Academics 'queuing to quit SA'

SweetFennyAdams said:
For most people in SA, they are trapped in shock-induced paralysis with what’s going on right now on so many fronts.
Their rational brain is being switched off by the enormity of the situation facing them.
They are like deer caught in the headlights of a freight truck hurling at them at 120km/h.
People need to introspect, snap out of it and respond, or it will be too late.
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Whats going to happen when it's too late? Not trolling im serious? I have no idea what to expect.
 
Vegeta said:
Whats going to happen when it's too late? Not trolling im serious? I have no idea what to expect.
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See Zimbabwe.

I think the most worrying thing about this is the speed in which a country can implode. It's basically like stocks, once people see everyone else is cashing in there's a panic and everyone sells, the same thing can happen to a country which is exactly what happened in Zim.
 
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SweetFennyAdams said:
I’m one of those leaving.
Job secured abroad and visas issued.
Just waiting to flog my property and I'm off.

Four of the seven senior academics in my department are doing the same.
The majority of SA students today are no longer worthy of my time and effort.
I'm going to teach where my input is appreciated and where people want to uplift themselves.
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Yup. I was considering doing my PhD here, but now I'm looking overseas.
 
SweetFennyAdams said:
For most people in SA, they are trapped in shock-induced paralysis with what’s going on right now on so many fronts.
Their rational brain is being switched off by the enormity of the situation facing them.
They are like deer caught in the headlights of a freight truck hurling at them at 120km/h.
People need to introspect, snap out of it and respond, or it will be too late.
Click to expand...

It's also a case of some people being genuinely happy to live in South Africa despite the issues and that is cool too. Personally, I have different priorities. If I still lived in South Africa I would not be able to afford to send my kid to an international university and the idea of sending him to the rubble that is so fondly called decolonized education scares the hell out of me.
 
hawker said:
Yup. I was considering doing my PhD here, but now I'm looking overseas.
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Same, I am definitely looking to do my higher education at a more internationally recognized institution
 
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Kilgore_Trout_Redux said:
I do think that BEE and affirmative action has chased away a huge number of incredibly skilled white professionals but I've seen a few non-white South African ex-pats around here and I know of quite a few who have gone to the UK.
The desire for a better life is universal.
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You can say that again.

What is very sad is most of the people I personally know who left SA have contributed immensely in this country including my personal career development. I will mention two names Dr. Geoff Garrett (was the head of the CSIR) and Dr. Guner Gurtunca (was head of the CSIR Mining Research).
 
Vegeta said:
Whats going to happen when it's too late? Not trolling im serious? I have no idea what to expect.
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By looking at what’s transpired in the rest of post-colonial Africa, I’m not bothered about any of the specifics, or even going to try make a prediction.

I value progress, the rule of law, safety, more economic stability, opportunities for my children etc.
All the signs of our times in SA point towards these no longer being part of the SA experience in the future.
 
Vegeta said:
People have been saying that for 25 years, almost my entire life. All i want to know is when? When will this eutopia arrive?
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The when depends on how stupid people get. Universities shutting down of a month is bad, but it's hardly a doomsday scenario...
If it stops now we will be oky. I don't think anyone can accurately predict a date or even a point of no return.
 
We were planning on returning to SA this coming April but have this morning decided to delay the plans...South AFrica is spiralling downwards very fast and the government is doing nothing but watching and most probably contributing. My heart is broken....SA is going to end up being a shhhthole like Nigeria and all those other disgusting AFrican countries on the east and west coast.
 
Vegeta said:
People have been saying that for 25 years, almost my entire life. All i want to know is when? When will this eutopia arrive?
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When will the over-leveraged US stock market finally implode causing another recession? No one knows for sure. It could be next week, or 5 years from now. But one thing is for sure, its bound to happen - the writing is on the wall.

Same situation with South Africa. There have been slow trickles and signs, but eventually this damn wall is going to break and seemingly overnight things could get very bad. If the Rand goes from 12 to 16 to the USD in the course of a week over one finance minister, its could certainly reach 50 or 100 to one when Zuma or Malema finally decide to turn us into Zim 2.0 buy signing into law some nationalization or land grab act.
 
What if zim 2.0 never happens, mind blown i know...
 
SweetFennyAdams said:
New Zealand.

No, the value of my home here in SA will not even pay half towards a smaller home in New Zealand, but it will form a substantial deposit on a new home. However I'll be earning enough to pay off the new home without a sweat. The bonus is I will no longer be paying medical aid, pension contributions, security or for the education of my kids. These will be significant savings on my salary spend.

Two years ago I realised the longer I stay here, the Rand will depreciate and the chances of relocating will become more difficult as foreign countries tighten up their quota of South African immigrants. Foreign countries run their immigration on quota systems and embassies in the quota manged countries may not exceed the numbers allocated to them, even if they have people who qualify of paper.

If you have a degree, I implore you to start weighing your options very seriously and very soon.
Ask yourself where you and your family would like to be and what you can achieve here in five or ten years time vs. abroad.

Time is ticking before its too late to leave.
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And this is the part that bites.

Those of us who couldn't afford varsity are stuck as trying to get enough EoI points without a degree is damn difficult.

Enjoy it when you get there.

I'm sending 40 CVs a week to both NZ and AUS and I can't even get a positive response.
 
rietrot said:
The when depends on how stupid people get. Universities shutting down of a month is bad, but it's hardly a doomsday scenario...
If it stops now we will be oky. I don't think anyone can accurately predict a date or even a point of no return.
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Dude, the university issue is just one of myriads of deep rooted systemic failures occurring here.
Once multi system organ failure occurs, the organism dies ... period.

SA is heading fast towards a sovereign junk status, meaning rapid inflation and even more unemployment.

The net result of the cascading effect which WILL follow, will be a whole lot more angry people who have demonstrated their propensity for violence to achieve their unrealistic demands.

The State is not equipped in any way, shape or form to quell unrest, which is bursting at the seams.

I'm not sticking around for the day the dam wall breaks, now the many cracks are visible and pissing.
 
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SweetFennyAdams said:
I'm not sticking around for the day the dam wall breaks.
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I think I'll turn the lights off once everyone is gone, someone has to do it. I'll go when the eish hit the fan, no sooner.

Not that i can't go my wife and I both have post grads. I just want to make sure there is no pulse before I go.
 
Vegeta said:
I think I'll turn the lights off once everyone is gone, someone has to do it. I'll go when the eish hit the fan, no sooner.

Not that i can't go my wife and I both have post grads. I just want to make sure there is no pulse before I go.
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By the looks of things, you dont have that much time to pack.
 
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