Saturday, September 29, 2007

2007. Post Apartheid 2007: Two SA Dispatches

July 2007. Alleman's dispatch: "Around me, young qualified people, (with small kids), are trying to emigrate... turning into a flood to get out of SA. If it carries on like this, it'll only be old whites left in SA. Government isn't helping with its array of 'let's shoot ourselves in the feet' cabinet ministers. Civil service is becoming a joke. Education department is in decline, etc. My son works for a small hi-tech firm which might close by the end of 2008, as few skilled graduates can be found. This month 4 engineers emigrated from the firm.

My daughter has been appointed to handle recruitment and training of black auditor graduates: a nightmare. The black grads often don't have cars (as they often come from poor families - one refuses to learn to drive as cars are too dangerous). The grads must go to different firms to audit the books. The white auditors handle more work, as they travel in their own cars, while the black grads use taxis. Both must be paid the same salaries, but black grads produce less than whites. Language problem: Black grads' English pronunciation is so poor, the client can't understand the auditor. Client then phones the firm, demanding someone they can communicate with in English. Misery continues...

Amazing TV news - female minister of Foreign Affairs commenting on the dire situation in Zimbabwe, went something like this: 'Uh, uh... sigh... I think we need to admit we have a problem... sigh... in Zimbabwe... sigh... as Zimbabwe is an independent country... sigh... The fact that there are now more Zimbabweans living in South Africa ... might... sigh, sigh... indicate we have a problem. The fact that thousands of starving Zimbabwians are crossing our borders illegally on a weekly basis... might indicate we are dealing with a problem situation... sigh... sigh... sigh...'"

August 2007. Alleman's dispatch: "It is now 'raining' corruption and incompetence at senior and local government levels. Many people without needed training and mentoring have been appointed (especially in the police), and the wheels are falling off. Deputy Minister of Health was fired last week, as she wasn't a 'team player.' i.e. Didn't keep quiet about incompetence. Deputy minister of the Interior has been running an unregistered business with taxpayers' money.

Paraphrased newspaper letter, to the local head of police: 'Get yourself a job, as you serve no function. You're useless.' Eina!

TV news: In the Northern Transvaal, kids are instructed in Initiation School to rape and murder. 12 year old kids witnessed a murder of a young girl, then tried to rape and burn a 4 year old girl. Cops refused to investigate, as it's a 'cultural' thing. Wheels falling off," the new donkey wagon.

Copyright Mark JS Esslemont.

See Cathy Buckle's Zimbabwian Letters.

1 comment:

Mark JS Esslemont said...

A SA email described how a Jo'burg white woman motorist hit a black pedestrian. Blacks stoned her car. The driver reported the accident to black cops, who asked her for a bribe, then told her not to worry, as the pedestrian was uninjured and hadn't laid a charge.

Later that day, black cops arrested the white woman at her work, and threw her into a gaol cell together with a convict. While the woman's daughter and lawyer arranged bail, the convict organized cops to transfer other convicts to the woman's cell to rape her that night.

The daughter safely bailed her mom, but recommended that all motorists possess their lawyers' phone numbers while driving, as one night in gaol is enough for rape.