Great article. I knew some of this, but it has greatly increased my understanding of the situation. A propos of nothing much, I realise that "Elon Musk" is an anagram of "Lone Skum". Maybe he's just lonely and feels undervalued. Not financially, obviously, but as a human being. Then again, I suppose that's what happens when you cease to behave like one.
Musk, like Trump, Boris Johnson and all 'manosphere' influencers was the product of a seriously shit father. Not that it gives him (or any of the others) an excuse for their overwhelming awfulness but an explanation of it.
Like you, I'm a S African economic migrant here in the UK (in Surrey).
Like you, I and my then (South African) partner came primarily for opportunity (as teachers, in 2003), but concerns about violence alson came into it.
But in terms of the violence, what most people overlook is that it did not begin with the democratic transition and the ANC - far from it. '
Way back in the 1987 general election I was campaign manager for the PFP in Helderkruin, on the West Rand. Working with us as an invaulable clerical volunteer was a wonderful older woman from Johannesburg, whose husband was a JHB city councillor. Some time after that election, I had the sad news that the husband had been mudered overnight. He'd heard noise in the garden, gone out to investigate, and had an assailant smack his head open with a spade.
That brought to 5 the number of people that I personally knew or had known who had been murdered. This councillor, a friend of a friend, a former landlady, and my divorce lawyer. (I cannot now recall who was the fifth).
The transition did not introduce the wave of violence in S Africa - it simply continued what had long been present as a fact of life.
I was fortunate in that I was never the victim of physical violence myself': burglaries yes, violence no. We stayed put for another 13/14 years or so, until a combination of the continued violence (stopped counting the murders of people I knew when the number reached 20) - and consideration of employment opportunities persuaded us to look not only at the reasons to leave SA, but also the good reasons to come to the UK - and Europe.
I'm now 74, my British husband is 87. If I outlive him, I'll likely return to S Africa, where I have a daughter and four sisters.
Such a helpful and informative article. I confess to have been wary when the very small number of white South Africans I have met have tried to tell me about this 'persecution' and I remember feeling really uncomfortable but not having the knowledge or understanding to fully engage with it. What I do know is that SA is on a long and painful journey where the trauma of the shameful legacy of apartheid (something we can only begin to imagine as a white person here in the UK ) will haunt the country for years to come but the progress you describe is encouraging.
Great article, I've spent a lot of time in my life in the country but the decades of decline from the amazing hope of Mandela to the madness during covid meant I haven't been back since. Happy to hear its starting to do better again.
A sensitive and thorough overview, the whole stunt has been troubling from multiple points of view. I felt sorry for those Saffers as soon as the pics emerged of them getting off the plane in USA. It was just bound to turn out badly. A month or two later the 1st stories about the hardships appeared, some of which you detailed. But most of all they lost who they are. They allowed themselves to be conned.
Thanks for writing this. I always understood it to be a bonkers policy (but aren’t they all in the US these days?) but your first hand account and data analysis make it absolutely clear that it is.
It was interesting to see reported that some if not many of these "saved" white South Africans, have decided it was better at home, and have returned.
Great article. I knew some of this, but it has greatly increased my understanding of the situation. A propos of nothing much, I realise that "Elon Musk" is an anagram of "Lone Skum". Maybe he's just lonely and feels undervalued. Not financially, obviously, but as a human being. Then again, I suppose that's what happens when you cease to behave like one.
Musk, like Trump, Boris Johnson and all 'manosphere' influencers was the product of a seriously shit father. Not that it gives him (or any of the others) an excuse for their overwhelming awfulness but an explanation of it.
Thanks for the stats. I shall troll any Reich winger I see peddle this baloney with them.
Thanks for the reality bite.
Like you, I'm a S African economic migrant here in the UK (in Surrey).
Like you, I and my then (South African) partner came primarily for opportunity (as teachers, in 2003), but concerns about violence alson came into it.
But in terms of the violence, what most people overlook is that it did not begin with the democratic transition and the ANC - far from it. '
Way back in the 1987 general election I was campaign manager for the PFP in Helderkruin, on the West Rand. Working with us as an invaulable clerical volunteer was a wonderful older woman from Johannesburg, whose husband was a JHB city councillor. Some time after that election, I had the sad news that the husband had been mudered overnight. He'd heard noise in the garden, gone out to investigate, and had an assailant smack his head open with a spade.
That brought to 5 the number of people that I personally knew or had known who had been murdered. This councillor, a friend of a friend, a former landlady, and my divorce lawyer. (I cannot now recall who was the fifth).
The transition did not introduce the wave of violence in S Africa - it simply continued what had long been present as a fact of life.
I was fortunate in that I was never the victim of physical violence myself': burglaries yes, violence no. We stayed put for another 13/14 years or so, until a combination of the continued violence (stopped counting the murders of people I knew when the number reached 20) - and consideration of employment opportunities persuaded us to look not only at the reasons to leave SA, but also the good reasons to come to the UK - and Europe.
I'm now 74, my British husband is 87. If I outlive him, I'll likely return to S Africa, where I have a daughter and four sisters.
These people, Musk, Farage, really do harm. And they’re lauded.
Do many of these refugees go home again?
Such a helpful and informative article. I confess to have been wary when the very small number of white South Africans I have met have tried to tell me about this 'persecution' and I remember feeling really uncomfortable but not having the knowledge or understanding to fully engage with it. What I do know is that SA is on a long and painful journey where the trauma of the shameful legacy of apartheid (something we can only begin to imagine as a white person here in the UK ) will haunt the country for years to come but the progress you describe is encouraging.
Great article, I've spent a lot of time in my life in the country but the decades of decline from the amazing hope of Mandela to the madness during covid meant I haven't been back since. Happy to hear its starting to do better again.
Ideologues have taken over the asylum.
A sensitive and thorough overview, the whole stunt has been troubling from multiple points of view. I felt sorry for those Saffers as soon as the pics emerged of them getting off the plane in USA. It was just bound to turn out badly. A month or two later the 1st stories about the hardships appeared, some of which you detailed. But most of all they lost who they are. They allowed themselves to be conned.
Great piece. Thank you.
Thanks for writing this. I always understood it to be a bonkers policy (but aren’t they all in the US these days?) but your first hand account and data analysis make it absolutely clear that it is.