the question came up that:
why the so-call professional journalists like Andrew Harding and the entire BBC spends so much time to turn every line of every G-string all over the country and try to make a bad image to tarnish the country while they say NOTHING about England? Is this the latest level of journalism?
Concern to your garbage about the white target, if the rain comes or lights goes off it goes off for everyone nor matter black or white.
However, we also said that the reason British media is so concerns and talkative about crime in South Africa is just because of the few whites like you who grown up with the corrupt mindset of been first everywhere every time even if you should be in the back of the queue.
The years up to the world cup nearly every white talked bad about South Africa and the world cup, we all knows the psyche affected you and now your cousins are helping you. The issue is not all about crime or news coverage but is to go after those because of their raise the super nation have no more Superior & kinghood life as they enjoyed on the back of the Africans and now is only old dreams.
And your departure; I have to tell you like everyone would say that the current South Africa is much better than your old South Africa which was for the only few chosen ones.
Now everyone have right to live and do whatever he or she want in the country fairly & equally.
And if you don’t like things to be like this (equality among all SA citizens) then feel free to move with all of your doges out of our country as soon as possible, and if you can’t afford the one where ticket let me know we will try to organize it for you.
Finally; let me ask you this, do you know that in the last world cup in Germany there was a no go area especially for the Africans? They were told by the Government and police that they should avoid such & such area as hatred and violent against foreigner is too much.
Do you know this? With knowing the size of South Africa and the exaggerations you & your media put on South Africa have ever you heard a no go area for some particular people during the world cup? We know that your target was to disrupt fans from over the world not come to South Africa and you did achieved that so thank you.
and (john18) Won’t be good for you to read more and think on the corruption which surround MPs in England, America and all over Europe before you post your garbage? Won’t be good for you to found out what brought DOWN the so-called “PIGS” Portugal, Ireland, Greek and Spain before you talk? Don’t you know that up to the time I am talking here the entire economy of South Africa and neighboring country is totally owns and controls by very corrupt, very rude, and very racists whites who don’t give damn about the African and native of the country? Have you ever saw Andrew Harding post any interview with anyone of those super Richs and ask them what they are doing for the welfare of the land makes them the richest men in the world?
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@thysH: In yourself contradicting comment you told us that all of the money (nearly 5.5 billion dollar) the Government spent it went direct to whites companies & whites engineers not to Chinese but whites who were born in the African country and in your view it’s a white pride but also you are telling us that YOUR whites who got all of that money now are going out of the country because you don’t like the Africans or any system which would try to alleviate the lives of the over 85% of the population of the African country.
How loyal and good citizens you people are? What message you were trying to tell the world here on your comment? Are you were trying to tell the Africans who thought they were awarding the contracts to their fellow citizens who claimed & paused to be born-again and loyal citizens for the benefits of all, are you saying should be better if the Africans brought Chinese on the jobs they could not do? Common talk to us its part of your history.
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The World Cup has done much to change many peoples' views of South Africa. However, I fear that some of the problems will continue to rumble under the surface. If anything is to come out of the World Cup, it would hopefully increase investment in the game there and provide the infrastructure to allow children to escape poverty and provide Bafana Bafana with a set of players that can pose a greater challenge at future tournaments... http://gregtheoharis.wordpress.com/2010/07/09/africa/
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To the one who removed my comment number 20, why you did that? What was wrong with it? Why you can’t take argument or challenge? Is this some form of trying to hid the truth?
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@#17: It would be astonishing if there wasn't a small minority of black criminals who target white people for racist reasons. There are always small minorities of people who are capable of anything.
The whites are no exception to this. The more inbred white farmers in the North of the country have a truly appalling record of racial hatred and arrogant, violent conduct towards black people. It would be amazing if there weren't black criminals responding to this in a violent way.
The reality is that the majority of South Africans get along with other races just fine, and are more interested in improving their own economic situation than fighting some race war. If, as you say, the whites are targeted disproportionately (and I'm not convinced they are particularly), it is more to do with the fact that they tend to be wealthier.
Viewing everything as a clash between people with different skin colour is for the simple-minded. South Africa is more complicated than that, and most of its people, thankfully, are better than that.
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For South Africans, merely an illusion of progress whilst FIFA was laughing all the way to the bank.
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I sometimes struggle to believe the short-sightedness of the rest of the world when looking at the "success" achieved by South Africa. I agree that apartheid was cruel and wrong to the majority but now instead of righting the country's wrongs, the elected black government decides to spend its money on building huge new stadiums and changing the "white" names of cities such as Pretoria to a more acceptable "black" name: "Tshwane". The government of South Africa seeks to wipe the white man from the continent by destroying his identity. Why can't the government work on bringing the entire country together to actually work in harmony? Instead of hosting an expensive world event to try and smooth over the obvious cracks. The whites and blacks can all benefit from each other. The world cup was wrong in South Africa this time. As the boy in the article says, this world cup is not for people like him.
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This world cup has served to highlight the progress that South Africa and by extension Africa has achieved over the last decade. Black South Africans were oppressed for very many years by the "mighty white man" and have been struggling to get out of poverty ever since. Soccer is regarded as a lower class and black man's sport in South Africa and the government is black. For the black government to successfully host this tournament without the white support is in itself a victory - a situation that does not sit well with western media.
In its traditional role of destroying and distorting the image of Africans the western media has instead taken this great moment to highlight the failures of this continent than its successes. The only objective that these western columnists have is to destroy Africa while gaining glory for themselves. It is selfish and irresponsible to keep highlighting someone's failure even during a time of that person's success. I hope that these kinds of westerners can drop the silly grudge that they have with black Africans one day.
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Before this world cup began, many fans were urged to stay away from South Africa because of the high crime rate and danger. The worst thing that has happened is the swarm of bees in the form of a plastic horn every minute of every match minus the bees. All the South African people have been kind and caring and welcoming host for this world event. I would say well done South Africa.
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To all of you who say that the crime issue is not as bad as it seems please note that there has been a big blackout on crime reporting during the world cup period. The crime rate has gone down but there have been many horrific crimes which have occured over the world cup period.-Just to SA citizens and not tourists(THE POLICE ARE THERE FOR YOU AND NOT US).
The policing that you saw over the world cup is the best we have had but definitely not the norm. Once you all leave it will go back to what it was.I hope that I am wrong.
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In the run up to this fantastic world cup, commentators from all over the world were foreseeing only problems. The world cup has been a huge success and now everyone is saying, "nice, but the money could have been used for other things".
By hosting this world cup, the stadiums, airports, infrastructure upgrades that were built/made, created thousands of jobs for people who had none. These same people who, because of the world cup found jobs, are going to be employed in the continued development of our beautiful country. Powerplants, road networks, housing developments. All this has been made possible, because you, the overseas tourist who "risked being raped and killed" came to witness what AFRICA can do. Where ever you spent your euro's, dollars or pounds, those businesses will pay tax, which will give our government more money to build houses for the poorest of our poor, build schools to better educate our youth, and countless other things which we need.
So to all the people who think they know better,(and only want Africa to remain a backwards, third world continent that their wealthy nations can continue to rape for it's natural wealth and beauty), look at what we've achieved, admit that it is wonderful, and speak of what we CAN do. Not what YOU FEAR we won't.
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Hi I posted my experiences as a female paramedic who actually works in the townships and squatter camps and I it went for moderation, now its gone for further investigation, i have not recieved an email as to why its noted posted yet? what is the reason?
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Have you ever thought about going into wildlife documentary voice over work. The videos in this report made me feel like i was watching something about a rare shrub.
I particularly liked the use of "Back in Sweetwaters, Samantha and her friends said goodbye and walked back to their tin homes before the sun dipped below the hillside." to leave the reader with the impression that South Africa is crap. The depressing negative comments before and after the world cup showed in your team.
Go home the rest of your depressing negative country awaits.
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@ThysH,thanks for that note about European descent men and women making the SA 2010 SWC a success. I would like to believe that it is by choice that poor women and men of European descent are making this charitable contribution to SA while gaining nothing in return!
South Africa is a democratic country as you and I very well know Thys, and as far as I am concerned, I applaud those who are patriotic enough to go back to their respective continents and give back. I think you should follow and I bet you, you'll be properly rewarded. But also remember that life is not about taking and taking from your fellow humans without giving back, I hope someone has been unselfish enough to teach you that.
I am of an African descent born in South Africa and I am doing the same for my own continent. I work in Sandton and it always surprises me just from the cars passing the road and the people in them how the apartheid system has benefited some people. I sometimes wish I was of the same descent you are referring to.
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you say because of the world cup or was it good for South Africa, is it going to change the hardships majority of poor South Africans are experiencing? I say no, the ones who have will have and the poor suffering children will be back were they been, living in shacks. nothing is going to change. I blame the media all they showed the world was everyone blowing the horns. what about the corrupt politicians,are they going to help the hungry ,aids etc children>
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I don't like it when people are negative for the sake of it, but who are people kidding? This World Cup isn't going to improve anything for the poorest in SA. Maybe it's news to a lot of people, but it's FIFA that makes money out of world cups, no one else.
Why else would local businesses be banned from setting up near the stadia, while McDonalds feeds the fans? I honestly don't want to sound depressing, but Blatter's words are just words. They've made money out of the whole colourful Africa thing, and now they're gone. Does anyone here genuinely believe that in 12 months anything will have changed?
As for the criticism of the British media, that's what it does. Some have implied that things will be different when they are reporting on the London Olympics, well don't worry. They have been kind to South Africa, they will viciously attack London and make sure it is seen as a failure in at least one respect. That's what the British media does. Stop bleating about it.
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#31 "Hi I posted my experiences as a female paramedic who actually works in the townships and squatter camps and I it went for moderation, now its gone for further investigation, i have not recieved an email as to why its noted posted yet? what is the reason?"
Hi Kim. You must have pointed out something that threatened to pop the Champagne Socialist BBC moderators little bubble. You get used to it.
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My condolences to any and all in Kampala. :(
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I know that this comment will be remove as soon as it has been seen by the BBC as they don’t like truth to be told, they like to keep the world blind and only know the British Empire’s version.
They like to talk the talks on democracy & freedom of expression but they are not ready to work the work. All colonies of the British Empire had to fight and share blood to gain independent, democracy and freedom of expression.
The world cup 2010 had to present the strong argument that Africa particularly South Africa have a potential wealth and guts to deliver but the delivering doors and really possibilities are very limited by Andrew Harding’s family and clients.
The reason you see hardship, starvation, wars etc is not just because the name of the place is “Africa”, you can see what happened in Eastern Europe (Bosnian & Serb) just few years ago and they are burring thousands of victims this days. you can see what happen in the new Iraq after you (UK & US) successfully managed turn it into be only battle field and the biggest business is in the funeral business instead of been oil & Gold business, the second largest oil reserves country in the world now have no even electric in the capital Bagdad.
you see hardship in our ancestor lands because the life, wealth, and future of the place is in the hands of thugs, gangsters, criminals, vampire and blood sucker whit-sharks who don’t care how they get wealth, and the so-called world bank, IMF and Eunuch UN is their casinos where they sits and mull their next attack.
Andrew Harding and your alike need to understand that we don’t need you to be good and admirer to South Africa as we know that psychologically you can’t, but we just would like you to be fair and balance on your reports, and stop YOUR HEADLINES BEAWARE,BEAWARE,BEAWARE. We know that is very hard for someone like you who’s from England but as someone who clearly claim to be international journalist you should try.
I have to tell you that from what history told us that your fathers did to our fathers, your continent did to our continent now we have to face your mockery & bad publicity like this it really hurt us and you are opening wounds in our hearts so thank you so much.
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OK Andy i must say i have enjoyed reading your blogs. There have been some highs and lows. But i like the way you summed everything up. To add to my earlier comments: will the cup change anything? Yes and No to an extent. Some will benefit and some won't which is usually the case in these scenarios. The main thing is to avoid the traps the befell Greece and Australia (olympics) I think the SA authorities have a plan in place with regards to the stadiums. I would advise them to try and use it for any sporting event be it football, rugby, athletics etc the main thing is to keep it in constant use. This is me over and out and hope for some fairly balanced reporting for the olympics in 2012 by the British media (that includes the 'no go areas' as well)
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@ No. 39.
If you love South Africa so much and hate all white Europeans because of what their fathers did to your fathers then why do you live in France and not in South Africa.
A tad hypicritical to me that you take the way of life and the money they offer in their countries but bad mouth the people for what happened before you or I were born.
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@kaiinSA no 41: As I said on the beginning on the now removed comment it’s done. But to answer you, first I don’t hate you just because you are you, I want you and your alike when you lives in Africa to be like how we are when we lives in your Europe, behave and respect everyone, learn our languages, culture and traditions, eat, drink and dream in our culture.
If You can claim to be born in Africa here also we have Africans & Arabs who were born here but you must come and see how they been treat by your civilized Europeans.
Do you think we could not be ruthless and rude to you in Africa as you are to us in Europe? Do you know the laws all over the places which forced us to be 110% French or English etc or else get out? Don’t you think these fair and democratic policies should be brought into force in South Africa and on the entire continent too?
Second: you see the issue of what your fathers did to our fathers is something and what you and your alike are doing is a second version of the same behaviour. Always remember that the cloths on your body right now you had bought it in the last few days, weeks, months or even years. So you are today because of your yesterday.
Move around Africa or South Africa and see what whites are doing right now. Do you know that rich whites in South Africa don’t like to participate on any initiative aim to benefit the whole citizens? Do you know that whites don’t like to mix or lives with the Africans in the African country?
Can you rewind and look at the coverage used to be given by the fathers of Andrew Harding and then see the one the son is giving now?
I have to tell you that not me only but many, many, many Africans are over ready to return to Africa but I would like to see those Terre'Blanche guys to pack up and return to Europe and follow the European fans. We both behave good or both be rude. I am well prepared for that.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Moderators. If I were to attempt to post a comment in which I deride 'blacks'. Would you allow it through? I have nothing specific in mind, but reading post #42 confused me. I am never rude to anyone I don't know, regardless of their skin colour or continent, yet I am white... Nor do I remember having been 'ruthless' at any point.
I'm just interested as to whether it would be acceptable to make such comments about 'blacks', as a white man.
Incidentally, are bare-faced lies allowed, too? It's just I know a Somalian family who have lived here three years. Only the children speak English well, and the adults wear Somalian clothes and socialise with other Somalians. They haven't mentioned anyone attempting to force them to be 110% English (???) or telling them to get out. In fact, as far as I know, they are free to stay as long as they like.
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Hey Andrew, great blog. No doubt the WC is a magnificent success. It has truly brought South Africans together, and fostered a renewed common identity to be proud off. The challenges that face us, sadly remain, true. But what I would like to believe is that we have once again proved not only to the world at large, but to ourselves that we as South Africans have got what it takes to make great things happen. We have to tackle these problems with the same fervour as we have with the WC. In the process we will get so much closer to hosting the 2020 Olympics.
Sad though to see all the racial bashing, pointing of fingers and negativity in most of the comments here.
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Greetings from a frost-bitten Joburg and belated thanks for all your comments.
To those of you who felt I’ve been too negative – check out the linked film (featuring one critic, four huge supporters) which is broadly in line with what I’ve argued all along here. I make no apologies for visiting Sweetwaters – it’s not some rare, warped version of South Africa but the daily reality for millions of people here.
BlightyExPat – no need to re-visit. I live here and will continue to follow the impact of the World Cup. Lots of talk about expats returning in the aftermath… I wonder if that will happen.
Steve Bailey – relax, it was one daft headline.
Badvocate – I spent a lot of time in Hillbrow, without bodyguards, and will continue to do so!
John – South Africa faces big challenges. No one disputes that. What I reject vehemently is the argument that failure is somehow “inevitable.”
ThysH – there was certainly a lot of moaning behind the scenes about the LOC here, but it took a lot more than FIFA to pull this off, and I think it was a priceless learning experience for huge sectors of the economy.
TNT1944 – no there hasn’t been. The police certainly say they’ve learned a lot and promise to build on that. Let’s hope so.
Kim Williams – I’ve got no control over the moderators, but I’ll try to find out why they didn’t post your note.
Mark G – No, but I’ll bear it in mind!
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I was born in Africa and in Africa will be the rest of my life. Africans are good people and they have just shown it. Pity governments don’t know how to better their own people’s lives.
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You still keeping your style, avoiding the punch, ignore the questions, miss the points and accusations. However, that shows how professional the journalist is.
For your record once again; we knew & know that we have huge problems of poverty, illiteracy, marginalisation by your media and misrepresent by people like you etc, etc, etc. So the issue is not you coming up with nonsense story every day and impoverish images more shocking than the previous, but the issue is how to deal with the problems we already accept?
How to heal the loopholes of the past? How to compensate the victims of the past? How to bring justice to those criminals who still enjoying their loot and tell them not repeat that action? How to guarantee economic security to the victims of the last centuries? By the way who are victims and victors? Etc, etc, etc.
If Europeans are compensating the abuse of the Jews in Europe by giving them the Arab lands then what compensation is going to be given to the Africans by Europe mainly Britain and France and when?
I know that this comment is going to be delete as soon as possible but I am sorry these are the painful questions and you should use yourself claim professionalism to get the painful answers and I am sure you know where you should go to get the answers.
But if you keep coming every day and tell us that, this people are suffering on this, on that, on this, on that, on this on that. Etc, it’s meaningless and immaturity, I a sorry to say.
I would like to see you post some interview with the rich whites who still claims to be South Africans, I would expect to see you corner them on a very serious questions and ask them how they get their blood money and what they are doing for the welfare of their country? Why we don’t see them where we should? Why whites can’t be Africans when they lives in Africa and gets all recognitions and wealth of the land?
You and I knows that in your countries people like Richard Branson after they been given so much privileges to exploit every venture the country have, I like the way one journalist put it: “creating arena for the sharpest minds like Cecil Rhodes & Richard Branson to take-up the vulnerable like the Zulus and Indians”.
In your countries those BransonS are involving in every economic level to uplift the lives of the small people. Is not meaning they should give up their money but they should be there for the economic security of their country fellow men & women as we see in the west riches people are doing.
But in South Africa the whites BransonSSS who benefited from everywhere and still owning the wealth of the country they clearly don’t want have anything to do with the welfare of the country. Why can’t you Andrew Harding tackle this? Is because they are whites like you and probably their wealth is there for the benefits of England?
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Yes. We have poverty and yes we have so many qualities lacking right now.
For a long time, things will be far from perfect, and I dare suspect, we're gonna go through hell again for another few years.
But at the same time, who honestly cares about the poor? As someone said, in Rio the shanties will be shoved off and out of sight just as the Government build new houses on the side of the roads in Cape Town to block the rest of the view of the shacks when they started making preparations for the Cup.
But, we are trying so hard to get along with one another.
Despite the problems we are facing though, I want to say that I really think that our country and the people in it are trying. I've seen people who were taught to be racist and vulgar changing their mindsets. Yes, we have those who will never change but meh.
Give African back to the Africans, Africa is riddles by interferences from outside parties who have no business being here.
But yeah
Proud to be South African!
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For the benefits of those who don’t know what we are talking about life in South Africa; the different between rich man/businessman in the west and in South Africa is this: they both love money and that is normal; but in the west rich are whites and poor are whites, and in South Africa rich are white-Europeans and poor are black-Africans.
In the west rich want increase his wealth, but value his fellow men and respect his country. While in South Africa rich want increase his wealth, devalue his fellow country man and careless about his claimed country.
South Africa have 40% of the diamonds of the world and 25% of the gold of the world with other minerals like platinum, right now South Africa is the number one platinum producer in the world but all of those wealth over 98% of these wealth owns & controls by small number of whites who are less than 13% of the African country of 49 million people, up to now over 87% of the land three times bigger than Germany still owns by those few people who still calls themselves Europeans.
The Government had a plan for 2014 asking at least 20% of the economy of the African country to be in the hands of the Africans but clearly is not going to happen as the Europeans don’t want. Who could accept this anywhere in the world?
If anyone thinks nicely he can see that white-Europeans in South Africa are the ones who cause & technically manipulate crimes on various ways as few human beings keep so much wealth on front of so many other extremely poorer human, those poor had been force to commit crime in order to survive on their own land.
Former South African president Mr Mbeki once said: life in South Africa is just like a small island of extremely rich whites surrounds by a big ocean of extremely poorer Africans, and when he said that the entire white media attacked him and accused him of been a racist.
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Mze-djimba : The problem as always is small islands of very rich people surrounded by oceans of poor people. Race only comes into it when the rich people need someone to blame that people dumb enough to fall for it* can go after or at least complain about.
*Guess who fits in that category
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Andrew,
Thanks for a very well-written blog post. I'm from the UK and have only just recently relocated to South Africa for work. I have to say the feeling and warmth I received particularly over the last month during the World Cup was phenomenal. I can certainly see the value of such an event from a social point of view - sport really does have the ability to unite across race, religion, age and gender and the SA tournament is a case in point.
I was not in South Africa during the Rugby world cup after Mandela took the presidency but I believe from the conversations I've had that the FIFA cup had significantly more widespread support, particularly in the black community. The atmosphere was filled with an enthusiasm I had never experienced before.. truly wonderful. As to whether the World Cup legacy will be a lasting one I believe the social impact will be significant for years to come. In terms of economics though, I have to agree with your post - I do not think the majority of South Africans will realise the real economic value of the event.
@ghostofsichuan (#1,6) - sadly I have to agree with you. The poor rarely see the full value of these events. One can only hope that the talk of using team training camps etc for events like the Olympics to provide a foundation for low cost housing initiatives are actually implemented.
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biffa_bacon
How can $3 billion dollars (the cost of the tournament) solve South Africas problems and lift EVERYONE out of poverty?
$3 billion divided by 30 million poor gives everyone $100. WOW! That will certainly solve all their problems.
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Mze-djimba
We are not white Europeans that live in South Africa, we are white Africans.
Being African is not about the colour of your skin, but about where your heart and home lies and where your ancestors were born.
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Reading these comments, one is reminded that one of the dubious benefits of living in South Africa is that one is immersed in issues of real importance. It has been said that nothing so concentrates a man's mind as the knowledge that he is to be hanged in the morning. Many who have left South Africa for safer and more predictable climes have commented that they have difficulty in getting excited about the more mundane concerns of quieter living.
As Mao said about the French Revolution: It is too early to judge. Let the confetti settle and let's review the effects in 1 year, 5 years.
But so far, so good. South Africa has surprised the World, and perhaps, itself, as well......
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Andrew - I'd say it's time you hung up your African correspondent hat and headed home to blighty. Your reporting is interesting and hopeful but naive in the extreme. For us on the ground it's little more than an irritating aside to have to read this . I'm born and bred SA and I spent the better part of my adult life working in South Africa and neighbouring countries on urban and rural development projects before I saw the irreversible pattern emerging and left. I have a better idea than most about where it's all headed and without a doubt I have a clearer picture than you have. Nice blog for the internationals to tap into though.
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@lammergeier 55: What about been Europeans? It’s really confusing the ways you guys lives in our countries for very long times having everything and getting every recognitions & respect but yet you still don’t want be Africans while your cousins in other parts of the world they would like everyone who lives in their countries to adopt hundred percent of the host’s language’ culture and traditions. Please watch this video on YouTube, the name of the video is "When Louis met the Boer leader–BBC" then try to get what is going in the mind of those Morons.
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@ lammergeier
I completely agree with you it makes no odds on the colour of the skin, its how you feel inside, how you have been brought up and the love you have for the country of your bith. we adopted our son when he was 2 months old and although his skin is black he is a proud Afrikaner and also very proud of his skin colour.
If everyone was as proud of who and what they are then I am sure you'd find far less negative comments.
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lammergeier, it's more of bang-for-your-buck / value per unit of currency spent rather than an expectation that is will solve poverty.
i.e. we have x number of dollars/pounds/rand. we can build stadia for the relatively-well-off-in-the-rest-of-the world's entertainment (for a month), or, we can positively affect the destitution of our own (SA's) people. I'm sure you'd agree that the latter will help poor South African's more than the former, and I would suspect would sow the seeds for a brighter future for all, and go some way to healing some of the old wounds.
This is a global/human problem, SA is no different to anywhere else (the Chinese poor didn't get much out of the ridiculous birds nest stadium), so it's more of a lament on the ever widening gap between the rich and poor and the lip service to solving those issues.
3bn or whatever won't solve poverty, but it would be 3bn that they apparently had, and prioritized elsewhere.
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Mze-djimba: "while your cousins in other parts of the world they would like everyone who lives in their countries to adopt hundred percent of the host’s language’ culture and traditions."
Some do, and guess what, they're paid no heed! You seem remarkably ignorant about the welcome African immigrants get when they come to Britain. I'm white so can never understand how it feels to be a black person coming to Britain, but I'm pretty sure the welcome they receive here is a Hell of a lot better than the vast majority of countries across the globe.
I saw Louis Theroux's programme and that Boer man was clearly a racist pig. The people like him in Britain join the BNP and are generally regarded as 'undesirables', although there are plenty prepared to vote for them.
From what you have said I don't see much difference between you and a BNP member. Both prepared to condemn an entire race of people in a heartbeat, based on one or two pre-conceived prejudices and a whole heap o'hate. You want to hold white Africans responsible for the actions of their ancestors and ethnically cleanse Africa. Of course I understand you're perspective, but you are on dangerous ground. I would suggest SA needs to work towards a more practical and democratic solution.
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@stirling222 AFRICANS ARE WELCOME??? I have been in the UK so many times and I know the UK very, very well. I saw attitudes so many place but in the UK is remarkable on the level of racism and humiliation I got from officials from the UK right from the time of my arrivals.
I have to remind you that I never came there as poor and illegal migrant.
I came with proper documents, with nearly 420 pounds in my pocket and 2 visa bank cards from two countries with money in the accounts.
On the first time I came there I flow there for a weekend from Geneva, and I have to tell you that the treatment I got from the VERY RUDE WHITE BRITISH IMMIGRATION OFFICER IT pained my heart. He wasted my time, asking me thousands of meaningless questions in a such way in the end I told him this: why you guys if you come to our countries we treat you like kings & queens while here this is who you do to us? He turned and looked at me and said “you have a big mouth now you can go”. He never even bothered to say sorry.
But that was not the end, on the other time I came to the UK I had to go through worst than the first time. So many things and when I passed the immigration control officer outside of his door I found two police waiting for me (i suspect that they were invited without my knowledge). With knowing that I did nothing wrong anywhere to anyone, automatically tears were coming-out without my control. The officers were very quick to say: “very sorry we just doing our job” and I reply is okay” they asked me few questions quickly and said "you can go”.
I once flied with BMI baby from the UK to Paris and on the plane I had a book reading, by somewhere I don’t how I lost the book, I only realised on the second day when I was flying back to London, and I asked BMI baby guys in Paris and they told me that normally if an passenger left something in plane they use to send the item back to the country where plane came from so when you arrive in the UK you will ask our guys there, Mr/Ms stirling222 up to now I didn’t get that book and is over three years.
When I arrived in London and asked BMI in the airport but they gave me a number to call and ask if they have my book when I phoned the one who answered the phone said “no we don’t have it” that all.
This is my own story and how I know the UK so for you to tell me that Africans are welcome....... Maybe you miss the word you should use.
I have to say here without any bashing anyone or any country, and I am saying this because you raise the needs otherwise i never wrote this in any of my comments here.
I have to tell you that I travelled over ten countries around the world and England is the rudest country yet I visited. I believe that I am not alone on this; I spoke with many people who went through the same experience.
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Mze-djimba. Wow you are angry! I am a white British female. I live below the poverty line and yet I work 50 hours a week to enable me to bring up my son, on my own, without taking benefits. There are black Africans living on my street who bring in more than I do, have better housing and they are being paid benefit from the taxes that I pay. Do I have a problem with this? No. Why? Because I can see that at this stage of life, they have a need. How can you say we are all racist, rude and rich. You have no idea. You say WE have no idea but you are a complete and utter hypocrite. I am sorry if an immigration officer made you feel unwelcome. GET OVER IT DEAR.
As a majority we welcome immigrants, those who are prepared to work. We do not MAKE anyone change their national identity, we simply help them to intigrate so that they can find jobs, educate their children and live without fear of discrimination or abuse FROM THEIR OWN PEOPLE.
I lived and worked in East and Southern Africa for 3 years. I now work for a Kenyan company and I LOVE Africa. This is despite having been held up at knifepoint, shot at, mugged amongst other horrors. Who perpetrated these crimes? Black men. Do I make sweeping generalisations about Black men? NO because I am NOT a racist, I only mention the word 'black' to highlight your own racism.
Yes I am disgusted at the plight of black slaves and the legacy it left behind....but that was 200 years ago!!! We 'whites' have done much to educate our children in anti-racism, perhaps you could do the same rather than take out your frustrations on all whites? And when I say 'you' I mean 'you', not all blacks.
Im propbably wasting my breath, but seriously you need to calm down and stop blaming colour for your frustrations.
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@coolwhip: I saw so much from your colours and I know more than enough about you. The reason I read history is to know what has been done. However, I would like you to keep in mind that most of the quotes I quote here is a current issues mulled and executed with impunity by living whites Europeans.
Tax giver and tax giver; I saw this songs has been sang many times, if you are as you claim, to be under the poverty lines but yet working and paying tax, then what stop those Africans who lives on YOUR STREET from paying their tax? Is because they are Africans or they are family member of Elizabeth?
As it has been said by RogerII on the other thread about the system in South Africa and I am sure many places including the UK its like that, anything you buy in the shop, can be condom, sox, bread or car you always pay tax, there is no rich or poor, no black or whites they all pay tax. So, if you qualify to give then why you can’t qualify to take if the need raise?
I am not angry but I feel the pains of the millions who are suffering in the European hands and the suffering get severe when you realise victims are been forced to die silently with smiling on their faces because a white angel is next to them to be their saviours but he fail because you African dying person could not help the angel to help you.
We are all human beings and have needs, we don’t have to create a situation of imbalance live, privilege some and tell them that now you have the opportunity to enslave those groups as we disfranchise them and easily you can ring them. We don’t have to create Israel Palestine examples.
Ms Cooliwhip You boast your spirit by saying you teach your children............. I guess if you ever asked yourself how hard for an African to educated his/he child due to the European legacy, and since you claim to be working for or in Kenya you should be familiar with the oldest man on earth to enrol to school just few years ago, he even won a place in the Guinness Book of World and had to die before he finish school.
Did your British which provided you every reason to achieve something denied him the possibility to go to school in the right time? Leave that and don’t worry about it please.
what you should know now is that British children are the most ruthless kids in the world, the shocking is not only the percentage of the age and pregnancy and the level of crime and alcohol is been consumed daily by the children but they been pre-recorded to grown up with the mindset which tells them NOT adopt or respect anything from anywhere they go but in fact they ask their host to adopt them. I am sure will be good for you to read the book” who’s the hell we think we are”.
In South Africa or anywhere else in Africa the Africans are the victims of you, you lives nice because of them you accept it or not; you claim to be working 50 hours a week that is equal to 7 hours a day, and you well knows that Africans works over 12 hours a day but yet their lives doesn’t equal to the life of a prisoner in anywhere in Europe.
A law which is in the US for years and recently approved in the EU it has asked farmer to spend at least 2 dollars on each of their cows every day. While its well known that over 50% of the Africans lives on less than a dollar a day. So to be cow in the west is much, much better than to be a human in the richest continent.
The reason the Zulus or Xhosas today have no food, no good house, no good education and no good dream is not because he is lazy as sometimes your media portray the Africans but they are living on less than a dollar a day because in the last hundred years what should give them all of the good lives has been plundered to England by many thugs like Cecil Rhodes.
His loot is what provides all possibilities to the English youth today, and the lack of these stolen diamonds and gold is what forced Africans to be refugees in your country and the shooting pad for the BNP. What boggle the mind is that if you look at what is going on right now is worst than what Rhodes did, I don’t think he had veto or WMDs called IMF and world bank.
You know very well that men or women of your age in South Africa today, he or she have no any form of education or life insurance due to the decisions & actions of the Europeans apartheid inventors, and those victims of the abuse of power by the Europeans now have to depend on the new created Government welfare system,In your countries if you turn to that welfare now shouldn’t be any burden to the Government as you had invested in that welfare in all of your years, but in South Africa there were no such thing particularly for the Africans who formed over 85% of the population as they were not recognized as human.
The Children and grand children of that African victims have to start from nothing and expect some piece job to build their lives which shrewdly destroy by the heirs of Cecil Rhodes.
You said its nearly 200 years ago since colonisation end, but i will tell you that its 200 years since your British ancestor who exploited African slaves on impunity, is 200 years since they changed the gear.
There is nothing change but the official name. I would like you to relook at your 200 years and subtract the years any African country is well known for their so-called independent day (RSA is 1994) and also take consideration that if you look nearly everything in Britain is very old, look at Paris and their transport systems, all is very old, you can found out or guess how old its.
What you should then understand is that the time these old things was been build in your countries we should expect Africans who were at that time to build similar things in their countries specially if the African natural resources and Africans slave labour was the ones were used to build your infrastructure.
While in your comment tried to tell us how Africans lives in your country can you tell us here please what is your country did to the Africans were there after the end of the European war? (WWII) I know you like the Africans and they are welcome in England as you are welcome in theirs up to the time I am talking here.
Few months ago an English Mp proposed for the Africans who are been found on the seas trying to reach Europe that they should be shoot or be drowned in order not reach Europe which stole all of the wealth & sweat of Africa, and the same Europeans are boasting themselves with human right, laws, justice and equality.
Andrew Harding proposed that they should be given the microphone in South Africa to preach. But we must be really idiots; only the one who don’t know how to read or write and never leant history should be expect do that.
The Africans work hard whether in or outside of Africa, the problems and what demoralise people is bureaucracy, when I was in the UK I knew many Africans who worked in the nights from 6PM to 6AM and they do it well, some work on less hours but they all anyone bureaucracy allow him or her to work they do work hardly. I am not going to talk on YOUR welcome. And will end here for now.
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>25 - true haha (but i am not FIFA)
>Freeman - great description "Champagne Socialist"!
>Mze-jimba - a lot of the scenarios you reflect upon are true, but look past the coloured lines my friend. If you are not the predator you get eaten, regardless of race or colour...that is just the way it works in business. Not that I necessarily agree with it, but those out for a coiner can't and won't ever get enough of pillage - that is reality.
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