The Problems of South Africa

I had lunch this afternoon with my friend Ed, a native South African, who was passing through London on his way home from Australia. It's the May Day bank holiday here, but since Ed is a South African, he was actually obliged to work today. But since I had off, why not go meet him at Piccadilly Circus for lunch?

It was once again one of those occasions where I love meeting up with old Oxbridge friends, as the discussions are so interesting. We had some interesting talks about economic theory, as he proposed the interesting idea that the only costs we have are for labour, that with raw materials, you are merely paying for the labour to extract the materials and make them useable.

Yet the conversation took an interesting turn when we started discussing life in South Africa, and how random violent crime is such a problem, and how Ed had really just given up on the place. And I had to admit, that while I'm readily willing to give up my home country, at least it's a safe place to go back to, that it isn't filled with the constant risk to one's personal safety that there is in South Africa. Although once again, it does make me realise how much I want England to be my home, that I don't want to go back to the US.

He told some stories that made me realise why he's so down on South Africa, like pointing out a recent incident where the South African government had unveiled trains to run from the airport to downtown. Great innovations in public transport, right? Except that the mini-taxicab drivers were so upset about it, seeing it as cutting into their business, that they opened fire on the trains. Gunfire. So of course, nobody will take the trains for fear of getting shot.

Or equally, once a train was late, so the angry crowds responded by setting the train on fire. He asked, "How on earth does this help? How on earth are any of the actions making anything better?"

In the end, I have to think that he's right. It's one thing to have a problem of poor leadership, but when the whole culture seems to accept a violent response to all problems, how do you solve that? Once again, it makes me glad I live where I do.