Future of SA bright - Mbeki

2005-09-08 22:09

Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki has rejected the notion that some young South Africans face a bleak future in their homeland.

"I think it is necessary to communicate to all our people that there is absolutely no way in which the future of any South African can be bleak," he told MPs in the national assembly during question time on Thursday.

It was obvious there might be some people who "entertain those sort of fears".

Mbeki said: "But, I think if we look at the practicality of our situation, and what has actually happened in South Africa, I think there would not be anybody from any of the national minorities who would be able to demonstrate that their standards of living have worsened in the last 10 years.

"Nobody can. Because, in fact, the opposite has happened."

Research showed that some of the "best beneficiaries" of democratic change were people from the national minorities.

"It is necessary... continuously to address the matter of fears that people might still entertain; which fears I'm quite certain would not be substantiated by the actual practices in the country."

'Grass not always greener'

Some of the bigger estate agencies would confirm part of the high demand for housing came from South Africans who had left in the past, either coming back, or buying houses pending their return.

"I think there are many, many South Africans, who left before, who've come to understand that the pastures they thought were green elsewhere are not in fact as green as they thought they were."

Therefore, it was necessary to communicate to young South Africans "don't listen to the propaganda, look at the actuality".

"Look at what is really happening, over many years, and look at the people coming back."

Those returning to South Africa could see the future in this country "is by no means bleak; that the future is indeed very bright".

"I think it is our common task, all of us, to communicate this message to the young people of our country."

Coloured people discriminated

Democratic Alliance MP Donald Lee asked why coloured people continued to be discriminated against in the new South Africa.

Lee said: "Not only are we denied jobs, we are retrenched to make way for African blacks."

This was working against reconciliation and nation building.

Mbeki said he would appreciate it if Lee would give him the relevant information in this regard.

Mbeki said: "I'd appreciate that, so that we could act on the matter. Because... it cannot be correct that the coloured community gets marginalised and discriminated against in the manner that he's indicated.

"Let's respond to this matter practically, because if what is being said is correct... it's bad and not acceptable."

- SAPA