Politics, Eskom, crime; these are three of the reasons many South Africans are citing as reasons why they're considering emigrating. But is it worthwhile? How does the stress of staying weigh up against the stress of leaving?
Advertisement
A local survey has shown that twenty percent of South Africans plan to emigrate or are seriously considering it. This goes to show the extent of the problem. The survey was released this week by global market research company Synovate. Spokesman, Jake Orpen, said 600 respondents were interviewed in all nine provinces of South Africa, using face-to-face interviews and the results were weighted to ensure representation across province, age, gender and race. Apparently, the option to emigrate was most popular amongst young and middle-aged South Africans (18 to 44 years).
The USA emerged as the most popular choice of destination, followed by the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
But what happens when you get there? The recent outbreak of xenophobic violence in Johannesburg shows that there can be an ugly side to immigrating to a foreign land. Yet many are still convinced the grass is greener on the other side. But at what cost to your mental and emotional health?
Dr Helgo Schomer (registered psychologist and UCT academic) believes the trauma of any form of moving - be it moving town to town or to another country - should not be underestimated and ought to be a major consideration before such a life-changing step is taken.
Goodbye familiarity
"There are many reasons why people move, but any move involves uprooting yourself. You will possibly break family ties and leaving behind a social system that's part of your everyday life, from knowing the bus timetable to your local police station's address. These are all things you'll have to learn from scratch, and most of the rules will be new," he says.
Moving is said to be one of the most stressful things one can go through in a lifetime, and Schomer agrees that emotionally it is a huge stressor which can take its toll mentally, and even physically, if not handled correctly.
"Emigration means moving into an unknown realm, and adults don't adjust as fast as children do. It's not just the furniture that's being moved – you're moving your future.
"Emotionally you need to be prepared to cope with being in an alien setting, a place where you can't go to a familiar place for comfort. It's a brand new experience on a number of levels and mentally it's important to be prepared," Schomer advises.
Crime the major motivator
Yet, while Schomer denies advocating emigration is the only alternative option, he also believes that people have their limits, and says it's not for anyone else to judge their reasons for wanting to leave.
"Crime is a justified concern for many, I have also been a victim of crime, and the trauma I see sometimes from people who have been touched by crime is often unbelievable.
"I would love to say that people should stay and fight, but it's not up to us to criticise people who leave," he says.
Schomer also advises people who have been a victim of crime, or have been touched by it in any way, to seek counselling – regardless of whether they are leaving or staying.
"I am a shrink, and after my second hijacking I needed help. Everyone needs someone professional to talk to after something like that and it's no good being arrogant about it. It will make a huge difference to your life," he adds.
Survey reveals top reasons for leaving and staying
According to the Synovate survey, the primary factor for emigrating from South Africa was violence,
crime and corruption, 55 percent of respondents said. Other push factors were the country's volatile economy and the cost of living (19 percent), governmental problems (13 percent) and infrastructure concerns (6 percent).
Family reasons (14 percent), such as joining extended families abroad and better education for children, were also mentioned. Four percent even admitted to having encouraged their children (of university-going age) to leave and a further three percent said they would encourage their children when they were old enough.
Some 85 percent of respondents said that they had not been encouraged by anyone to leave South Africa. Fifteen percent said they had been encouraged by others to emigrate, of which 8 percent said that when considering emigration, friends were the main influences.
A third of the respondents surveyed said they knew someone who had emigrated from South Africa in the past five years. Those who had emigrated were perceived to have left for work or crime related reasons.
Fortunately it was not all doom and gloom, with 47 percent of respondents reporting they had no intention of leaving and a further 17 percent said they hadn't thought about it. So why did they want to stay? According to 46 percent, the climate and nature were the main attractions. Eighteen percent of respondents loved the people and Fifteen percent pointed to the freedom South Africans had been granted and 14 percent pointed to the diverse cultures that existed in South Africa. Just over a tenth loved South Africa because it was home to family and friends.
What if the grass isn't greener on the other side?
However, if you're still intent on leaving, a key consideration when emigrating to a foreign country is to ensure you are prepared for the kind of welcome the locals will give you. A look at the uncontrollable xenophobic violence in Joburg recently should be enough to convince you that not all locals in your new home may be too eager to roll out the welcome mat.
Thankfully, for those emigrating to countries such as Australia and New Zealand, such extremes are not generally the norm, says Schomer.
"In countries such as these, there are already a substantial number of South Africans, so one can fall into a pre-existing, established network. Some countries also want you for your skills and will absorb you into a system that's prepared."
This, he believes, is one of the primary reasons for the anger of locals towards the immigrants in Joburg. "Fear is a primal instinct and some perceive the immigration of others into their land as an invasion – one which will eventually erode their identity and affect their way of life," he says.
Leaving or staying – the stress could kill you
Yet whether you decide to pack up and jump ship, or stick it out for the long haul, the stress that comes with such major decisions is most certainly something which could adversely affect your health in both the long and the short term.
If you experience any of the following symptoms of the acute “flight-or-fight” stress reaction, you could be stressed:
Fast beating, racing heart, often palpable
Blood pressure soars
Fast racing breath
Digestion slows down
Sweaty palms. Stress causes extreme heat in the body. Without perspiration to cool the body down, we would spontaneously combust!
Dry mouth
Muscles tense
Blood clots faster
Glucose and fats pour into the blood to provide energy for all the action taking place inside the body
Rushing thoughts
Irrational fears and anxiety
Left unchecked, stress can not only cause, but also worsen the following conditions:
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Allergies, hives, hay fever
Asthma
Migraines
Irritable bowel syndrome
Eczema
Psoriasis
Thankfully, stress can be stopped or at least alleviated. If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, try some of the following before making any radical decisions. If none of them work and you still want to leave, then as the good Dr Schomer says, it's not for anyone to judge.
Take charge of your stress and find coping mechanisms
Let your self-talk be positive
Get active and get those feel-good hormones flowing
Watch what you eat and keep your blood glucose levels regulated
Get adequate sleep to restore the body and rest the nervous system
Take time out at least once a day to yourself and read a book or listen to music
Interact with kids as their free spirits and light-heartedness almost always help us to see things differently
Pamper yourself with a massage or something luxurious
Chat to a friend and share the load
Write it down and unpack your mind
Learn to say “no” if you're overwhelmed
Try to get into a routine to calm you down
Sources: Dr Helgo Schomer, registered psychologist and UCT academic; Health24.com
(Amy Henderson, Health24.com, May 2008)
Read one man's story about his experiences after moving to South Africa: My other country
I think everyone is worried. I have decided to stay, but I don't have kids, which makes the decision a lot easier. - Michael
I am leaving in Dec f4 NZ
5/22/2008 11:25:35 AM
Do agree with most in article. Have gone through many stressfull situations. Once the decision was made, it seemed less. Already have family and support structures in NZ. Crime is my main reason and safety ofmy family is my responsibility and priority. NZ appreciates my skill and already have job offer. In RSA, due to Racism (AA, EE, BEE) cannot get perm employment. Yes, it wont be easy, but in the longer term better 4 familiy. Will easily considder returning to RSA IF positive changes happens. - Matrix
Its just so stresffull
5/22/2008 11:29:08 AM
to go to work everyday and you dont know if you going to see your wife and kids again. I fully blame the Govt.!!! - charlie
Everyday
5/22/2008 11:34:38 AM
A question I ask myself everyday, every single day. The worrying of something happening to my love ones, is an constant stress.
I have lived abroad, and know it is not easy. So for now, this question is, a big weight scale hanging over my head.
But I believe things are getting better. This war against crime unfortunately has causalities, and now the question is, will you stick out to see the victory at the price of being a casualty? - Jacques le Roux
Stress vs losing a loved one
5/22/2008 11:56:02 AM
Hmm. Not a difficult decision. As long as things are this way, there is no hope. None! Your article was insightfull though. But, we will be leaving next month. Even though NZ is expensive, no family support, no job yet, no friends, etc, my family and I will be safe. That is very important. - nz
ANC Must wake up soon
5/22/2008 12:03:39 PM
I am a black man and let me tell you if all the skilled white people leave becasue they not safe in SA , This place will go down with a speed. They cannot even handle crime how they going to build up this already falling apart country ?? - bongani
Police station's address
5/22/2008 12:08:21 PM
I think it is only in South Africa that you need to know your local police station's address.
Been living in the UK now for over 5 years, never looked back and have far less stress than I had in SA.
From the day we touched down in the UK we were more relaxed & even slept better knowing we were in a safer place and had more control of our future. - Andy
emigration
5/22/2008 12:08:22 PM
The crime and corruption being perpetrated is simply horrendous.How can anyone cope? - gambit
Getting out of here ASAP
5/22/2008 12:25:53 PM
Sorry I've had to bury too many friends and family that have been murdered or died pointless and preventable deaths, I've been shot up enough times that even War vets have a grudging respect. sorry I've had it I'm leacing - Wes C
Leaving Home
5/22/2008 12:31:34 PM
I could not handle the stress in SA any more, on a daily basis, fearing for me and my family's well being, and the incompetance of government departments with whom I had to work as a consultant to make a living. It is getting worse by the day. Here in Aus you can channel that energy that you used up to worry about everything in SA, into constructive things for the future. 'Rather grow your garden in fertile land'. - Baardbek
would love to leave
5/22/2008 12:45:23 PM
i have 2 kids age:5 and 1. i have to work so they are in creche...everyday i fear for their lives, when i kiss them goodbye in the mornings, i wonder if this is the last kiss!!!!!! so i would leave if i had the opportunity.
thanks - Aashiqah Stanley
Join the March Against Crime!
5/22/2008 12:49:51 PM
We need a million people to march to the Union Buildings on the 10th of June 2008. President Mbeki, you may think violent crime is a joke but we are sick and tired of it. The message to the government and the rest of the world will be clear - we expect leadership and drastic action from the people who are supposed to serve us, the citizens. Plan to emigrate? Make a difference for those who will be staying behind. For the sake of our people's future! www.millionmanmarch.co.za - Frank II
EXPAT
5/22/2008 12:50:05 PM
I have been away for 7 years now. Best time in my life and the most money I ever made. - Billy of Arabia
pommie
5/22/2008 1:00:43 PM
My family emigrated to SA in 1968. growing up in the '70s all we heard about was how the uk had gone down the toilet. There are chalenges in SA but a lot is just whingeing eg affirmative action. White South Africans whinge a lot. Remember they were hated by the whole wolrd for their sick politics i.e apartheid. - Phillip
Leave Already!
5/22/2008 1:04:04 PM
If you really want to try and make a difference, rather join the millionmanmarch(www.millionmanmarch.co.za). If you can and want to leave, get going, so that the ppl who have no other choice or who actually want to stay can get on with their stressful lives. - MJS
@ Pommie Phillip
5/22/2008 1:09:48 PM
You are a denialist mate! Are you blind or what? - Baardbek
Curfews
5/22/2008 1:17:51 PM
I say bring back curfews (for EVERYBODY before I get called a racist), if you are out at night after 9pm you better have a VERY GOOD reason. - Silver Surfer
No place like home
5/22/2008 1:18:20 PM
Im sorry that a lot of people feel so negative about our country & I was also one of them & thats why Im heading back home cause my country is stil the best regardless of this & that.Crime,corruption,etc. is everywhere & you will see what I mean when you decide to make a move to emmigrate.The grass is not so green after all abroad. - Fadiel in Qatar
2010
5/22/2008 1:29:02 PM
I will bet any comers that 2010 world cup will not be hosted in SA. You will not believe the attention that the Xenophobia is enjoying world wide. Comrades, we are killing our own country and if you do not stop, we might as well make Comrade Mugabe our President now. - Dlamani
eerder bang jan as dooie jan
5/22/2008 1:44:52 PM
To smart Philip: In less than one year three of our neighbours in a well secured suburb have been killed. Good enough to leave for me, perhaps not for you, you want my house for free? If you think UK, OZ and NZ are as bad as RSA you are on strong bad drugs, and if you think it will get better you are sadly misguided - +Oom Koos
SA not so bad
5/22/2008 1:44:58 PM
I had to go to London to get robbed! I work overseas 7-8 months of the year, all over the globe, have done for the last ten years. I have seen a good many places and things. I kiss the ground when I land back in SA! We still have a lot going for us. Stop being a bunch of cry babies, and take the bull by the horns, become part of the change for the better! Proudly South African! - Rob H
What country? Fadiel in Qatar?
5/22/2008 1:56:40 PM
RSA does not belong to its cittizens. It belongs to those placing it under seige .i.e criminals,capitilists,economists,politicians - Therk
@ Vincent, Shame!
5/22/2008 2:02:27 PM
You guys are sad losers, we don't need those here anyway, good luck elsewhere! I have also been a victim of crime, and tough enough to deal with it and get on, I will not allow low life criminals to get the better of me! This is my country too. - Rob
How will is possibly get better in SA?
5/22/2008 2:03:28 PM
To Rob H. If all were fortunate enough to be away so much and to earn in whatever currency you earn things might've been better.Fact is that most middle class South Africans are moving backwards.2010 is allready a deciding factor and the tax payer is going to feel the debt created by this spectacle long after everyone packed up and left, and thats best case scenario.I love this country and everything about it but to stay and hope things will get better just isnt worth it anymore.UNFORTUNATELY! - Francois
Scared to death
5/22/2008 2:03:31 PM
I agree with this article. I have moved house 31 times in my life, and towns 6 times before the age of 8. As a result, at the age of 31, I'm a nervous wreck. I do want to leave though to go to NZ or Aus, and at least get another passport in case the pawpaw hits the fan. Yes, to Philip, you are such a wise a**&rse! You have NO concept of crime here. My husband was hijacked and taken 30 km in a car with a gun to his head. Up yours buddy! - Nicole
Face the fact
5/22/2008 2:05:33 PM
I don't think running away its the way to solve the problems bcoz still whatever where u will be going, u going to find the same problem.Crime its all over the world-and thats a fact. Its all about the community how they deal with such a problems. There's a what they call a Community forum - how many are they participating on that to help to fight a crime? - Kati
Rob
5/22/2008 2:07:59 PM
Rob, you will be the first to leave when the pawpaw hits the fan for sure. Very easy for you to say, that you travel so much, but you've found a country you could tolerate out there, and YOU will bolt when things get tougher. Get real! - Nicole
Stay and make a difference ? How ?
5/22/2008 2:12:56 PM
When I read these articles and the reader comments, I see so many people saying I should "stay and make a difference". How exactly ? Join my neighbourhood watch and patrol the streets in the early morning hours ? Secure my house and property to the point where nobody can get in (or out) ? The massive difference between rich and poor in SA is getting worse, and so will the crime. Poor, desperate people will do anything to survive or gain an advantage. Alexandra is a case in point. - Runner
Rob again.
5/22/2008 2:13:27 PM
Sure, money can help, but there are places in SA you can move to that are safer. Better to move local than abroad? We all have choices in life, you chose your career, I chose mine. I have worked hard to get where I am, you can't blame me for making good money. It is my possitive approach that makes me successful, and that same approach would do well to repair our country... - Rob Hardstone c/o Gert Potgieter
@Nicole
5/22/2008 2:19:26 PM
I have a brit passport, family in Aus, NZ, USA and UK. I'm staying! I was not raised to be a sniveling, sorry for myself, cry-baby! - Rob
@ Francoir-Such aggression!
5/22/2008 2:23:58 PM
Such aggression people, you are no better than the criminals you write about, you only add to the the decline... - Rob
@Rob
5/22/2008 2:24:10 PM
I think your enthusiasm is great and i can actually appreciate positive people like you but for most South Africans without brit passports it's much harder to get out when needed.You can go whenever you want, we cant. - Francois
next
5/22/2008 2:25:05 PM
hi - fu
I`m off....
5/22/2008 2:25:12 PM
Were flying to Oz next week.
The most stress for my was the dealing with the dept of home affairs, and trying to get any kind of document from them!
And after experiencing how useless our basic sercives are yet again, the move looks like the best choice ever!
Cheers useless public services! To think I pay TAX for you....
- Martin
I'm Staying
5/22/2008 2:25:16 PM
Funny how only the ones who leave comment, as if trying to convince themselves that their decision to leave is the right decision. The ones staying are quiet because they are working, contributing to the economy. Everything will be fine again, it always is. We've been through worse and made it OK! I don't judge and won't try and convince anyone who wants to go to stay, but please, don't try and convince the ones who decided to stay otherwise - we know better. - JC
Immigrate
5/22/2008 2:25:47 PM
My children left the country with grandchilren. for me its a blessing to know they are more save where they are now as in this country where the chance of getting raped and humaliated or even killed by barbarians that may break into your house or hijack you. I think this is the greatest concern amongst most of our woman and men. If they rape you they do it in front of your husband and children. You really can't compare Africa with its violence and inhuman behouvior to others countries - Tersia
@JC & Rob and everyone else in leaving comments
5/22/2008 2:32:33 PM
We're not trying to convince you to go.It's great that you are able to stay in this country.Not all people are equal as you should probably no and not everyone has the same opportunities.If you had to start from scratch what would you do? Go to www.zeitgeist.com and watch it all and then let me know if you think things in our poverty stricken country would get better.To everyone reading and posting... Best of luck no matter what you decided - Francois
Paradise
5/22/2008 2:32:47 PM
Rob suggests we all move to the tranquil and crime-free countryside where our affluent and comfortable SA lifestyle can go on for ever. The criminals in the big cities will then give up crime (nobody to rob) and all become hardworking honest citizens. Now I know what to do, and how we all can avoid crime and make a better SA :) - Runner
C u later..
5/22/2008 2:32:54 PM
May 30 I leave for the UAE. I am a non-white who grew up in the apartheid era. However, having seen through our so called democratic change in 94 I am disgusted at where we find ourselves today. A million times worse off than we were under an apartheid regime.. These days, no respect for people/laws etc etc. I want a meaningful, safe future for my kids to grow up in so I am outta here... I have even less loyatly to a country who cannot give me the basics to live comfortably and without fear.. - Naz
Rob: no sniveling required: you can go if need be!
5/22/2008 2:32:58 PM
Exactly Rob, you have a British passport, you can leave if you want to and you will - you talk such rubbish from your high horse! - Nicole
Perspective
5/22/2008 2:34:57 PM
Notice how the Leavers use thought through arguments to substantiate their points and the Stayers get all emotional? - Andrea
@Nicole - marry me...
5/22/2008 2:39:44 PM
Marry me? you too can have a brit passport, but you will have to leave on your own...will you leavers still wear your springbok rugby jerseys? food for thought...? - Rob
@Rob.I will marry you, we can these day
5/22/2008 2:45:04 PM
Rob i had a good laugh now but springbok jerseys will always go with. Just like i will always be a streeptrui (WP) no matter what and i have proudly worn the streeptrui everywhere in the country. - Francois
We create our reality!
5/22/2008 2:47:51 PM
We cannot control how the media report stories but we can decide how we respond to them. If I were to live my life driven by what gets reported in the news (worldwide) everyday; I would lock myself in my house and never leave again. We create our own reality by how we respond to what happens around us. Yes, horrible things happen in life; but life(even in SA)is not as horrible as depicted. Unfortunately all positive things that happen never receive much attention. No wonder things seem gloomy. - Life
I am dreaming
5/22/2008 2:48:23 PM
I would love to just love to pack up and leave, but my family is returning from the UK after being away for 10 years. The only reason being, is they miss the family and the support, which they donot have over there. Oh well, I say everything happens for a reason. I just wish things would improve here so we can all live in peace and harmony, or am I just dreaming? - carol
Just realistic
5/22/2008 2:48:53 PM
Yes, my family and I live "well". But what is the use of working hard to drive a nice car just so that someone can take it from you by force? Or what is the use of owning a mansion if you and your kids still sleep in one room to minimize the risk during a break-in? Showing any sign of riches ie. jewelry etc. can result in a mugging? Are you blind? We got to the top here, we can do it again...we're not afraid of starting over. Cheers, SA - have a good one! - jan
statistics
5/22/2008 2:49:21 PM
Things are bad in SA, full stop. But i wonder if we aren't making ourselves sick by worrying? Look at Tersia who believes that we all have a good chance of being killed! Let's use the DA figures of 20 000 killed per year, out of a country of 50 mil people? That's one in 2500. Which is totally bad, but the odds are still in any ones favour to not be killed in SA. - Realist
Sorry Francois
5/22/2008 2:49:47 PM
Sorry mate, girls only - nice try though. Good luck buddy, and all commentors on this blog whatever your choice. I merely speak strongly in what I believe in. There is always more way than one to look at and tackle a situation...Bon voyage... - Rob Hardstone
Paradise Lost
5/22/2008 2:52:02 PM
Hmm.. short of changing my career and lifestyle completely, I cannot move to the tranquil safe dorp in rural SA. So I'm off to Europe. I've spent many nights walking around the city centre in Antwerp to admire the lovely old buildings, can't do that here. Stood on a deserted station waiting for the (always late) train in rainy England many nights. Can't do that here. Walked home through freezing Dublin with a laptop over my shoulder every night for a year. Try that here. - Runner
Rob and Co
5/22/2008 3:00:06 PM
Rob, thanks for the offer. :-) If I wasn't happily married, I might have obliged. It's easier to be more calm and relaxed when you have a 'way out' - proven psychological fact. The rest: no need to refer to locals as baboons (racist) and no need to slate 'pommies' (xenophobic). Lets not reduce ourselves to the very people we fear: our xenophobic neighbours here in SA!!! I'm off to do some work so I can build up my CV for NZ or Oz - cheerio! - Nicole
@Rob - also girls only!
5/22/2008 3:00:41 PM
but i can make a good drinking buddy - Francois
Interresting, realist
5/22/2008 3:01:01 PM
Interresting perspective, Realist. I just tried looking up mortality rates in SA from Stats SA, and it seems your chances of dying in a car crash is about 1 in 100... Maybe we are worried about the wrong things? Your chances of dying of AIDS is 1 in 5!!! - Manda
Change
5/22/2008 3:01:57 PM
Like Breyten Breytenbach says, "this has always been a violent country." ... will staying make it better? Not if you live behind high walls and security gates. fear breeds suspision. - Jaz
@Nicole
5/22/2008 3:04:47 PM
Baboon or bafoon? You chose to make it racial. Everyone or anyone (baboon/bafoon - tomatoe/tomaaaaatoe) working in goverment for own personal gain and not for the community is as said above. Everyone is working for personal gain but it shouldnt be at the expense of the less fortunate. - Francois
Thanks, Manda
5/22/2008 3:08:09 PM
but that 1:100 sounds a bit high - i see where you get it though 10% of 10%, but I don't trust that figure LOL. Anyway - i agree with you that we are scared when we get home that we are going to get murdered, even though the odds are obviously overwhelmingly in any one person's favour, but when we get in our cars we drive like maniacs! - Realist
Our own reality
5/22/2008 3:11:05 PM
Most people in SA already live "in their own reality", by simply ignoring the hazards and the bad news. Just have a braai and a beer, man, everything will be alright, you'll see. Thanks Manda, you have just reminded me how truly dangerous SA is. Not just the violent crime, but also the road carnage and AIDS epidemic. In all these areas, we are tops in the world, sadly. - Runner
We create our reality
5/22/2008 3:15:12 PM
As for the survey; 20% of South Africans is approx. 9 mil people!! Talk about exaggeration! I decided not to take everything in the media too seriously and my life has improved 100 fold. Yes, there is crime, poverty, etc. but I don't live in fear; and it's amazing how that change in attitude has impacted in my life. Fear is a state of mind. In SA you are scared of crime or whatever; if you emigrate you will find something else to fear in your "new" country. It's all in your mind and attitude. - Life
Life: Stop talking nonsense!
5/22/2008 3:21:54 PM
May that be my last entry. In my opinion what a load of bull! If you think you can think things right, good luck. You're taking the 'positive thinking' a bit too far. Over and out! - Nicole
hard question
5/22/2008 3:24:34 PM
I'm staying, but I understand the fear that people with little ones have. As for SA’s future, we've wasted a lot of time - if every one of us had spent the last ten years properly mentoring just one person each re work and lifeskills we'd be doing far better. Armchair critics have helped us get into the mess we are in - poverty is barbaric and it was our job to alleviate poverty as fast as we could. We didn't, and now the climb is going to be harder. See you at the top:) - anna
Anna
5/22/2008 3:31:47 PM
Anna, you have just said what i was trying to put into words. You seem like a great person - the kind of person I would like to surround myself with. We are not denying the problems, but aren't scared of it either. Well done, see you at the top! - Johan
sa is our country
5/22/2008 3:39:42 PM
let,s all unite and fight for crime that,s the only way to fight the criminals. - azulu
if you have the oppoptunity - leave
5/22/2008 3:42:58 PM
in 2007 18000 people were killed in the war in iraq comparred with the 18000 people murdered in SA in the same year.So if you have the opporunity to get out of here, do it, you can always come back when this barbaric country has become more civilised which I doubt will happen because this is Africa, the continent that is infested with savageness.with statistics like mentioned above, it is safer to live in iraq..at least most of the time it is soldiers killing each other. - I
Running from your self
5/22/2008 3:43:42 PM
It is no secret that some white people in a twisted way "enjoy" it when there are negative reports about crime and all these gory stories. It helps prove their point that the (black) government is incompetent. I wish they had been as vocal on the incompetence of the apartheid gov. as they are now. Crime, murder, rape were as prevalent then as it is now. Just that white people lived in a false cocoon. The question what are you doing to effect change, or will you always be a RUNNER from problems? - Life
my job
5/22/2008 3:46:20 PM
It's my job to civilise my corner of SA - not something that can be done by remote control. I understand people wanting to leave - my whole family is overseas now, but don't be angry with me for trying. Say a prayer and wish us well, give us the gift of hope. - anna
Even the bad days are good
5/22/2008 3:48:41 PM
Nee man, even the Stormers rugby players return to SA each time they go to Oz and NZ, that is after 4 weeks! - Johny
Left 9 years ago
5/22/2008 3:49:47 PM
I left SA in 2000 and have never looked back! I would love to live in SA again just dont have time for all the crime and power losses. I do miss SA but I doubt I would ever leave the States and move back. Life is just a whole lot easier on this side and just about stress free. Its cheaper, Dont have to lock your doors, can leave your window open, dont have to be scared to go for a walk at night. Any more Reasons??? - Shaune Huysamen
abroad
5/22/2008 3:52:10 PM
I lived in usa for 7 years now best move ever, more relaxed can leave my car running when doing grocery shopping, never lock any car of mine at all. Try that back in SA and you will have nothing left, and that is just for starters! - ZAR
Watch the news @ Life
5/22/2008 3:59:42 PM
Life my dear. Have you watched the news lately? i dont see any whites making attacs. All I see is black on black violence. Why is it only in the townships that this are happening. Maybe you should remove your blinkers. Can you honestly say things are better off now than 14 years ago. You must be a fool to believe that. Xenephobia against our neighbours. What is next? The settlers????? - Melvern
Front Page of CNN :-(
5/22/2008 4:08:47 PM
Check it out - I was very sad to see that our situation is the headline of CNN's website. However... I must say that I am very impressed with the police and the president for making it very clear to foreigners and locals, that we as SA's don't agree with that kind of behaviour. That said... I'm still leaving one of these days. - Nicole
@Life
5/22/2008 4:10:35 PM
Yes, I deliberately chose that name, seeing as I have been called that frequently lately. I choose to tackle the kinds of problems that I believe I can solve. Such as making my own life secure and prosperous. I do not believe that I can do that in SA anymore. As another poster said, we should all have taken 1 individual under our wing and mentored them these past years. We would also have been slapped down very fast for being "paternalistic" and "prescriptive". - Runner
Missing the point!
5/22/2008 4:19:50 PM
You are missing the point Melvern! Townships and informal settlements (and all the poverty and squalor conditions found there) were deliberately created by the Nats during apartheid to dehumanise black people. The majority of white people did nothing about it. My point is we all have a responsibility to uplift our country through our actions. Those who want to leave and cry babies should leave. It's their choice. There are millions of people who are patriotic about SA, despite the challenges. - Life
Leave while you can.
5/22/2008 4:20:42 PM
To those who can leave, leave while you can. It's not that difficult. We have been in Brisbane, OZ for 10 years. We left SA with 3 kids, suitcases and not much money. I now earn $15000 (R105 000) per month in my own business, play golf twice a week, live in a very safe enviroment with many ex-SA, I own 4 properties, and love Australia. (the best country in the world.) Yep, believe it, the grass is greener on the other side. For those who can't leave, (including my family) we pray for you daily. - Steve P.
@ Life
5/22/2008 4:28:02 PM
Seems you know some whites who "enjoy negative crime reports" etc? Well, Im white and dont know any whites who react as you say. So set me straight here - who are the majority of criminals here in SA? Blacks or whites? I would leave here in a heartbeat if I could simply because this is no longer the country I grew up in and knew and loved. As a white, hardly any of it is safely accessible to me any longer. Smart thinking to all those leaving, its the intelligent choice, I say. - Colleen
Got mugged, got robbed, got OUT
5/22/2008 4:28:13 PM
We were robbed at gunpoint in our house the night before I was due to come to the UK for a working holiday, and I've now decided to stay in the UK for good. The only crime to worry about is really knifings and petty theft. I dont look over my shoulder all the time, I sleep well at night, I'm happy and fulfilled, and am in love with my carefree life. I feel like a new person at the age of 26. I've been hijacked, mugged at gunpoint, and even had an attempted gang rape. And now, I have a life... - CJ
The point ?
5/22/2008 4:33:21 PM
Life, you are perhaps missing the greater point. Are all the huge informal settlements around big African cities the fault of apartheid ? Of course not. They are due to rural unskilled people flocking to places they see as providing jobs and a better life. SA is not unique in that respect. The apartheid government actively tried to destroy those "squatter camps" on many occassions, instead of building low-cost housing as they should have done. - Runner
Leaving
5/22/2008 4:34:51 PM
Nicole you don't have to justify wanting to leave. It is your right to want to live where you want. People make too much of a big deal about emigrating. Here in Oz if someone leaves to go live in another country, no one gives a damn - Craig
It is so sad...
5/22/2008 5:16:15 PM
I am a white Afrikaans South African, doing contract work in the USA - 2.5 years to go - first of all, it had been very difficult to adjust and you really, really miss you family, friends and culture - the things you know. Yes, America is relatively easy to adjust to, but it is not HOME! And yes, we feel so much more safer here, people have respect for eachother, respect for the police and respect for life itself - It is so sad to see a country that we all love so much going downhill - so sad - Daniel
The comment facility of this article has been closed.
JOBS
Operations Manager R20,000-25,000 Per Month Cost To Company Incl Benefits Gauteng - East Rand
Bookmark with:
What are social bookmarks?