5/24/2005

Recent South African Census

For those of you who don't know I was born in South Africa. We moved to the United States in 1994.
My family and I started attending a predominantley black church when I was 7 years old. Imagine my shock as a young boy when I discovered that not only were non-white people not the evil white hating people that they were reported to be, but they were some of the nicest people I had ever met. They wanted to share what little they had with us who had so much more.
I have never identified with the white, mostly Afrikaner, nationalism even though I am half Afrikaner myself. When the Afrikaners took control of South Africa from the British in 1962 they changed the names of monuments, towns, etc. When the black majority took control in 1994 they changed the names of monuments, towns, etc. to a huge outrage from the Afrikaners. How quickly we forget.
When the Afrikaners took control of South Africa from the British in 1962 they only gave government jobs to Afrikaners. When the black majority took control in 1994 they only gave government jobs to blacks which greatly upsets the Afrikaners. How quickly we forget.
I have many family members in South Africa who constantly complain about how there are only jobs for black people. They constantly complain how bad things are in South Africa. I was in Johannesburg one year ago today and saw a country that was much better than the one I left.
I read the most recent South African census figures today. Very interesting stuff. According to the census the unemployment rate for blacks is 28 percent. It's only 4.1 percent for whites. Yet white South Africans still complain how only blacks get jobs???
Click here for complete AP story

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My comment relates more to the associated press link.

I don't know wheter to say disgust or disheartment fills myself when I read South Africa's method of census taking pre-1994 consisted of aerial shots for the black townships. Accurate reporting just wasn't that big of a priority for census takers when it concerned this matter. I do understand a form of census taking involves aerial photography when a subject resides in remote region, but I get the sense this was done more as an excuses not to enteract with Africans. You've probably heard the saying, "keep the walls up and the enemy out". Well, this just goes to show us how pathetic things can get when we push our FATHER out of our lives.

Ryan said...

Winston of all of the information posted in the article I am curious as to why this resonated most with you.

Anonymous said...

It's a sad thing to for me say but all the other matters, I've seen, felt,or experienced. Please don't think I have given up on my fellow brothers an sisters when it comes to hatred or misguided fears. I just hoped that inspite of their misgivings those men and women could just do their jobs.

Charles North said...

Hey, stop all this nunsense! When we taak overrr agin, werre changig aal the nams backkk!