This is a post I sent to a friend who lives in the UK. Unfortunately it was deleted, but I see it as my manifesto for hope for Johannesburg.
"I hear you on the crime thing, but I have such a different take on SA, even on Johannesburg. I would love to tell you about our living - from the book shops in Melville, to the restaurants in Parkview. Mountain biking along the spruit and Delta park, walking in Westcliff. A vibrant community church in Melville, touching the wealthy in Greenside and the up and coming professionals in Westdene and Brixton; so much energy and life!
I would love to tell you of the post grad Wits students we host at our house every month, sharing a bit about our adventures in corporate jo'burg, and the hope they represent for this country; or the crazy uber wealth I see as I peer out my office in Sandton looking at Sandhurst every day. Or the buzz SA is at the moment with Zim being touch and go; the upcoming elections (will you vote?) and the boom-bust nature of resource based economies. Africa is probably the most hopeful it has ever been.
Crime does loom larger than other realities. My friend (now my boss) wrote an email to his company last year, which morphed into the 4th best selling book in SA in 2008, entitled 'don't panic'. We have different views on Jo'burg - he believes anything south of Sandton is the next Hillbrow; I can't get enough of our new house in Parkview, with space and trees and long walks with daschunds. But then we do have guys on bicycles quietly patrolling the suburb.
So we all do have different realities. I understand your pain and the love you had for Jo'burg, and I understand the safe and sensible option of living in London. I do ask that you open yourself to a different reality and see that much that is bad is also amazingly positive. Anyway, feel a bit like I'm preaching, so will leave it there."
Is this a bit harsh? Didn't mean it to be.
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Nope - It is a wonderful sentiment. I LOVE Joburg and South africa too. I remember getting the news that i was to be transferred to Joburg in 2000. "Sodom and Gommorah" was my first thought. However it is an amazing city and we cried when we left in 2008. We still own our house in Linden and still consider SA home - even though we are living in the UAE.
ReplyDeleteOdd perhaps to be singing a countrie's praises as an expat (a bit like the roger water's lyrics - th bravery of being out of range?). Well one thing about being a recent 9and frequent travels home) expat - is that one hears a lot of expats who have all the answers and whinge about the country and how glad they are to be living in Aus/London/Dubai..... - but they still get together for super 14 rugby games, long for biltong and droewors and have the SA flag on their cars.
Being fortunate enough to travel the world - I have seen some amazing places and some not so nice places. Yet my heart remains South African and I am committed to do whatever I can to ensure that the country I return to will have a vibrant and robust economy and I trust that I can raise the global awareness of this amazing land of ours.