Re: New atrocities in SA
I read with interest the article posted by Vusi Mabaso titled New atrocities in SA. I find Vusi’s views on SA today quite interesting especially the points which I probably do not agree with (I myself am a young educated black South African)
Let me start by saying that I agree completely with the fact that there are continuing and new atrocities being committed in South Africa today. People are certainly suffering and there is definite cause for concern from all sectors of the community.
However, I feel that Vusi maintains a very narrow focus on who he feels is suffering. As he states all of his friends from a certain private school happen to be white and they are facing serious challenges in terms finding jobs. Well Vusi most of my friends from a certain public school are not white and they are also facing serious challenges in terms of employment. The only difference is that whilst your white friends plan on leaving the country in search of better employment opportunities, my non-white friends just do not have that option open to them.
Recently the minister of finance warned us about the tough economic times that we will be facing in future especially in terms of employment, earlier the National Planning Committee released a report in which they cited unemployment as one of the most serious problems SA is facing. Countless economic experts have lamented the fact that our job market cannot absorb the millions of young people entering the market. Yet Vusi and those who share his views continuously try to misinform the public by saying the reason that whites can’t find jobs is simply because of blacks are taking all the opportunities, never mind the fact that unemployment amongst blacks remains exponentially higher.
Affirmative Action has definitely not been a resounding success; in fact it has been racked with procedural problems. However, general unemployment amongst all South Africans has always been and remains a much bigger problem. What Vusi does is to confuse the two thus making it seem as though the problem is limited to white people which is honestly ridiculous!
The issue about Cuban Doctors is also exaggerated. There were some Cuban Doctors brought in to assist in the public health sector, for the most part they only worked where SA doctors refused to work e.g. Township and rural hospitals and clinics. Furthermore there were never that many, Cubans could never meet the demand for doctors in SA. In general the reason that medical students leave SA is because of poor working conditions and high debt not because they cannot get employment based on the colour of their skin.
Vusi’s father seems like a very wise man, however I can’t help but question he’s logic after Vusi explains that he’s father discouraged him from pursuing a promising rugby career. Vusi begins by saying that his father taught him not to give up on his dreams no matter what the government threw at him.
It is therefore surprising then to learn that in later years Vusi’s father convinced him to quit his dream of playing rugby because, wait for it...THE GOVERNMENT! The same man who despite apartheid policy, went on to obtain a degree tells his son not to pursue his dream because of today’s policies. If playing rugby was really that important to the author why would he be that concerned about what a few pathetic, jealous so called springbok fans would say?
nd I say few because in my view the vast majority of Rugby fans would definitely welcome a black “Morne Steyn” just as they have welcomed many more non-white players before. It seems that Vusi thinks that he would be the first black player to wear a springbok jersey.
Vusi my friend, as a young black who has just entered the work place let me explain a few things to you. The vast majority of white people will not make anything of the fact that you are black because that could endanger their own careers or because they genuinely don’t care. You will come across some who will make it their business to undermine you or show some kind of hostility because they feel you as an AA appointee are not deserving of your post.
The thing you need to bear in mind is that even if AA was magically abolished today these people would still feel the same about you. Their views are not based on AA but on a deep sense of prejudice against black people that existed long before AA was even considered. Luckily for them government policy conveniently justifies their racism. You should do yourself a favour and not pay much attention to these people and while you’re at it try and explain this to your father.
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Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyNews24 have been independently written by members of News24's community. The views of users published on News24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of News24. News24 editors also reserve the right to edit or delete any and all comments received.