Life in "Liberated" SA -- 1 --

8/...		.../FW de Klerk: Ratbag
SOME months ago we published an item taken from the Internet, "You Know You’re in South Africa When . . ." This has produced a goodly number of follow-up examples of SA cynicism about life under the new dispensation. Latest update came to us by e-mail, signed Neil Curtin. We quote: You know you’re in South Africa when . . . The main headline of the evening TV news is the opinion of an unemployed squatter who spik Inglish no good and dimands that the head of Anglo American resigns or faces the consequences. **The Student Union dimands that academic achievement shouldn’t be a criterion for university acceptance, as it is discriminatory. Landlords may not evict illegal squatters unless they offer them alternative accommodation. Protest-marching strikers trash everything in their path and that’s okay, but a peaceful gay march is condemned. Post Office workers are videotaped opening the mail and stealing the contents, but the film may not be used in evidence because the workers were not informed that they were being filmed and the filming is an intrusion of their privacy. A government Minister is caught driving her car with a forged licence, but the case is dropped "for lack of evidence." A minister of religion who stole millions from overseas-donated funds for the oppressed, returns to the country to a hero’s welcome and is officially welcomed by the government, represented by the Minister of Justice. Government ministers meet with masked gang leaders to ask their advice on how to reduce crime and violence.		Scholars protest at the lack of schooling facilities by destroying school buildings. Two tourist athletes are murdered in their beds and the President says it won’t affect tourism. The entire country sees a thug admit on TV news to murdering several people, but the police say they have no case. Votes have to be recounted until the right party wins. Your insurance is higher than the repayments on your car. You consider it a good month if you only get mugged once. The currency takes a dive, and the previous government gets the blame. 10% of the city’s population pays for everyone else’s electricity and water supply: and get prosecuted if they refuse to pay. A murderer gets a two-year sentence and a pirate TV viewer a six month sentence. The Constitutional Court declares the death sentence unconstitutional, but rules that abortion is okay. People are allowed to reclaim land (for free) that was bought from their ancestors. You know what "vowlence" is. You laugh? You shouldn’t. God help us, every word in that presents a true facet of life as we know it in the "New SA." Anyway, thank you, Mr Curtin. Jennifer's 5 cents worth: similar sentiments were emailed to me by Freedom2000 and can be viewed in the May 19, 1998 issue on my mirror site. To receive this daily email, please email boervolk@global.co.za with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line.
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