[Saffa]

The Marikana labour strike is a real test for the ANC and labour unions and the outcome may be interesting to watch.

For a start, many of these strikers are people with no or little education and easily being influenced with any fairy tale, especially if it concerns their well being. That said, some idiot start a smaller union and they went about promising people they will get them a ridiculous 270% or so increase over their current wages if they leave the biggest union NUM and join them. Not going into details about how this became about, it ended in tragedy with nearly 40 dead.
The police were within their rights to protect themselves from these heavily armed rioters - which incidentally were under a witchdoctor's "protection" after given a brew to drink that will make them invincible to the police . - whom actually shot at the police first as shown by TV coverage.
After the massacre some ANC outcast vulture came out of his shithole to start provoking things further by telling the strikers to stick to their guns. This person, Juluis Malema is known for his calls to have mines nationalized, singing "shoot the boer, kill the farmer" songs to crowds causing farmers to be murdered by the thousands to date and I do not need to go on.
After he did his poison with the platinum strikers at Marikana and other mines in the area, he went to Carltonville and get the gold mining employees whom also joined the strikes to follow suit demanding that ridiculous labor wage. Workers from other mines are also about to start striking and the mining industry heading towards anarchy and Malema keep feeding the fire with fuel.
If they get their way which I doubt strongly, this will spread to other industries and the result will be devastating and crippling to the economy - many businesses will close and the losers will be those who called for it to happen. Common people and the workers will have to pick up the tab with heavily over inflated prices on goods and foodstuff that surviving businesses will ask for to just break even.

The mining industry is currently only a distant memory of what it once was. I stay in the Goldfields which used to be the largest gold producing area in the world but it is just a skeleton now of what it used to be. About 70% of the shafts had been closed down and in many cases the head-gears brought down, shaft filled and rehabilitation of lands started. Thousands of workers were laid off, retrenched or put on early retirement, like your truly. This is also true to other large gold producing areas and this makes one wonder about the mentality of blacks and their unions. Work is truly scarce and many mines are marginal operations barely breaking it even, and still they call for these ridiculous demands for wage increases.
Some mines are making threads about shutting down completely with this labour unrest and it mystifies one's mind whilst workers still play with their jobs? International investors are taking note of these events and are shying away to safer/stable countries. This will result in no or very little job opportunities on the short and long terms.
They (striking workers) cannot fathom the idea a half loaf of bread is better than none, especially in a country where most of its people are unemployed because there simply are not jobs to fill... If the mines closes down, then they will be screaming murder about it, but perhaps that is what they want. Blacks have only short term visions and feed on what they can get now, not worrying about tomorrow. Much like the current government that is top heavy, raping the fiscal coffers of the country, regardless of how bad the country need that money for service deliveries and upkeep which is also on the boil with violent riots regularly. If the mines closes down, they (workers) can register for unemployment payments and receive good money doing nothing. It is also common fact in SA that young black women get children out of wedlock just to register and receive state assistance and most of the time leave the child to its own devices to survive. Street children are like the plaque in this country with many as young as four years old....

With anarchy on the horizon in the mining sector, the government finally stepped in to "create order" with help of the armed forces (army) and is condemned and made out as bad if not worse than the past apartheid government by leaders and opposition parties. The reality is that they cannot do much else and if the police cannot handle these riots, the next logical step would be to bring the armed forces in the picture. Pretty much the same happened during the old Apartheid era and they were crucified because of just that. Now the ANC is in the same position and doing just the same to its own people...a case of Deja Vu perhaps

In hindsight, in the old Apartheid era Mr Juluis Malema would have met an accident sooner that later before he could spread too much poison that would be deteriorating for government and economy. Funny the ANC don't have balls to do just that since he is embarrassing the ANC and its leaders

[skeptic-1]

The Marikana labour strike is a real test for the ANC and labour unions and the outcome may be interesting to watch.

For a start, many of these strikers are people with no or little education and easily being influenced with any fairy tale, especially if it concerns their well being. That said, some idiot start a smaller union and they went about promising people they will get them a ridiculous 270% or so increase over their current wages if they leave the biggest union NUM and join them. Not going into details about how this became about, it ended in tragedy with nearly 40 dead.
The police were within their rights to protect themselves from these heavily armed rioters - which incidentally were under a witchdoctor's "protection" after given a brew to drink that will make them invincible to the police . - whom actually shot at the police first as shown by TV coverage.
After the massacre some ANC outcast vulture came out of his shithole to start provoking things further by telling the strikers to stick to their guns. This person, Juluis Malema is known for his calls to have mines nationalized, singing "shoot the boer, kill the farmer" songs to crowds causing farmers to be murdered by the thousands to date and I do not need to go on.
After he did his poison with the platinum strikers at Marikana and other mines in the area, he went to Carltonville and get the gold mining employees whom also joined the strikes to follow suit demanding that ridiculous labor wage. Workers from other mines are also about to start striking and the mining industry heading towards anarchy and Malema keep feeding the fire with fuel.
If they get their way which I doubt strongly, this will spread to other industries and the result will be devastating and crippling to the economy - many businesses will close and the losers will be those who called for it to happen. Common people and the workers will have to pick up the tab with heavily over inflated prices on goods and foodstuff that surviving businesses will ask for to just break even.

The mining industry is currently only a distant memory of what it once was. I stay in the Goldfields which used to be the largest gold producing area in the world but it is just a skeleton now of what it used to be. About 70% of the shafts had been closed down and in many cases the head-gears brought down, shaft filled and rehabilitation of lands started. Thousands of workers were laid off, retrenched or put on early retirement, like your truly. This is also true to other large gold producing areas and this makes one wonder about the mentality of blacks and their unions. Work is truly scarce and many mines are marginal operations barely breaking it even, and still they call for these ridiculous demands for wage increases.
Some mines are making threads about shutting down completely with this labour unrest and it mystifies one's mind whilst workers still play with their jobs? International investors are taking note of these events and are shying away to safer/stable countries. This will result in no or very little job opportunities on the short and long terms.
They (striking workers) cannot fathom the idea a half loaf of bread is better than none, especially in a country where most of its people are unemployed because there simply are not jobs to fill... If the mines closes down, then they will be screaming murder about it, but perhaps that is what they want. Blacks have only short term visions and feed on what they can get now, not worrying about tomorrow. Much like the current government that is top heavy, raping the fiscal coffers of the country, regardless of how bad the country need that money for service deliveries and upkeep which is also on the boil with violent riots regularly. If the mines closes down, they (workers) can register for unemployment payments and receive good money doing nothing. It is also common fact in SA that young black women get children out of wedlock just to register and receive state assistance and most of the time leave the child to its own devices to survive. Street children are like the plaque in this country with many as young as four years old....

With anarchy on the horizon in the mining sector, the government finally stepped in to "create order" with help of the armed forces (army) and is condemned and made out as bad if not worse than the past apartheid government by leaders and opposition parties. The reality is that they cannot do much else and if the police cannot handle these riots, the next logical step would be to bring the armed forces in the picture. Pretty much the same happened during the old Apartheid era and they were crucified because of just that. Now the ANC is in the same position and doing just the same to its own people...a case of Deja Vu perhaps

In hindsight, in the old Apartheid era Mr Juluis Malema would have met an accident sooner that later before he could spread too much poison that would be deteriorating for government and economy. Funny the ANC don't have balls to do just that since he is embarrassing the ANC and its leaders :?:

IMO The problem lies not with the workers at all except for them indiscriminately fucking themselves out of a job by over recreation. But rather the inability of government to recognize the need to provide for the inevitable result of increasing population and diminishing natural resources without our usual answer of taking it away from some one else as we have been taught to do over time by some very adept teachers related to many of us here.


It is IMO impossible to curb ones appetite to increase wealth and should not be attempted. It on the other hand is not impossible to raise taxes and if nothing else use them to prolong our mutual stay on our planet. We are consuming ourselves and following the same old inbred rules that will not lead to a solution other than the need to thin the herd one way or another. My age and good fortune have saved me except for natural causes from that extreme but I have a family to think of. One of my thoughts for quite a while that sticks in my mind as a signature is "Laws" are Purchased...."Justice" with BLood !

[skeptic-1]

The Marikana labour strike is a real test for the ANC and labour unions and the outcome may be interesting to watch.

For a start, many of these strikers are people with no or little education and easily being influenced with any fairy tale, especially if it concerns their well being. That said, some idiot start a smaller union and they went about promising people they will get them a ridiculous 270% or so increase over their current wages if they leave the biggest union NUM and join them. Not going into details about how this became about, it ended in tragedy with nearly 40 dead.
The police were within their rights to protect themselves from these heavily armed rioters - which incidentally were under a witchdoctor's "protection" after given a brew to drink that will make them invincible to the police . - whom actually shot at the police first as shown by TV coverage.
After the massacre some ANC outcast vulture came out of his shithole to start provoking things further by telling the strikers to stick to their guns. This person, Juluis Malema is known for his calls to have mines nationalized, singing "shoot the boer, kill the farmer" songs to crowds causing farmers to be murdered by the thousands to date and I do not need to go on.
After he did his poison with the platinum strikers at Marikana and other mines in the area, he went to Carltonville and get the gold mining employees whom also joined the strikes to follow suit demanding that ridiculous labor wage. Workers from other mines are also about to start striking and the mining industry heading towards anarchy and Malema keep feeding the fire with fuel.
If they get their way which I doubt strongly, this will spread to other industries and the result will be devastating and crippling to the economy - many businesses will close and the losers will be those who called for it to happen. Common people and the workers will have to pick up the tab with heavily over inflated prices on goods and foodstuff that surviving businesses will ask for to just break even.

The mining industry is currently only a distant memory of what it once was. I stay in the Goldfields which used to be the largest gold producing area in the world but it is just a skeleton now of what it used to be. About 70% of the shafts had been closed down and in many cases the head-gears brought down, shaft filled and rehabilitation of lands started. Thousands of workers were laid off, retrenched or put on early retirement, like your truly. This is also true to other large gold producing areas and this makes one wonder about the mentality of blacks and their unions. Work is truly scarce and many mines are marginal operations barely breaking it even, and still they call for these ridiculous demands for wage increases.
Some mines are making threads about shutting down completely with this labour unrest and it mystifies one's mind whilst workers still play with their jobs? International investors are taking note of these events and are shying away to safer/stable countries. This will result in no or very little job opportunities on the short and long terms.
They (striking workers) cannot fathom the idea a half loaf of bread is better than none, especially in a country where most of its people are unemployed because there simply are not jobs to fill... If the mines closes down, then they will be screaming murder about it, but perhaps that is what they want. Blacks have only short term visions and feed on what they can get now, not worrying about tomorrow. Much like the current government that is top heavy, raping the fiscal coffers of the country, regardless of how bad the country need that money for service deliveries and upkeep which is also on the boil with violent riots regularly. If the mines closes down, they (workers) can register for unemployment payments and receive good money doing nothing. It is also common fact in SA that young black women get children out of wedlock just to register and receive state assistance and most of the time leave the child to its own devices to survive. Street children are like the plaque in this country with many as young as four years old....

With anarchy on the horizon in the mining sector, the government finally stepped in to "create order" with help of the armed forces (army) and is condemned and made out as bad if not worse than the past apartheid government by leaders and opposition parties. The reality is that they cannot do much else and if the police cannot handle these riots, the next logical step would be to bring the armed forces in the picture. Pretty much the same happened during the old Apartheid era and they were crucified because of just that. Now the ANC is in the same position and doing just the same to its own people...a case of Deja Vu perhaps

In hindsight, in the old Apartheid era Mr Juluis Malema would have met an accident sooner that later before he could spread too much poison that would be deteriorating for government and economy. Funny the ANC don't have balls to do just that since he is embarrassing the ANC and its leaders :?:

IMO The problem lies not with the workers at all except for them indiscriminately fucking themselves out of a job by over recreation. But rather the inability of government to recognize the need to provide for the inevitable result of increasing population and diminishing natural resources without our usual answer of taking it away from some one else as we have been taught to do over time by some very adept teachers related to many of us here.


It is IMO impossible to curb ones appetite to increase wealth and should not be attempted. It on the other hand is not impossible to raise taxes and if nothing else use them to prolong our mutual stay on our planet. We are consuming ourselves and following the same old inbred rules that will not lead to a solution other than the need to thin the herd one way or another. My age and good fortune have saved me except for natural causes from that extreme but I have a family to think of. One of my thoughts for quite a while that sticks in my mind as a signature is "Laws" are Purchased...."Justice" with BLood !

[Stormsmith]

I agree with Skeptic-1. People labouring for a full working week should at a minimum be able to put food on the table, and maybe if they're parents, put a little by to see their children recieve an education.

Whilest precious metals are enjoying record profits, they may not remain so for much longer. But the people should be paid a sustainable, living wage, and maybe a bonus in the exceptionally good years. Loads of good companies do that.

As to the fathead who's preaching murder, he needs to be stopped.

[Saffa]

As to the fathead who's preaching murder, he needs to be stopped.

Tonight on the TV news Julius Malema was made a first class arsehole by the police by stopping him dead in his tracks on his way to stirrup more trouble at a mine. He was furious, insulting, shoving and struggling with the police and lost a lot of face. Short of being manhandled he was made to walk the walk of shame, escorted by armed police off the premises.
This was a highlight of the strike to see this vulture getting the short end of the stick and maybe his treatment by the police will send a message to strikers that its basically game over .

The wage they receive now must be seen in context with the rest of the commercial environment. My son with Matric and two and half years down on a degree he studies part time, received the same salary (after 3 years service) as the current mine workers wage without the additional benefits they are receiving on top of their wages. And in the stationery/printing world it is about on par with that industry.

Policemen must have at least Matric to be allowed in the force, work shitty hours and long shifts under the cloud of imminent danger and sometimes death. A police constable would give his front teeth and left arm to get the the same salary the unskilled and alliterated workers are calling for....

[skeptic-1]

"Saffa"]As to the fathead who's preaching murder, he needs to be stopped.[/quote]

Tonight on the TV news Julius Malema was made a first class arsehole by the police by stopping him dead in his tracks on his way to stirrup more trouble at a mine. He was furious, insulting, shoving and struggling with the police and lost a lot of face. Short of being manhandled he was made to walk the walk of shame, escorted by armed police off the premises.
This was a highlight of the strike to see this vulture getting the short end of the stick and maybe his treatment by the police will send a message to strikers that its basically game over .

The wage they receive now must be seen in context with the rest of the commercial environment. My son with Matric and two and half years down on a degree he studies part time, received the same salary (after 3 years service) as the current mine workers wage without the additional benefits they are receiving on top of their wages. And in the stationery/printing world it is about on par with that industry.

Policemen must have at least Matric to be allowed in the force, work shitty hours and long shifts under the cloud of imminent danger and sometimes death. A police constable would give his front teeth and left arm to get the the same salary the unskilled and alliterated workers are calling for...
SAkeptic:
Policemen do what their told to do just as the armed services are required to do on pain of DEATH.

If your son is jealous of the mineworkers wages he should become a "miner" ! What you write makes you appear as a throwback to the days of Empire building. (actually not a throwback) It's still under way. For all the misery involved the labor movement in the USA moved everyone ahead a notch or two. The same type of white mans screwing is underway in Peru and elsewhere at this moment. Read about the parallel

[Jay Ranger]

I definitely support the strikes, it's about time the workers organized in South Africa. Their labour is being completely exploited by the Chinese investment firms and by the African political class and whilst they are racking in more money from natural resources than ever before, they are colluding with both their investor and their creditors at the IMF to keep the unions as docile as possible, and unsurprisingly, rather than give the workers what they want (a 270% increase on $10 a week say could be given to them in a heartbeat without denting profits for example), they seem intent on using severe violence to suppress the workers.

[Saffa]

Jay Ranger, clearly you are not from South Africa by the tone of your views and I always find it amazing strange for foreigners to know more about a country than it's citizens themselves. If you have not lived in SA you would never understand the "total" picture and workings of an African's mind... Much like the Yanks screaming murder when the Apartheid government kept cultures apart albeit they were at the advantage of being the minority, whereas the American whites as a majority tribe undermined the minority native Indians of the land (which they found there when they settled the lands) by putting them up in reserves not even geographically correct as per tribe, and I believe they still are at it, but apartheid a distant memory...
Come to think of it; SA never told the USA that they are acting wrong or called for sanctions against them for racist discrimination which it really is apartheid. Australia is also guilty to much the same.

Empire building?? You sound like the ANC that failed the country and its people big time and still the blame Apartheid for all their incompetence and failures to date although Apartheid is gone and dead well over 19 years now
Never said my son is jealous, and I mentioned the salary fact to demonstrate salary structures on the lower end of the totem pole in different sectors of industries. Why would he "downgrade" to mines when he will soon be a chartered accountant in due course if his studies are done?

I spent my whole life employed in the mining industry as a tradesman artisan and retired after 40 years service and know what is going on in mines here. The mines are traditionally the best paying employers in SA with all the perks (best in country) that goes with the salary for a particular job and the envy of the industrial sector.

BTW, a newsflash: just on the telly news that the strike has ended and the workers accepted a 16 to 22 percent increase across the board A far cry from the about 270 percent they DEMANDED not counting the 38 dead and all the wounded along the way to get there. On top of that are seven weeks of lost income that offset that increase for quite a time before reaping the rewards of the increase.
That said, the first thing a black worker in SA must learn is that demanding makes things worse, why not go sit around a table and air your issues and ask. "Please, can you consider giving us a raise for so and so reasons" and if that fails sit down again and the take a sterner view spelling out your intended action and chances are above average that a compromise will be reached by both parties. Why all the bullshit and loss of death they gone through?
Ask and please goes a long way in any situation, even at asking for a loan at the bank - demand a loan and the manager will have you out of his office faster than you can say "I demand."

Something to ponder about;
Am I white, coloured, black or Indian? Although I despise the ANC because of their failures and corruption in their ranks, the answer may surprise you. BTW, many blacks actually want apartheid back because the country was safe, unwanted foreigners disposed off like the plague, infrastructures working and most importantly, jobs for most of its citizens, regardless of race although salaries may have been a sore point for blacks then.

[Saffa]

Their labour is being completely exploited by the Chinese investment firms and by the African political class and whilst they are racking in more money from natural resources than ever before, they are colluding with both their investor and their creditors at the IMF to keep the unions as docile as possible, and unsurprisingly, rather than give the workers what they want (a 270% increase on $10 a week say could be given to them in a heartbeat without denting profits for example), they seem intent on using severe violence to suppress the workers.

Actually, many big Chinese investments in SA like for instance the large porcelain tile factory at Bronkhorstspruit, the massive cement factory elsewhere, the Chinese import all their equipment, materials AND labour from China and local people really have no benefits of these mayor investments save for a few local workers doing the crappy work for peanuts.
The only real Chinese manipulation of local labour is in the textile industries and that is a dying horse. Much cheaper to import textile products and clothing than producing locally. Some bad vibes happened in this regard but nothing mayor.

All over the country you will find silly Chinese shops all selling the same crap nobody really wants and it mystifies one's mind how they can survive because nothing really happening at these shops and rent and services are high, but they prosper and multiply. Personally I thing they are financed by China to get a foothold in the country and some pointers are the fact that the Chinese are buying properties like there is no tomorrow... for what purpose?
China really do not have ground resources and have to import everything so to speak to manufacture stuff to export again. The little they have can barely/not keep up with the exponential growth of China and they need land. What better place to take over than SA that have basically every mineral and land resources they need in one place and corrupt government officials to bribe over. Blacks are easy to win over with promises because many are alliterated and unskilled on the ground and the corrupt government and its jokers will sell out for the sake to enrich themselves without considering long term implications until its to late. The Chinese are long term planners and they play this quietly without showing their hand
I would be so bold to predict that within 35- 40 years SA will be a Chinese controlled country...

[Alchemy]

Empire building?? You sound like the ANC that failed the country and its people big time and still the blame Apartheid for all their incompetence and failures to date although Apartheid is gone and dead well over 19 years now

Never said my son is jealous, and I mentioned the salary fact to demonstrate salary structures on the lower end of the totem pole in different sectors of industries. Why would he "downgrade" to mines when he will soon be a chartered accountant in due course if his studies are done?

You truly are embarrassing yourself now! Flipping a switch 19 years ago does not educate people, it does not immediately level the economic playing filed, it does not allow socio economic conditions and social ills which were allowed to thrive for decades under the artificial creation of townships/forced removals to magically transform overnight. The ANC are no saints, but this brain dead "Apartheid is gone and dead well over 19 years now" kak is well and truly the apex of stupid, one does not need to be South African to dismiss this blatant broederbond propaganda. The fact that such gigantic racial inequalities are still prevalent in SA amplifies the idiocy of your statements superbly. Lastly, the old, lame, tired, “argument” of "everything worked during apartheid" is so spectacularly stupid to anyone with half a brain is because this regime only nurtured and took care of white Afrikaner society and only maintained white infrastructure while neglecting blacks. Blacks only started receiving access to electricity and running water recently, so now you are aggrieved that funds are pumped into uplifting these areas at the expense of the already established areas. I am a DA supporter, I drastically seek change as there is loads more that the ANC could be doing, but to confine your argument to apportioning the present state of SA to “Apartheid is gone and dead well over 19 years now” then you seriously need help!

Keep facts like this in mind before talking nonsense again. You will not get sympathy from learned members of this forum merely because you may be from South Africa. They possess brains chap…A conclusive University Of California case study on the matter for your info:

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0w09j05z#page-20

[Saffa]

I am a DA supporter, I drastically seek change as there is loads more that the ANC could be doing, but to confine your argument to apportioning the present state of SA to “Apartheid is gone and dead well over 19 years now” then you seriously need help!

You are quite right, apartheid and discrimination is alive and well in SA, just the other way around. Blacks oppresses the white and coloured people with their affirmative policies based on race and not qualifications. That said, everyone's view on the country and current affairs depends on the glasses one looks through.
Scholars currently starting their university careers never lived under the apartheid regime and those who do not get their education, ja well no fine...toi toi less and go to school. It was the ANC first priority to get their youth educated but they rather see money going into the gravy train they feed upon. Getting rid of half the damn parliament that are not needed and usually are not present anyhow, the hefty perks they have like for instance those expensive cars are a start to provide good education free for all. The current youth are the building blocks for the future and should have prime attention.
No need to discuss the school book fiasco here that is evident of corrupt officials within the ANC - we face the end of a year and in certain provinces scholars have not received handbooks yet but these were found in warehouses, heaps of books getting destroyed etc. After the media revealed this, the anc made their usual empty promises that the books will get to schools and still they wait. Why blame apartheid for that?
A prominent black politician not so long ago let go on the telly news that the country was better under the old apartheid regime (press had a ball with that) than the current regime and that says it all regardless of my views.

BTW, I also support and vote DA since 1994 so no big deal in that, but more important, have quite a bit of people of colour married into our family and have quite a fair idea how they feel, in short, Im liberal and distance myself from any right wing ideology or association as they are mentally not stable with their distorted ideas and views. Having said that, no need to be a hypocrite to be politically correct and straight talk dont break any friendships.

I told many during my tenure on this land that had the NP given the blacks equal everything, there would have been no need for the anc to exist and this country would have been a showcase of Africa. Basically all the anc did for the country was to get porn legalized and made the country a drug haven for the millions of illegal Nigerians they allow into the country. In short, you cannot give a dead man medicine. The country is fucked up under current rule with only two places with worse than our education rating worldwide as per statistics recently in Sunday paper, one of the highest unemployment figures and on top of the shit pile as the most violent and crime ridden country in the universe.

I do not care about someone sitting in another country doing studies about things they assume based on statistic and other crap they dish out but I had lived this country for 57 years, seen and experienced it all and even lost my elderly parents in a brutal farm attack. I was robbed, hijacked, assaulted for my hard earned cash and possessions etc. I was retrenched and replaced by an incompetent person with dubious qualifications and no experience simply because of my race. Lived with stench of raw sewage flowing down the street for weeks because their were no funds to fix it, but during that same period the municipality had the mother of all parties for their anc cronies that cost a few million rands
These are the experiences what I base my views upon regarding this country, not some foreign academic's views of something they never lived or experienced firsthand.

[Alchemy]

You lost all credibility when you declared that blacks are lazy. In a South African context, (and in general) that is absolute hogwash! Nobody ever claimed that corruption isn’t a problem, a condition which THRIVED under the nats during apartheid as well, but of course, your selective 57 year memory would never make references to this would it. You cannot attribute crime stats to the ANC alone bud, whites had the army protecting and policing their plush suburbs during apartheid. The regime saw the flourishing of crime in townships as a perfect mechanism to sow division, not to mention that society never respected the corrupt and political police force to begin with. I don’t care how many years you have living in South Africa, it means absolutely stufall if you are being economical with the truth or refuse to own up to what the legacy of apartheid entails. The Bantu education, while being an education, was no shining example either! If you attempt to socialise people like animals you must be prepared to suffer the consequences! What you also do not get about people from other countries doing sociological studies on South African society is that it provides us with a nonpartisan view of the state of affairs at play. There is nothing academic about the gigantic inequalities which exist in South Africa, these are facts. The minute that people like you realise that we will need to make certain compromises to appease the massive and justifiable unrest out there, the better. There is no society in the world which will accept the existing status quo in the form of the massive disparities between the haves and the have not’s. Either we compromise and do it peacefully, or we continue with the "Let them eat cake" rhetoric and relinquish our privilege by means of a revolution. I prefer compromise.

[skeptic-1]

Thank you ! Intelligence and humanity is not completely dead after all. Our world has become sorely lacking in the ability to reflect on our actions as they shape the society we live in and to recognize even basic right from wrong. We move closer ands closer to self annihilation seemingly without recognition or care (or is it simply lack of understanding) about the road to perfidy we travel ?