Lately I was following events occurring in South Africa; I couldn’t cross my arms and watch the news without making some observations; From the outside it seems working and no one complains about its internal instability, the rate of SA immigrant to Europe, mainly to UK and Ireland and the Netherlands , the white elite of the country are leaving and selling their assets to cut ties with this nation.
Talk about insecurity and AIDS, what about the economy? What about the credibility in foreign affairs? What about the failure of the African National Congress to solve the country's biggest social and ethnics issues?

I wanted to share with you some interesting information’s about this weak African giant, as our South African mates are doing the same with Moroccan news, they aim to damage Morocco's image abroad, as Morocco grows and and strengthens. A friend who has just moved out of Johannesburg said: ‘‘for me SA is the city center, if you try to travel out or go out at night you better think about it twice and bring your own body guards’’ , he added: ‘ people do not understand the rotting disease that was apartheid and the damage it did to people. The effects of apartheid will take more than 50 years to shake out, maybe longer’.

Let us have a look at some important figures to understand the situation:

First as reported earlier this month, in an increasingly youthful population (78% black), only 42 of every 100 South Africans have a job, 49% are poor (with monthly household income below R2,400 or €195), 13% are HIV positive, 24% of homes have no electricity, 32 % no tap water, 69% no hot water supply, and R21 (€2) of every R100 (€8.50) they earn, they spend on food.

Secondly, one of the things no one talks about is the way the ANC (African National Congress) has been unable to convert its promises into progress. When it came to power, there was an assumption that there would be immediate redistribution of wealth and that the poor, who had supported the ANC and suffered during the apartheid regime, would be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor compared to other ethnic groups hopefully with less corruption or favoritism.
That did not happen!

A deal was made betweeb the big corporations and the ANC to keep the economy running and the investment in the country; as a result the ANC had no choice but to undertake a slow track to wealth redistribution. This meant that effectively the status quo was maintained in terms of power and wealth.

ANC introduced affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment, legislation that weights government contract awards to companies with black majority shareholders but it ended up benefiting the small class of highly educated and motivated individuals who were black but predominantly ANC members.

As a result there is a natural sense of despair creeping into the poorer sections of society along with a dramatic increase in the crime rate. The ANC can no longer blame the "previous dispensation" for its own failures especially as most of its members have done well for themselves. 

Pundits and observers of South Africa often generalize about its progressive politics. What they forget is that sections of South Africa's political class - a small minority – leads its population to adopt progressive laws and attitudes on sexuality, marriage, capital punishment and even immigration. In contrast, the population is generally conservative and socially right of center.

South Africa's African National Congress has missed its biggest ambition which is to became a permanent member of the UN.That disappointed many African nations that backed South Africa as a way for the continent to gain more clout in the UN.

African National Congress members are also blaming fellow African foreigners for the country's current problems , with continuous media reporting of "Zimbabweans based robbers" and "Nigerian drug lords" , but it is a common knowledge that multinationals no longer believe in a stable and wealthy South Africa, some English speaking counties are considering  to make the visa process more stringent for South Africans, as the immigration rate has exponentialy increased.

Author: Jalal Nali, born in Fez, holds a university degree in IT & Spanish literature. He is  the Director of "One" NGO for medical aid to Africa, he is a members of the Moroccan Sahara association. Mr. Nali is knowledgeable in political affairs and Military logistics in Africa, his fluency in several languages makes his analysis accurate and relevant. he is a  Member of the IIT "Irish IT society", which  recommends new solutions to the Irish Internet regulations.   \n Jalal_nali@hotmail.com

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