Martin Zagnoev, Johannesburg
This great country has overcome many challenges. There have been droughts and recessions, apartheid and revolution. The previous stalemate of the strongest army in Africa battling the majority of its people was peacefully negotiated. The world was surprised and inspired by our peaceful transformation. Expectations of a bloody civil war fell away. White fears of a terrible retribution were replaced by the grace and goodwill of the black majority. Afrikaans civil servants and government workers never abandoned their posts, enabling democracy to unfold even though they believed that they would be doomed under the new dispensation.
Other problems have since arisen. The future seemed dark with Eskom unable to keep the lights on, and emigration increased drastically as a result. But Eskom has solved its supply problems and now generates excess capacity.
Yes, the potholes are bad, but not as bad as those in other countries such as Canada, Italy and Paraguay.
A while ago, many predicted that our currency would fall to 20 dollars, when, in fact, it has improved.
The crippling drought in many parts of the country was broken, though not yet in Cape Town.
Other problems remain: The economy is down and there is terrible unemployment. Racial tensions are simmering even if most blacks and whites live and work together peacefully. It would be tragic if isolated tensions were to spread across to the mainstream. Revenge breeds revenge and does not feed our children; it can instead destroy them. Many whites feel alienated and believe that they cannot get jobs; they don’t realise that there is much more unemployment among their black compatriots.
In Zimbabwe, it was unfair for a few white farmers to own most of the land. But two wrongs don’t make a right. The sudden expropriation of the land destroyed the economy and led to more than 90% unemployment.
We now have new leaders here and in Zim. Hopefully, they will manage to uproot corruption and reduce our terrible poverty in a sustainable, level-headed way. At least the social grants are helping many of the poorest in this great land. May more assistance be found for all, black and white. South Africa still has many untapped minerals that can be mined and create jobs. It is vital that investors come on board. There is also much unused land to farm.
