"Respect will make SA safer"

[Natasha H]

Well, mentioning apartheid by itself is not constructive, but recognizing the massive scope of the problems created by apartheid, recognizing that 14 years is NOT a long time to address the problems of entrenched racism and slavery that spanned over 300 years. Aside from the psychological impact apartheid had on black people (which is perhaps another discussion altogether) I think you underestimate the scope of the problem our post apartheid government has to tackle. They have the power and resources but the time is another story, 14 years is nothing. Consider that between 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 our government built 248,850 houses for people and that this hasn't made a dent. Go look at all the squatter camps today and then consider that since 1994, the state has built 1.4 million houses, providing more than 5 million people with homes. Realize how big this problem actually is. 1.4 million houses over 14 years - you can't say they've done nothing, just not enough. Consider that only 51.7% of black South Africans have running water on their property (17.9% actually have running water inside their dwelling). If we estimate the population of black south africans to be about 35 million that means that the government needs to supply water to about 17 million people. Over 14 years that's 1.2million properties needing pipes and water infrastructure a year!!! Over 3000 a day!!! And that's just water....

Exactly the point, yet they spend their money on changing every single street name, airport, whole towns and provinces and now sports emblems

So yes the government is acting stupidly.. Has nothing to do with the fact they are black..

 

[BigAl-sa]

*The unemployment rate of the black population aged 15-65 is 28.1%
The unemployment rate of the white population aged 15-65 is 4.1%.
*The median annual income of black working adults aged 15-65 is R12,073.
The median annual income of white working adults aged 15-65 is R65,405.
(black males have a median annual income of R14162 vs R8903 for black females)
(white males have a median annual income of R81701 vs R52392 for white females)

Nice numbers, but please do give me a source, which hopefully doesn't have SA as a prefix...

 

[BigAl-sa]

Well, mentioning apartheid by itself is not constructive, but recognizing the massive scope of the problems created by apartheid, recognizing that 14 years is NOT a long time to address the problems of entrenched racism and slavery that spanned over 300 years. Aside from the psychological impact apartheid had on black people (which is perhaps another discussion altogether) I think you underestimate the scope of the problem our post apartheid government has to tackle. They have the power and resources but the time is another story, 14 years is nothing. Consider that between 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 our government built 248,850 houses for people and that this hasn't made a dent. Go look at all the squatter camps today and then consider that since 1994, the state has built 1.4 million houses, providing more than 5 million people with homes. Realize how big this problem actually is. 1.4 million houses over 14 years - you can't say they've done nothing, just not enough. Consider that only 51.7% of black South Africans have running water on their property (17.9% actually have running water inside their dwelling). If we estimate the population of black south africans to be about 35 million that means that the government needs to supply water to about 17 million people. Over 14 years that's 1.2million properties needing pipes and water infrastructure a year!!! Over 3000 a day!!! And that's just water....



Struggling, probably

You really love numbers, but please do give a source, without it, you're spouting ANC rhetoric...

 

[BigAl-sa]

Go look at all the squatter camps today and then consider that since 1994, the state has built 1.4 million houses, providing more than 5 million people with homes.

And, where exactly did the money come from to build those things??

 

[Syndyre]

Agree 100%. The guy is transferring his own issues of guilt onto others. His daddy taught him that an abc is an xyz, well my daddy did not teach me that. He should take that diatribe to his counselling sessions.

Agreed. People will do anything to sell a book.

Well, actually I am white, so no, other than being called a jew boy sometimes as a child I've never really been discriminated against.

As to your "what must the whites do" question, it a matter of respect I guess. not just respecting someone cause he is black, but for example:

When they decided to change the name of the airport in JHB to OR Tambo and got rid of "Jan Smuts" as the name, many white people were up in arms. Some, like you, see it as a 'sacrifice' others (correctly in my opinion) would say 'but Jan Smuts was a great man'. But very few white people would say that it is a great thing because OR Tambo was a great South African. A man we can all, white and black, be proud of. He was.
What is the problem there?

I know whites have to sacrifice, but that is the nature of reconciliation - white people had so much for so long, and black people suffered and continue to suffer because of apartheid - and we were not killed in our beds in a violent bloody revolution / civil war as many predicted, instead the ANC under Mandela offered a hand of reconciliation.

The name was already changed to JHB Intl which was a reasonable change IMO, the policy being that names would be neutral. To change it again after that isn't justified.

The ANC didn't offer reconciliation out of the goodness of their hearts, it was a negotiated settlement.

By erasing ours?

Seems like it.