The One-way Ticket Brigade

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We went to a restaurant on the edge of the ‘cliff’ at Amanzimtoti on Sunday for a lunch as a farewell to yet another friend and family emigrating from South Africa. This one is not Packing for Perth but will be Unpacking in UK.

I suppose it is not surprising with the floods of bad news flowing out of so many South African sectors that a veritable stampede has been set in motion. The official stats. have no idea, because most simply fold their tents like the Arabs and (as) silently steal away (as Longfellow wrote).

The agency dealing with our friends had some surprising and shocking information: an increasing number of the cream of South African black professionals are also following this course. In fact, even more of them than the disillusioned whites, so they say. That speaks volumes

The dirt that has been emerging lately from enquiries into matters such as State Capture has been filthy indeed. Of course, the admission by key whistle-blowing witness Angelo Agrizzi that he is a racist, following the playing of a recording where he used the so-demonised ‘K’ word, has been seized upon and made into more of a fuss than the shocking disclosures of massive corruption. At least Judge Zondo had the sense to declare that the attitude, whether regrettable or actionable or not, has no effect on the facts disclosed.

It has become utterly ludicrous that incidents of racism — white on black, mind — have come to be regarded as being of greater shock value than despicable crimes of bribery and corruption. Of course, the accused are seizing on the race card as a means towards discrediting the testimony with its facts and figures. Presumably, had the conversation referred to the people concerned as rotten, low-down, verminous crooks, no outrage would have arisen. Look at what Trumpy Wumpitty is called daily.

I love South Africa and most of its peoples, but with the rubbish going on here, were I to win a respectable sum of money I would be out of here faster than the eye could follow.

© January 2019 Colonialist