Dishonesty
I really don’t know why many white folk who leave the country can’t just be straight about why they are going. It would be refreshing to hear: “I am frightened and worried about the ability of black people to take care of me.” Or even: “I have discovered I am a racist.” Or, even better: “It’s just time to leave.” Why do they have to look for reasons and then create negativity? Just bloody go and stop sniveling.
I spent a lot of the day with some friends at lunch. The one couple that I had never met is immigrating to New Zealand. They cite crime as the key driver for the move. That plus the wife was in Zim when the transition happened and she says the same will happen here. Oh – and they are worried about Zuma becoming president.
To put this in perspective – neither one of these people, in their late 40s, has EVER been to New Zealand. But they have sold the house, got the papers and are off, with two small children in tow. The idea is that they will get there, cruise the country for two weeks in a campervan and try to find a job. He is a part owner of a fairly successful construction company here. Huh?
Anyway, it burns my arse horribly when I am surrounded by aging white people who find out I am a Zimbabwean and they start laughing and saying “ya, we when-wes must stick together.” I AM NOT A FUCKING WHEN WE. I am a Zimbabwean. I was never a Rhodesian. Z-I-M-B-A-B-W-E-A-N.
But I digress, the Zim situation was nothing like the South African one. In Zim we had a bad government. It professed communism (ya ya David, don’t start here) and quickly became quite dictatorial and despotic. In South Africa we have a fairly good capitalist government. We have a social problem with crime. Finished. A social problem can be fixed – all it takes is willingness to do so.
Then, on Zuma. What the hell is wrong with people? Zuma is very popular, yes. But he can’t just sommer become president. First of all, a bunch of card-carrying active ANC members have to choose who they are promoting as President to be. I have no idea how these people think. I would imagine they don’t much care for the thought of having their solid little economy shafted because they put someone with a dodgy public image in place as president. I mean.. Madiba, Mbeki – Zuma?? I can’t quite see it. Hey, I could be wrong. I don’t know but I do know that our govt has not done such an appalling job since 94. I am not about to flee based on a “maybe.”
What I think is that people move for whatever reason, then they feel they have to justify the decision and they tend to use negative reasons to do it. My dear dad has always said: “Never move from something, move towards something better.”
Besides, what is there to do in New Zealand apart from shagging sheep and hobbit-spotting?
