This morning, I have again realized why (at least in my humble opinion) we have such high unemployment rates, and why, after almost 20 years (legalized) of anti-apartheid movements, that the situation has still not changed much – inequality, unemployment, poor standards of living, low education. All has remained literally the same as in the past, except for the politically connected, who are now draining our country of every precious cent we have.

I went to a large chain store today (name withheld) to get some keys cut. I gave the attendant the key chain with 4 keys on it. I said “good morning” and that I need to two sets of copies of this set of keys for my new employees who started work at my company on Monday.

First thing the attendant says to me is “Hau mennie?” (not “good morning” back), so, calm and collected, I replied “two please”. The reaction is “which keys”. I said “All of them, please” and then I got a blank stare. So, being raised on a farm, my instincts from the 1980’s kicked in (and I immediately felt bad about it, I’ll have you know)… “Djy sien hom hierrie keys, ne? Djy vat hom, djy hal hom af van die se keyring, ne? Nou djy vat hierrie four keys, ne, en djy cut hom two copies of each. Okay?”

In the 1980s we talked like that on the farms with the subjects. That appeared to be the only way they understood us, however wrong it may be. We do not get this all that much in urban life any more, but I am wondering how many times you catch yourself talking down to someone?

Any ways, back to the point. People get jobs because they have to, according to the BBBEE policies of the country, and I do feel that if two people, a white and a black person are suitably qualified for the same position, the black person will (and maybe even should, depending who you ask) get the job. But in the event that the white person is still better qualified, can communicate better, and can do the job better, this should be a no-brainer. The “whitey” should get the job.

So – here we are back at the chain store with this attendant. No clear communication skills, and only around 25 years old. This person was around 1 year old when the big struggle began, and about 5 years old when apartheid was abolished, and free education came into play. Fair enough, there are other factors, such as poverty, that regardless how much free education you can get, if you do not have food, you won’t learn, but still. They have had SO many more opportunities than they had in the 1980s. Still they can not get basic communication right, almost 20 years after the fact.

So the question I pose today is as follows: How long does it take to get an evil system such as Apartheid to totally gone? To get the effects of what happened because of it eradicated? Not 20 years, I am sure, maybe closer to 40 or 50 years, but, shouldn’t we see some progress by now? Shouldn’t we have more previously disadvantaged people who can communicate better and do the job better, and train their staff better? I blame the ANC. Our “guvmunt”. I blame them for not doing enough to rectify the injustices our forefathers have caused. They have had complete political control and full control of the country for the last 20 years, for heaven’s sake! Shouldn’t they have done more with this opportunity?

The people who are suffering are the ones at the bottom. The attendant is the victim here. The attendant didn’t get the training or education necessary to do the job. The attendant was getting ridiculed by me speaking the way I did, because the guvmunt couldn’t make even the slightest bit of progress with the full country and its resources at their disposal. They have let their people down.