Savvas Savouri, chief economist and partner at hedge fund TosacaFund, has issued a report (
published by Reuters) in which he declares that South Africa is "
socially, politically and demographically flawed. It will malfunction within 15 years. It will go the way of MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) but the blow-up will be much more serious".
By way of support, he cites the fact that "
professional whites and blacks are leaving in hordes - the human capital is decaying", and that the state exhibits a "
lack of centralised leadership".
Savouri forecasts that as a result of this dysfunctional state, "
Russia and Australia will win out. The surge in commodity prices will benefit them".
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Savouri has a history of being contrarian and outspoken, having previously gone on record as stating "
Finance is almost lawless. The nature of regulation is so light touch that it may as well not be there at all" during an address to the London School of Economics.
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To put the prognostication in context, here are some of the things that ANC Youth League president Julius Malema had to say at an official party function (held in the lead up to the local government elections) last week.
[It is blatantly clear to everyone but his electorate that this is primarily an attempt to redirect dissatisfaction with the ANC's actual poor delivery of service, from the corrupt government officials where it belongs, to the sitting duck target of the white minority.]
News24
We want 60% of Anglo, says Malema:
“What Anglo does with the other 40% is their business,” ANCYL president Julius Malema said at a gala dinner in Nelspruit on Friday, predicting that the nationalisation of mines would “happen in my lifetime”.
...
“Share that delicious piece of cake. Don’t eat it all alone!” he said to loud applause.
...
Malema said unemployment was the cause of recent political unrest, and nationalisation was the way to solve it.
“Maybe it’s time for the youth to climb into the driving seat of the car,” he said.
...
“The Oppenheimers don’t need to worry because we only want 60% of Anglo American’s money,” he said.
...
“An uprising is coming to South Africa, and the uprising won’t be against the ANC,” he said to screaming and cheering members of the ANCYL.
“The uprising will target white men and white monopolies,” he warned. “It won’t be aimed at white women."...
And finally, the statement that should in time go down as Malema's crowning glory of logical extrapolation:
To prevent the revolution from losing steam, Malema urged a full hall in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality building to have as many babies as possible.
“Having babies is a revolutionary thing. You must reproduce! If you shame a black man about his large family, you should immediately change your attitude.”---
If you were wondering if this was just a random, egregious outburst, then let the words of the chairperson of the South African Democratic Teachers Union, Moss Senye, as reported in the
Sowetan, put your mind at rest:
Addressing about 1,000 teachers during a mass meeting yesterday, Senye said:
"Whether [Gauteng Education Board MEC] Barbara [Creecy] likes it or not, we will have our meetings. Despite Barbara, we will vote for the ANC during the elections and they will remove her. Let us not embrace satanic people. Down with Satanism.
"You cannot be friends with white people, they will Satanise you," he said.
Creecy was called "satanic" for implementing the no work, no pay policy for teachers who took part in last year's month-long public sector strike.
...
"At no stage should you be friends with white people, they will satanise you."
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Finally, here's how Anne Paton, the widowed wife of
Alan Paton, the late author of
Cry the Beloved Country,
describes the situation:
A character in Cry, The Beloved Country says: "I have one great fear in my heart, that one day when they are turned to loving they will find we are turned to hating." And so it has come to pass. There is now more racial tension in this country than I have ever known.
But it is not just about black-on-white crime. It is about general lawlessness. Black people suffer more than the whites. They do not have access to private security firms, and there are no police stations near them in the townships and rural areas. They are the victims of most of the hijackings, rapes and murders. They cannot run away like the whites, who are streaming out of this country in their thousands.
...
I was so sorry he [Alan Paton] did not witness the euphoria and love at the time of the election in 1994. But I am glad he is not alive now. He would have been so distressed to see what has happened to his beloved country.
