South Africans abroad miss home

[NameOfBeast]

Both researchers are themselves migrants, with Mason being a former South African. Their findings suggest a typical South African in Australia is a reluctant immigrant who fits the description of an “anticipatory refugee”. This was described as a person who left their country of origin ahead of a situation that could prevent an orderly departure.

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A908991

 

[Syndyre]

Interesting article but this is just stupid:

But the head of the forced migration studies programme at the University of the Witwatersrand, Loren Landau, says people will always find ways of justifying and legitimising a decision they have made.

“Even if someone left because they don’t like living without the privileges they once had, they are likely to say something more politically correct: that it’s because of crime or poor services,” he says.

Why do they always have to throw in some sort of veiled implication of racism?

 

[Frankie]

London brings peace for Williams family

I would certainly miss home, but this would not influence my decision when choosing a new safer place for me and my family.

London brings peace for Williams family

The trauma of losing their daughter Emily through crime drove the Williams family to uproot from South Africa.

Roger Williams and his family have settled into their new life in London following the murder of 12-year-old Emily earlier this year.

The family were unable to cope and deal with their loss while living in the same situation that led to the death of their daughter and sister.

This prompted Williams to start doing research on the Internet looking for a job abroad. He managed to land a job with BSG Resources in the UK as chief financial officer.

"It was easy for us to settle in London because we've got British passports," he said.

After Emily's death, her mother Toni and sister Sophie couldn't sleep at night.

Little Sophie was too scared and couldn't sleep in her room.

From the back seat of her mother's car, Sophie witnessed her sister being shot.

"Sophie just felt afraid, which she never was before. We always felt safe at home," Williams said.

 

[sox63]

Interesting article but this is just stupid:



Why do they always have to throw in some sort of veiled implication of racism?

I don't think it implies racism, as the avarage white person back then did enjoy certain privilages like job reservation, exclusive rights to land ownership, were not exposed to crime as the police was used as a tool of oppression.

Once you take away those privalages, things start to look less rosy, and you would be inclined to seek other places to live. It does not mean the people are racist, just if they said those are the reasons they are leaving, would make appear racist.

 

[Syndyre]

I don't think it implies racism, as the avarage white person back then did enjoy certain privilages like job reservation, exclusive rights to land ownership, were not exposed to crime as the police was used as a tool of oppression.

Once you take away those privalages, things start to look less rosy, and you would be inclined to seek other places to live. It does not mean the people are racist, just if they said those are the reasons they are leaving, would make appear racist.

True, that's another way of looking at it. I think job reservation etc. probably benefited the unskilled far more than the professionals who tend to be the ones who are emigrating though. If you have sought after skills you generally don't need policies like job reservation. Crime is definitely a major factor but I wouldn't call not being exposed to crime a privilege in that sense.

 

[2CentsWorth]

South Africans abroad miss home...

They needed to do research to figure this out??

Damn, and here I thought "homesick" was a known term.

 

[sox63]

True, that's another way of looking at it. I think job reservation etc. probably benefited the unskilled far more than the professionals who tend to be the ones who are emigrating though. If you have sought after skills you generally don't need policies like job reservation. Crime is definitely a major factor but I wouldn't call not being exposed to crime a privilege in that sense.

Being protected from crime is a right of all south africans, however if that right is not given to all, but a minority of the country, would that not count as a privilage to that minority?

 

[Syndyre]

Being protected from crime is a right of all south africans, however if that right is not given to all, but a minority of the country, would that not count as a privilage to that minority?

Its a privilege in the conventional sense, I just didn't think it should be lumped in with the Apartheid-type privileges where it has a more loaded meaning.

 

[PeterCH]

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A908991

Both researchers are themselves migrants...

Which means they are biased and any conclusions they derrive as well as their methodology should be peer reviewed.

 

[Jase]

South Africans abroad miss home...

They needed to do research to figure this out??

Damn, and here I thought "homesick" was a known term.

+ 1

Touche

 

[Frankie]

I don't think it implies racism, as the avarage white person back then did enjoy certain privilages like job reservation, exclusive rights to land ownership, were not exposed to crime as the police was used as a tool of oppression.

Once you take away those privalages, things start to look less rosy, and you would be inclined to seek other places to live. It does not mean the people are racist, just if they said those are the reasons they are leaving, would make appear racist.

Obviously the police were also used for fighting crime which cant be said about them these days - they are either not the same calibre or don't have the same work ethic these days - that in addition to the good ones (scorpions) being banned because too many ANC members found themselves in their sights.

 

[Frankie]

Interesting article but this is just stupid:



Why do they always have to throw in some sort of veiled implication of racism?

True, really grasping at straws there.
This racist slant will of course be true of a small number, and they would have left before 1994, but I'm sure the figures will show that larger numbers have left more recently which means they had no problem with the transitions of 1994 but since then have found conditions (degradation of service, schools, lack of law enforcement, high crime, BEE, AA, EE, political uncertainty, corruption, JZ as state president, ..........) and this is category I am in.
I have not finalised my decision just yet, but will do so by 2010 - I have a number of things in place for this, such as my UK work permit etc.
In addition to the problems listed above, I have concerns that just like happened in Zim 1.0 pension investments may be eroded by the lack of the governments effort to address the problems.

 

[guest2013-1]

I don't think it implies racism, as the avarage white person back then did enjoy certain privilages like job reservation, exclusive rights to land ownership, were not exposed to crime as the police was used as a tool of oppression.

Once you take away those privalages, things start to look less rosy, and you would be inclined to seek other places to live. It does not mean the people are racist, just if they said those are the reasons they are leaving, would make appear racist.

I'd like to disagree with you there. Even though the police did (by force) enforce the apartheid "laws" the reason people weren't exposed to crime is because there wasn't much to begin with.

The fear and respect (even if the respect was forcefully beaten into individuals) the police had back them made them an effective deterrant against crime.

Now. I'm not implying that ONLY black/coloured people were the ones being forcefully beaten. Crime spreads widely and even the whites have been bliksemed into submission by the police (my dad's friend and my ex's dad were both cops back then)

Came 1994/5. Police/Hospitals/Fire Dept/Education budgets got cut by more then 40% on average. (Go Google it)

So less resources to fight crime, instill good health and educate the masses... including the new human rights laws etc gave criminals free rain.

They LAUGH at police now. It really is a joke. So compared to "not being exposed to crime" to now, I won't blame a person for citing the crime ridden/poor conditions of this country as the reason why they want to leave.

I'm not even scratching the surface at border patrols and the lack of resources for the SADF (I have friends in the SADF). Back then the SADF was used to patrol streets, now okay... I can admit it might have been because of some apartheid thing and keeping "the others" out of the white neighbourhoods or whatever.

But I haven't seen a SADF patrol in yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaars

That being said. South Africa, even riddled with crime. Is my country. I'd die there. I miss it a lot even though I'm going to miss not having to worry about crime/beggars while living in Dubai.

Its been 14 years now. apartheid is long gone, and government should step up to the plate, push a **** load of money into police and just give them the right to bliksem someone senseless when caught stealing.

Same goes for schools. MOER THEM STUKKEND. I was and I still piss in my pants when I see my one teacher... and its been a good 14 years since.... it's even in the bible ffs

 

[Claymore]

I'm not even scratching the surface at border patrols and the lack of resources for the SADF (I have friends in the SADF). Back then the SADF was used to patrol streets, now okay... I can admit it might have been because of some apartheid thing and keeping "the others" out of the white neighbourhoods or whatever.

But I haven't seen a SADF patrol in yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaars

The SADF, like the US armed forces, can't be used against the country's own citizens, so that's why. It would require a state of emergency to use them like that.

 

[medicnick83]

Moral of the story is as follows;

If you leave, and you miss home... go cry on someone else's shoulder.

You left!

Don't make your soppy problems ours

 

[R13...]

those who want to understand policing now & then must please get their hands on a copy of steinberg's "the thin blue line".

 

[guest2013-1]

The SADF, like the US armed forces, can't be used against the country's own citizens, so that's why. It would require a state of emergency to use them like that.

No I'm not saying use them against our own citizens. I'm saying use them against the illegals. Use them to patrol the streets, like cops would (should, do). So if they catch someone in the act, they hand him over to the police.

If you see a huge bitch of a dog with sharp teeth walking up and down your street looking like it'll rip you limb from limb you'd most probably want to stay in your house? Right?

If we use the SADF for random patrols it will deter crime. Much more than ADT can... and patrolling our borders better if they had more funding to keep the illegals out.

Because South Africa "is the land of opportunity" a lot of people go there for something better (Zimbabwe anyone?) so you end up with a bunch of illegals not finding jobs and begging/stealing to survive.

Then again the president can always claim a state of emergency because of the violent crime in South Africa and get the SADF out in full force to patrol streets actively. I wouldn't mind driving in the street not having to worry about stopping at a stop street and being hijacked. Or being held at gunpoint while they ransack my house and keeping my friends held at gunpoint as well (both of which happened!)

Even if they decided to put a curfue out I wouldn't mind complying with that (of course you can then maybe get a special permit to be out that time of night etc).... sure we'll be looking more and more like a communist country, but I'm pretty damn well sure crime won't be a problem.

I wonder how many rapes/murders/hijackings and armed robbery will be reported come 2010...

 

[Frankie]

Moral of the story is as follows;

If you leave, and you miss home... go cry on someone else's shoulder.

You left!

Don't make your soppy problems ours

You're welcome not to read these "soppy" stories because those that have left are quite entitled to voice their feelings on the sorry state that the ANC is quite prepared to allow.

 

[JayM]

Missing home does not equal regret decision to leave.

 

[Fuma]

Missing home does not equal regret decision to leave.

+1
I miss home as well (Limpopo), but I had to come to Gauteng for "greener" pastures.