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South Africa,try living here!

If you are visiting South Africa, no problem, a great holiday destination, if you are travelling within South Africa, that’s also great, we have superb holiday destinations, comparable to the best in the world.

If you are visiting South Africa, no problem, a great holiday destination, if you are travelling within South Africa, that’s also great, we have superb holiday destinations, comparable to the best in the world. So if you are reading this article, perhaps for information on the 2010 FIFA Soccer world cup, don’t be alarmed, carry on with your plans, you will be safe and will have a wonderful holiday.

Living here is another story, on the surface it all looks great, deep down, at grassroots and foundation level the country, the new and wonderful home of the so called rainbow nation, the nation who helped create leaders who will go into the annuls of history, the great Nelson Mandela who we all respect and admire, O.R. Thambo, Steve Bhiko, a brave freedom fighter of an age long past, Chaka Zulu, king of the mighty Zulu tribe, Moshesh; Piet Retief; Adam Tas; Olive Schreiner; Christian Barnard, Helen Suzman, great leaders and statesmen of a different era who must either be turning in their graves or watching progress with disdain.

Let’s take a brief look at our current leaders, they sit back and still, yes still, believe it or not, blame the old “apartheid” era for poor education, for poor hospital services, what a lot of clap-trap, guys, that was fifteen years ago, the education of our children has regressed continuously every year for over fifteen years, we’re talking about children conceived after the apartheid days, after billions of Rands (yes Billions) spent of corrupt arms deals. We have a President who takes adulterous relationships as normal practice, who thinks a shower will prevent him from being effected by the HIV or aids virus, good grief I think he has a junior school education and signs off on economic policies. The previous president ignored all the international medical experts, delayed the use or recommendation of ant-retroviral medicines for use by HIV positive members of his electorate and recommended they eat vegetables. The members of parliament who think the example set by those in England recently, basically stealing from their own electorate by using state funds, or public funds for their personal use, is just fine. A Mayor (East London/ Buffalo City) who claims to have entertained important clients by using her city credit card to buy take-away chicken, our own travelgate scandal where members of parliament, through a corrupt travel agent, used state funds to book non-work related flights.

One could go on forever, the increase in crime levels; unemployment, the ANC who celebrated another obvious election victory with a party costing in excess of R1 million, sufficient to feed thousands of their starving electorate.

There is an intrinsic deep seated problem in African politics and more importantly South African politics and the public service, where a selfish, greedy, arrogant and inconsiderate attitude is evident in most public enterprises daily and is well publicised in the press. This virus, this scourge, this pandemic is working it’s way from the politician to the street sweeper. My domestic worker overheard two nurses at a clinic discussing how much money could be made infecting clean patients with the HIV virus, they would do it for a small cash payment and the patient would benefit for life from a state subsidy, why work after all. Children are having children to qualify for a state subsidy, corruption is rife in school feeding funds; the state pension system, an ID or drivers licence is hardly worth the paper it’s written on, I can buy you one tomorrow with less than R500 passing hands. Rape is common, almost respected in some circles, tenders are awarded in an incestuous manner, the local hospital (Frere - East London) awarded the laundry contract to a person without a washing machine, I ask you with tears in my eyes, where to next.

I am not a professional writer, a politician, I am merely a person, born and raised in South Africa, as my parents and theirs were before me. I am one of the people of South Africa, one of the rainbow people who love this country, love the basic beautiful people of all colours and creed who pray and look forward to a future for our children, I love this land, your and my land, a land of beauty and splendour. I am a parent, I will be dead long before we reach our low point, where’s that you ask? In my humble opinion at this rate it will not be dissimilar to the story of our neighbour Zimbabwe. As we look, study and analyse what could have been, had our natural wealth and intrinsic ability not been plundered by the corrupt amongst us, the thieves.

I pray for and urge the South African populace, each and every one of us, politicians included, to grab the future with both hands, not to grab things that do not belong to you, we have enough of that already, but to grab the opportunity that sits in your face, the opportunity to become the first successful African Republic.

If you’re planning a visit, prepare yourself for an awesome experience, exciting, beautiful, spectacular are words that come to mind. Don’t just come for the soccer, South African tourism offers visitors a really unique experience including East London, the Garden route, Durban and Port Alfred, Cape Town was voted as one if the top five tourism destinations in the world, these and many travel attractions abound. The undercurrents don’t matter yet. Accommodation standards and tourist facilities can hold their own with the best in the world, obviously, as when travelling in any strange destination certain basic rules if security and safety apply.

My advice though, don’t stay, take advantage of our poor economy and enjoy a low cost holiday and cheap beer, then head for the departure lounge at the airport…watch this space for a few years, dear God, I hope I am wrong. You gave us this gift, please save us from ourselves.

YOUR INPUT IS CRITICAL…….. Please send any travel tip, response to this article, even criticism and disagreement will be welcome, or travel idea to info@staysa.co.za help fellow travellers to enjoy safe and happy travelling. We will gladly assist with travel information or visit the site at www.staysa.co.za where you will find comprehensive travel and accommodation information.

Alan Hawkins - CEO www.staysa.co.za