Rob's Rambling » South Africa

The Tutu Elephant

rob — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:26:49 +0000

The Elephant

Let's address the rather large elephant in the room, shall we?

If you're reading this and you're a white South African, congratulations - you are privileged and have benefited from Apartheid. You know it, I know it and so does everyone else.

That's the plain and simple truth of it - yes, I know that many white people are not "rich" in comparison to many other people (take Julius Malema for one) but that doesn't mean that you're not privileged.

In comparison to the millions of people living below the poverty line in a country that is slowly being eaten by corruption; a sort of social ennui and simple complacency, to claim anything other than privilege is at best naive and at worst irresponsible.

No, not all Whites are evil and no, not all Blacks are poor. And no, not all Coloureds are marginalised (though that's a whole different story) and not all Indians are... well, I can't say that I know any generalisations about Indians.

Regardless, the fact remains that generalisations sometimes spring from at least a grain of truth.

Honesty

If we're honest with ourselves (and really, if we can't be honest on the internet, where can we be?), many Whites were flagrantly evil prior to 1994 (after which, many of them were simply scared of what might come) and if we stick to the theme of honesty, I don't think anyone could claim that the majority of Blacks weren't and aren't poor.

For the Whites

Speaking now to anyone White, South African and reading this, now's the bit that you probably won't enjoy.

With this imbalance in mind, what more is there for us to do? We pay our taxes, we pay VAT and we pay the exorbitant markup on petrol so that our roads are fixed - why should we be expected to do anything more? Who is Desmond Tutu to chastise us as a race for not doing enough to cure the country?

More complex than any of those questions are the feelings and opinions that start to bubble to the top in thee discussions - what Tutu referred to as justification.

"Well, I worked bloody hard to get where I am today, why can't they?"

"I already pay taxes, now I'll have to pay for the NHI - why should I do anything else?"

"How do I know it will be used properly?"

These are all valid in their own way but in a more worrying way, are the harbingers of certain doom in a nation. Social responsibility is for everyone, not just those who are in positions of power.

You worked hard to get where you are? Congratulations. Now work even harder to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to work as hard as you did.

You already pay taxes? Well, so do I. So do many millions of people who earn enough to pay tax. Know why those people you saw toyi-toying or shouting support for the ANCYL don't pay tax? Because 20% of nothing is still nothing.

How we you know funds will be used properly? What have you done to ensure that funds are used properly? Have you filed complaints? Have you joined an organisation? Formed a watchdog to monitor public funding?

There are so many ways in which you (as a privileged and educated member of society) can help to ensure that funds are properly managed - if not in the public sector then simply in this one, all-important fund.

As for there being nothing else that you can do, I put it to you that until you can walk into any informal settlement, grab a passing person (who is very, very likely to be considerably poorer than you) and genuinely say "I am doing my utmost to fix the problems in my country", there is still work for you to do!

Who is Desmond Tutu?

And if you're seriously asking "Who is Desmond Tutu to ask this of me?" - he's the man most likely to tell you the truth.

Every politician will lie to you in one way or another, telling you either that their administration is different or that money is being spent wisely (out the window of their brand new X5) but throughout the years of our country, Desmond Tutu has earned a distinct place of honour in South Africa.

He is (was?) respected by both sides of any debate and very few have ever accused him of trying to gain something for himself.

Don't lose the sense there is by now turning on him because he said something that makes you feel uncomfortable. Deep down, you know it's the truth - even if you don't want to admit it to yourself.

So what do we do?

We brainstorm. We come up with a way for the problems to be solved - and then we implement it. With enough safeguards and balances to satisfy the most paranoid of investors, this kind of fund could do a massive amount of good.

Failing that, come up with another idea - something that will help (even a little) to drag the country out of the state that it's in. This is a call to action and it's something that most people profess to want to do and let's do that instead (as well?)

If you are here, reading this and you honestly don't think that there's anything you should be doing to make your country a better place, perhaps you'd be happier somewhere else and well, you're welcome to go there anytime.

Lastly - don't take this as chastisement or even a mild rebuke. I invite you to comment, tell me where I'm wrong (I am, I'm sure) and give me something constructive.

© rob for Rob's Rambling, 2011. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: apartheid, desmond, South Africa, tutu

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Support is slippery… but my blood is still Green and Gold

Rob — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:21:10 +0000

As anyone who saw the South African fans leaving in droves this evening could tell you, support is the slipperiest substance known to humankind.

Tonight something fairly tragic happened - Bafana Bafana lost 3 - 0 to Uruguay and were shunted (almost) out of the first round of the Soccer World Cup. Now, whether you feel that some potentially dodgy calls by the ref were to blame or that Bafana truly did play a far sloppier game than Uruguay, the universal truth I'm sure is that it's depressing.

I watched with millions as Khune (a man we'd all come to know, respect and love) was given a red card and taken out of the game and I watched (and felt like crying) while Uruguay's phenomenal number 10 laid another goal on us, effectively sealing game.

More tragic than any of this though was as I also watched, with mounting disgust, the thousands of "soccer fans" flee from the site of their country's defeat before the game had even ended. As one of my friends on Twitter observed "probably gone to take their mirror flags off their cars".

That's bad form people, supremely bad form.

You're not a supporter because your team is winning... you're a supporter because they're your team.

Bafana will not go gently through the rest of this tournament... so why should you?

This is the same team that South Africa united behind against Mexico and dammit, this is the same team we should unite behind for all the rest of the games!

Bafana never stopped believing in you, Mzansi so why have you stopped believing in them?

Until the last whistle of the last game

Until the last Bafana player lies defeated in the mud

Until the last bit of spin leaves Jabulani lying still... I will support Bafana Bafana, I will support my country and my blood will be Green and Gold!

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Dear ignorant racists

rob — Fri, 21 May 2010 23:12:29 +0000

Hi,

You don't know me and I don't know you. Now, I know that doesn't stop you from assuming that I'm just as ignorant and racist as you are but please don't.

If you should see me in the street handing a South African flag to a child or putting flags on my car's mirrors - feel free to keep on driving rather than taking time out of your busy schedule of burning crosses and badmouting entire races to tell me that MY COUNTRY'S flag is ugly.

Also, when you're talking about "those blacks" as you so endearingly put it, please at least try to pretend that you have a few brain cells to rub together. And no, it isn't any better when you don't actually say blacks, kaffirs or darkies but simply run your hand up and down your pasty white face to indicate that somehow whoever you're talking about is just not as good.

I know you think you're not a racist - after all, some of your best friends are darkies right? I'm afraid I have a surprise for you - you're just as bad as the KKK or Julius Malema.

In closing, dear racist jerkoff, please don't assume that because I'm also white I'm just as bigoted and stupid as you.

Thanks,

Rob

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Crime isn’t a big problem

rob — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:37:43 +0000

In what is sure to be the latest quote that irritates people, Brigadier Chipu has said that crime is "not as big a problem as people thought". I'm always a little leery of taking quotes directly from media about things like this but I don't see how else you could interpret "It is safe, crime is everywhere in the world. It's no worse in South Africa."

The relevant bit of article for your perusal:

Pretoria - After accepting a memorandum voicing the country's anger about the crime situation in Pretoria on Wednesday, police Brigadier Phuntsi Chipu said that crime was not as big a problem as people thought.

Chipu said the police welcomed the initiative and that "every step with the community to fight crime is one in a positive direction".

However, he said South Africa was a safe country and that crime was not as big a problem as people thought.

"It is safe, crime is everywhere in the world. It's no worse in South Africa," Chipu said.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Crime-not-such-a-big-problem-police-20100519

Now, I live in a small Eastern Cape city. Crime has never really been a problem for me one way or the other and I doubt it will be anytime soon. But I hear people complaining constantly about the horrendous crime rates in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and to a lesser extent, Port Elizabeth. Is all of that just talking?

It seems impossible for anyone to take a stance that incorporates both the rose-tinted "Unicorns farting rainbows" outlook and the ultra "OMG Zim 2.0!" to form a nice, truthful middle ground.

I'm inclined to say that we do have a problem with crime buuut that it's probably not as bad as some people would like to make out.

I'm really not sure whether there's something drastically wrong with the way the Brigadier is thinking or if public perception has been skewed to such a point that we no longer know what's going on.

I suppose it would help if we had a real time system which showed crime stats per area.

What I DO know is that relegating South Africa to a lost cause is something that will never help our crime rate. Just as much as denying the problem doesn't help,

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22 days and I’m rocking it

rob — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:27:06 +0000

United 4 Bafana Bafana bracelet ... check

Series of South African flags ... check

Car window flags ... check

Awesomely cool SWC Adidas shirt ... check

Tickets to see a game ... chec ... wait a minute. No.

That's right - I have absolutely no tickets to see a game. Thus far, all my efforts to secure some people to bring along with me to watch something in PE (which is by far the closest) have been met with more opposition than freeing the internet in China. Not since Herr Blatter tried to introduce a FIFA charge for cheering at games has there been so much resistance.

It's a little dispiriting.

So, I suppose I will watch a couple of the games from the comfort of my own living room. Which I suppose should be fine - I have a pretty decent TV and good sound. And I guess if I get tired of it all I can just switch over to something else.

I just don't think it'll be the same though. I mean when you get right down to it, there's nothing quite like the feeling of being at an actual, live game.

The shouting, the potential for rain and even the Vuvuzelas.

So if you're one of the lucky ones who managed to a) get a ticket b) get time off and c) find people to go with, spare a thought for me as you hopefully watch some foreigner find out that South Africa really can do bloody well.

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TopTV: First look

Rob — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:02:42 +0000

So, our TopTV is done and dusted. It's pretty cool really - there are some kinks and the content is a little old but I like it

Retro is so for me - and with the supposed addition of 50 new channels (10 HD) by the end of the year I'm keen.

The picture is really good quality and it's nice that it's all in the correct aspect ratio for our TV. Take that DSTV!

I really like the interface as well.

A warning though - if you're not happy to be in at the beginning and live with some of the teething problems that there will be, don't sign up quite yet

So, without further ado, some pictures (click for bigger):

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The Quest for TopTV – Part Two…

Rob — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:53:39 +0000

is much shorter than I expected, the quest is over

I have TopTV and so far it's pretty good. I'm enjoying the programming (it's mostly old) and I much prefer the interface to that used by DSTV.

Bit of an anticlimax really. They've made it easy and it shows - if the call centre wasn't inundated by thousands of phone calls no doubt it would have taken less than an hour to get done.

If anyone is going to embark on this whole thing, check out the handy guide here:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?229503-TopTV-Install-Process-guide-Read-first

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The Quest for TopTV – Part One

rob — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:19:32 +0000

Multichoice should worry a little

rob — Sun, 02 May 2010 08:25:31 +0000

Some people may not have even heard of them yet - I know quite a few who hadn't - but TopTV is the talk of the country today as they took a running kick at the Multichoice monopoly.

With their launch date set as May 1st and 50,000 decoder units shipped to various outlet stores around the country, TopTV were set to rollout at a reasonable pace over the next month or so.

The SA public clearly had something else on their minds with all 50 000 decoders sold out completely by 12:30 on Saturday, some stores running out of stock earlier in the morning.

I don't think TopTV expected this kind of response - it's been an incredible showing of how desperate South Africans are to get away from the Multichoice stable and although the sports fans who populate the ranks of DSTV Premium users will be sticking to their current supplier, I imagine Multichoice are dealing with quite a few cancellations this weekend.

If you're one of the lucky 50 000 who actually managed to get a decoder, please be patient as you try to activate your service. The call center is, of course, inundated with calls.

I can only hope that this forces Multichoice to look at their offering and actually bring something interesting to the table. If this isn't a clear message that subscribers aren't happy to be screwed anymore, I don't know what is.

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Price gouging all over #swc2010

Rob — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 11:00:52 +0000

Taking a trip to my local Spar today, I see that even the vendors (those purveyors of quality Fakely, Swutch and Nikee goods) have hit on the soccer world cup price gouging tradition.

I was offered a genuine, no-frills Soccer shirt for the princely sum of R280.

Madness.

© Rob for Rob's Rambling, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: fifa, South Africa, swc, vendors

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