My trip to South Africa, Jacob Zuma’s questionable quotes and other things South Africa related

With my journey back to South Africa at an end, reflecting on what has become of the country since I left in 1997 is often painful, always interesting and never dull.

The country has become a non-stop comedy show. You want something to laugh at? How about the fact that just about every road in the country has potholes? How about corruption running rampant in every single political system? Top that off with the rather inept workers and the comedy is complete.

The sad reality about South Africa in the 21^st century is that nothing ever seems to get done on time. When it does get done, it’s a half rate job.

You cannot help but feel sorry for the people who are still magnetically attached to the country. For many, the lifestyle is still quite attractive. The opportunity to earn a good salary is very high; the social events are almost weekly, the weather unbeatable. So not everything here makes people grumble.

Crime remains a big problem, yet since hosting the Soccer World Cup, the non-existent police have at least managed to keep a tab on dangerous criminals. At least people can see for themselves how many brutal robberies, rapes and ransacking’s are taking place each day. On such example took place on Boxing Day, when my Uncle’s neighbour’s house was burgled in broad daylight.

Corruption, as mentioned earlier also remains a problem, especially considering it runs right from the top. Every second political book in Bargain Books seems to cover corruption in quite extensive details.

This corruption also happens to include affirmative action policies. If you are black, your chances of getting a high paying, high responsibility are very good. You can open a KFC franchise, from which you can turnover millions of rand a year; life will be good for you. Conversely, a white male holds up the list, sitting right at the bottom. Unsurprisingly, many white people start their own businesses.

If South Africa wants to continue going down this path, unwilling to work with one another, the problems will remain. Should they get over past transgressions and give each person an equal opportunity, maybe progress can be made.

The face of corruption and the voice of ignorance

Rest assured, four presidents later and the Republic of South Africa has yet to elect a leader capable of creating a trustworthy government.

Yes, Nelson Mandela did a lot of good work to unite the nation but he was not apt enough to create enough jobs for the millions of blacks who were living in the new South Africa. Most can only make a guess at what Thabo Mbeki tried doing. Whatever it was, nothing came to fruition under him.

Jacob Zuma is, without a doubt, the worst president South Africa has ever had and he leads the worst ANC elected party the country has ever had. I have no sympathy for the fascist crackpot Afrikaans dominated governments who instigated and supported apartheid. At least the roads were good, there were jobs available for most people (unemployment was at least 50% lower than now), you had police who actually fought crime.

Zuma has been in court so many times, facing multiple counts of corruption, four counts of rape and three counts of racketeering. Al Capone would have been proud to call Mr. Zuma a friend on Alcatraz. Yet here is a man who allegedly (because it is highly unlikely) runs the country.

A man who builds a massive home on land which doesn’t belong to him, earns a higher income from bribes than his official salary or R2.7 million per year.

He says black people should “not be like whites and take their dogs to the doctor when your family members are sick.” No effort is made on his behalf, or that of his cabinet, to hide their blatant racism.

And they wander why people are leaving by the masses every hour.

Easily the best tourist destination in the world

I regularly have a good debate with people when they say England, the USA, France and Italy are the best tourist destinations in the world. South Africa by far, surpasses each one. While it may not be able to match these countries with historical landmarks, other elements make it far superior. The landscape is so incredibly diverse. There are beaches, mountains, deserts, jungles, rain forests  beaches and sprawling cities. Each province has activities which you will remember forever. Safaris, the view atop Table mountain, white water rafting on grade 5 rapids, swimming on golden sand beaches, the peace and quiet in the Drankensburg Mountains and so much more. The activities are endless and so is the good weather.

It is a terrible pity New Zealand does not import Savannah Dry cider. Not only does it taste amazing, it far exceeds any Kiwi made ciders. Whether that is down to its long history as South Africa's top rated cider or the brewers ability to taste quality, supermarkets should consider it. Old Mout cider has nothing on Savannah.

*****Yes, customs and security at South African Airports is incredibly lax. Only half filling in my arrival card, the women stamped me through, without considering that many compulsory areas were incomplete. What about the baggage check and metal detectors? As easy as 1,2,3. In fact, some of the officials even had their mobile phones out during this time. Only in South Africa!*****

If New Zealand police are worried about the road toll reaching double digits, they need to pause. The latest statistics show how 1300 deaths have happened since December 1^st.Now, the police need to stop being so fixated on writing people going 5km over the speed limit during the New Year. Instead, they can do their job and patrol the beaches and busy areas during the holiday season. It will go a long way towards stopping so called “petty crime.”

Anybody who believes the propaganda of recent South Africans can rest easier knowing that most of this is in fact false. Crime does not happen on every street corner and you will not be mugged if you walk around with valuables in your hands. Plenty of women walked along the beachfront, hands full of shopping bags, without attracting any attention. Mercedes cars parked outside flash houses were not broken into. As long as you act normal, don't flash money and cameras around, you will be unlikely to run into any trouble.