Why don't we leave?
If the white South Africans are so fed-up with their black
government, why don't they leave?
We are. That's the short and sweet of it. Since before the
general elections in 1994, this country has lost thousands of qualified
citizens to the rest of the world. At one stage more than 25 highly
qualified professionals left per month - family and
all.
This was known as the "brain-drain" and unfortunately this
trend is still continuing. Corporates don't know where to turn in order to
find the necessary skills, the medical industry is in a mess due to the
shortage of doctors (never mind specialists). These are the people who had
the skills and background (and of course the money) to be able to
leave.
To be honest, I myself had an LSD trip to Sydney (Look, See
and Decide) Australia. Unfortunately there were a couple of factors
counting against me (such as age) in order to qualify for
entry.
Most popular destinations for South Africans - Australia,
United Kingdom and the US of A (in that order). According to statistics
there are more South Africans in Perth than Australians - Perth is
generally known as "little SA". New Zealand is also a popular "settling"
spot.
What do we look for when deciding to leave? Major factor is
weather. If pushed too far, any destination will do. This is relevant if
the cause is crime, of which we have plenty. I personally know of two
families who migrated to Canada because of crime (never mind the
weather).
South African skills are in high demand overseas. We are
known for our dedication and hard work. With years of "sanction-busting"
experience and getting the best out of the limited resources available to
us, we have the experience and know-how that the rest of the world lacks.
Every agency I contacted in Oz wanted to see me the moment they answered
the phone. A South African accent certainly does open some
doors.
The main problem with getting out is (currently) the
exchange rate. Our money is worth nothing. The market is so depressed that
you can't just sell your house and belongings and pack up to go. You dare
not rent it out due to fears of a hooligan element that might end up in
your house. You cannot leave it empty - the squatters would love you for
that! And with our laws as they stand currently, you will have a close to
impossible task of evicting illegals from your property. If you do sell
your property, don't expect market value. Owners of a second property
would be kindly advised to sell these a.s.a.p. if they haven't done so
yet. With new legislation coming into effect very soon, these land-owners
will be taxed to near death on a second property.
That is another reason why less and less people become
land-owners. Prohibitive laws and high taxes make town-houses and
complexes a much better alternative. With what's been happening in
Zimbabwe, you can only feel sorry for the white farmers out there. Mbeki
never took a clear stand against Mugabe's encouragement of farm-invasions.
Makes you think, doesn't it?
I am still here because of a positive attitude and a love
for my country. This will probably cost me my life at the end of the day.
I am not alone and like thousands of other white South Africans, we
believe in what many terms "a fools dream" of making a good living here.
This is becoming harder as the whites in this country is being milked of
whatever riches they had to provide for the un-employed "terrorists" of
yesterday. The government is known as RIOBC (Robin Island Old Boys Club)
and will remain friends with the Cuba's of this world.
Organisations across the globe are most impressed with their
past efforts to abolish the apartheid regime with no foresight (at the
time) and still no knowledge of what they've done. White South Africans
are living on black land. We don't belong here anymore and soon the whites
of this country will have to get in their boats, put on their swimsuits
and leave. Where to? No-one knows, but we prefer to not think of this
until we're absolutely forced to.
Foolish? I'd say, but how do you just give up what you
believe in?
This page was last updated on: September 11, 2000
