I guess I have a slightly different perspective on South Africa because my parents emigrated from Italy to here in search of a better life for us.
In 1977 I was 8 years old. I knew nothing of Apartheid. All I knew was that Cape Town was beautiful, and we could afford a large house with a garden (as opposed to the tiny flat at the top of many, many stairs, where we’d come from).
We had a full-time nanny, one rand was worth as much as one U.S. dollar, and we lacked for nothing … except TV because back then the South African Broadcasting Television only broadcast for about 2 hours in English and 2 hours in Afrikaans every day. (Since I couldn’t understand either language at that stage, TV didn’t impact my life much!)
It’s hard for people to understand that South Africa is a very large country with 9 distinct provinces. Cape Town was spared most of the riots, police clashes and other human rights abuses which happened elsewhere in the country. We did not know what was happening at the time due to the total censorship of the media.
All I knew growing up was that this place was safer for us, and we had a better quality of life than the one we’d had in Italy.
I did not witness discrimination on buses or on the streets of Cape Town. Only the public toilets and the public schools were segregated. Even during Apartheid, if you could afford it, private schools were open to all races.
Fast forward to today. We have satellite TV which allows us access to many of the same programs as you may have, as well as, an Italian channel!
I am a 43-year-old mother of a 19-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter. If I’d earned a penny for every time I was told that I was “lucky” to have an EU passport, I’d be really rich!
The truth is that despite what the media says about South Africa, my family and I are very happy here, and we have no intention of emigrating to anywhere else!
Does this mean that we don’t have problems? Of course, not. There are serious concerns about the inability of our current ANC-led government to make good on all its promises to the electorate.
Our health system could be better, crime is a problem (as our police are paid too little for the work they do and are ill-equipped), we have a high unemployment rate (which is aggravated by all the people from the rest of Africa who seek, and get, asylum here), “Black Economic Empowerment” is crippling our economy, and so on.
Read my list again … do any of our problems sound similar to yours? I honestly think that each country deals with similar issues and the grass is not greener on the other side!
My South Africa is a world in one country. We are the first world of the third world! We have everything anyone could possibly need, and we also have the dreadful side which nobody wants to admit is here.
We have corrupt politicians, and we have the most generous people you could ever hope to meet. We have the criminals, and we have teens who volunteer to spend their Saturday repainting a school for mentally handicapped children. We have it all – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – and I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
What do you love and hate about the country you live in?
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Simona of South Africa. She mostly comments on Mamapedia. This is her second post for World Moms Blog.
Photo credit of the V & A Waterfront in Capetown, SA to Steve Burden.
Although I am now a Canadian citizen, I say with pride that I was born and raised in South Africa. I *love* this post, and as a former South African raising her kids elsewhere, I find it a very interesting read.
What do I love about the country I live in? Provincially funded health care, cultural diversity and a strong social culture of acceptance for things that are “different”, autism services that are excellent once you know how to play the politics. Toronto is a very nice place to raise kids and it has a public transportation system that is generally reliable.
What do I hate? Canadian winters. And the fact that you have to learn how to play the politics to get autism services for your kids.
Thanks for your comment. It’s about time that South-Africans start representing South Africa proudly! We now have an even better Constitution than the U.S. does 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this as many South Africans have immigrated to NZ for ‘a better life’!
The dark side of NZ: the gangs and their drug wealth; the really desparate problems of the poor; the binge drinking culture; earthquakes and threat of volcanic activity at any moment; the slow broadband; next to no public transport.
The great: free (mostly) health care; loads of wide open spaces and no big cities; being far far away from war-zones; having all types of schooling integrated with the state-system – we pay much for around $50NZ per week for two boys to go to a Waldorf school; great food; temperate climate…come on you’ve all seen Lord of the Rings!
I guess I’m not moving anywhere fast either. 🙂
Just before the 1994 elections it seemed as if half of S.A. had emigrated to either NZ, Aus, UK or the US!
My kids are now 19 and 16 years old respectively. My son is working as a Computer Programmer and my daughter is in grade 10. Both of them have indicated a desire to travel, so it’s not inconceivable that they might choose to settle elsewhere in the world. My cousin and sister-in-law both live in the UK, my sister moved back to Italy several years ago and I have an uncle in the US. Honestly, the only thing that could induce me to move (other than Civil War) would be if my kids decided to emigrate …. I’ve got every intention of being a “hands-on” grandma one of these days! 🙂
Interesting post, Simona!
I live in the US:
The bad: 1) Sick people can go really bankrupt without health insurance.
The good: (in no particular order) 1) The country is so large — the more I have traveled within the US, the more I learn about what being an American means to so many different people. 2) You can live where the climate suits you best and still be in the same country! 3) You can pass through state borders freely. 4) You can mail a letter to anywhere within the US for less than 50 cents and someone will deliver it to the exact place it needs to go, as far as our borders stretch. 5) You get to learn square dancing in gym class growing up as a kid. Do you know what a dosey-do is? 6) Freedom of religion.
I’m sure I’m missing in both columns, but this is off the top of my head!
Jen 🙂
Interesting read.Tell me more about your Constitution – I’m intrigued!
I live in the US as well and could go on for pages on the good, bad and ugly, so I will pick one thing that I value above most things in the US, which is free speech. The downside, though, is you have to take free speech with all it’s warts. People have a right to say things that are terrible and immoral to my ears with the intent only to hurt or slander. But I wouldn’t trade it for censorship. It’s so important that people in a democracy have a voice.
Thank you for your comment. I have attached our Constitution – you’ll see that it protects all the rights the U.S. one does (except the right to bear arms) and then some! 🙂
We also have complete freedom of speech now – much to the chagrin of the ruling party (the ANC). They are trying to force through a “Secrecy Bill” which we consider unconstitutional and (so far) we have managed to prevent it from passing. Our only concern is that if the ANC manages to obtain a 2 thirds majority in our upcoming elections, they’ll be able to unilaterally amend the Constitution! 🙁
We are all praying that it will not happen and we are cautiously optimistic that some of their supporters will not vote for them this time as they have not yet made good on everything they promised in 1994!
Love & best wishes, Simona
I have friends from South Africa and they feel the same way you do – the good, the bad and the ugly. And how they love the good! 🙂
Thanks for your comment. Sometimes we get frustrated when “outsiders” assume the worst about this country. I really do love living in Cape Town, my only real concern is that the ruling party (ANC) wants to pass a “Secrecy Bill” which is unconstitutional. We’ve managed to oppose it so far, but our next General Elections are going to be extremely important. If the ANC gets a 2/3 majority in Government it will give them the power to unilaterally amend our Constitution. It’s CRITICAL that as many of us as possible vote for the “official opposition” (the DA) to prevent this happening.
There is a lot to love where I have landed, streets are pretty safe to walk in late at night, the kids ride their bikes to school and everyone is pretty relaxed about safety and security, which is a far cry from what I have been used to. I have to admit I am still “security mad” and don’t think that will ever leave me. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity of this new life but I am still Proudly South African and love the country I was born in and it’s people.