I think South Africa today has a lot going for it.
Yes, it does have its fair share of corruption, but then so do most governments. Unfortunately many African governments thrive on this as Government is power and power is money! Many use the power of government to line their own pockets and set themselves up for the future. Jacob Zuma is no exception - he is the President of South Africa but was acquitted of being involved in a major arms deal that made him millions (which everyone knows he was involved in!).
Yes, we have 11 official Languages – Afrikaans, English, IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu
Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga. The most common of these being English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa.
Yes, education may have lowered dramatically from during the apartheid days when a fortune was spent on educating only a small portion of the population, whereas today everyone has the opportunity to be educated. This does mean that a vast variety of social, cultural and educational needs need to be met and it is an incredibly difficult task to get right. Unfortunately it is not right at the moment which means that if you want good education you have to pay a fortune to send your children to private schools rather than rely on them being educated badly at government schools.
Yes, our national anthem is a hodge podge of languages and styles with the five most populous of South Africa's eleven official languages being used - Xhosa (first stanza, first two lines), Zulu (first stanza, last two lines), Sesotho (second stanza), Afrikaans (third stanza) and English (final stanza).
Yes, crime is bad and is unfortunately one of the main reasons for South Africa not being a perfect place. This is one thing that the government really does have to work on! With no death penalty and many criminals not being caught, or if they are caught spending so little time behind bars, there is hardly a deterrent for them. There are many South Africans praying that this intolerable crime can be sorted out.
Yes, the World Cup 2010 has brought the world’s attention to South Africa and some places probably will increase their prices to capitalise on the situation, but think of the history behind South Africa being the first country in Africa to host a soccer World Cup. That is kudos to the country. Think also of the exposure for South Africa and the long term tourism benefits it will create, think of the money spent on infrastructure that will benefit South Africa long after the games have finished, think of the short term jobs the World Cup has created, think of the huge spirit it has imbibed in South Africa!
Yes, South Africa may have its problems, but it also has its positives. It has an eclectic charm and style and a nation that is determined. Determined not to let their beautiful country slide in the abyss that so many other African countries have slid into. South Africa is a land of passion and a land of tenacity!
Vietnam travel