I love South Africa. However, when I started this blog I was pretty pissed off with our current government and its policies (hence the "Gatvol" part of this blog name). They seem to choose the wrong side in every international conflict. They supported Castro, Gaddafi and now Hammas in the current Gaza war...
They fail to take decisive action against Dictator Bobby in neighbouring Zimbabwe whose economy is running at well over 2.2 million percent inflation rate (prices double every 19 hours!) and banknotes of $100 Trillion each (worth US$33) are being printed, while $500 000 notes are simply discarded in trashbins (see pic alongside).
Our own politicians' antics are often beyond belief! Corruption and Nepotism exist at every level of local and national government where the ruling party have any influence. Morality and ethical conduct have lost their meaning.
Our currency, the Rand, has been depreciating against other major currencies for many years and will likely continue to do so into the foreseeable future without much hope of recovery (though there are some brief short-term recoveries, over the long term the Rand just keeps losing value). My first import was at R0.63 per US$ and now we pay R10.00 per US$. For many years, we paid R2.00 per GB Pound, now its R14.80 per GBP.
Much of our national infrastructure is in a state of neglect. The roads, the power grid and power generation systems, the railway system, Police Services, the Justice System, education system, Water supply, Telecommunications, health system and local services are just some examples that are going backwards fast.
Crime continues to escalate out of control, including crimes committed by the politicians themselves. The Scorpions were investigating certain members of parliament, so the Scorpions were disbanded... whats wrong with this picture?
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is closing in on corrupt members of parliament, so now the ANC are changing the NPA Act! How can this be possible? Only in South Africa!
Jacob Zuma is touted to be our next president, yet he is a notorious criminal of the worst kind, with ties to organised crime syndicates... and amazingly, has popular support of the local African people! Come on people, open your eyes! Get a grip! We need leaders who can lead us into the future, to take charge of our economy, to continue the development of our great country, to make South Africa stronger in international arenas!
I could rant for hours about all that is wrong with our country.
However, its a new year (SA V2.009) and new hope exists for South Africa V2.009. I would prefer to look for optimism and hope. Despite all its faults, this is still a fantastic country with the potential to become world leaders in many fields.
We have a new political party (COPE) which should if nothing else, dilute the power of the corrupt ANC. If the "African Vote" is divided between the ANC and COPE, then the DA should increase their share of seats. Lets face it, the only functional local government is Cape Town, under DA control.
The 2010 Soccer World Cup is causing injection of much needed capital which shall have a long-term beneficial impact on the major cities.
The property bubble has burst with property prices plummeting, however investors are taking advantage and snapping up bargains which will appreciate tremendously in the next run. Rental income levels are higher than average at the moment. I just bought an investment apartment at 70% below market value, with an annual rental yield of 68% ! Hopefully this may be the first of many.
Yes, there is hope. Yes, there exists a silver lining on even the darkest cloud. Yes, things are tough now, but they can only get better. Yes, it is easy to be depressed about the state of things, but its not too difficult to see the opportunities. Yes, we South Africans love to bitch, but we are a resourceful bunch and can weather any storm. Bring it on! I am ready...
South Africa Version 2.009 ! Lets Roll!
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