A Kiwi friend asked BK recently why it is that South Africa is such a poor place, what with all the natural resources like gold, diamonds and other minerals, as well as the rich soil to grow corn and feed for the cattle and sheep…

And that made BK think – the “goewerment” here in Kiwiland looks after the unemployed, which is apparently about 4% of the people, makes sure there’s nice roads and hospitals for everybody, but it’s not a rich country in the same way as South Africa is rich in minerals and mealies. So where does the difference lie? And then I tried to explain to my Kiwi friend that here almost everybody contributes to the taxes, and those being helped are few compared to the rest. But in the “Vaderland” the few support the many, and the many are the ones needing help.
The richness of the minerals don’t mean anything to the “goewerment” because some smart people long ago made the rules that those who gain from the diamonds pay their taxes in London. And when the question gets raised, people get paid to keep quiet – take a bribe on the side to keep your brother poor and oppressed. Apartheid might be gone, but the oppression of the poor and uneducated remains. Those who have get more and those who don’t have no mouthpiece to air their views. And so the long slide downhill continues – BK cries for you, land of my blood. The answer does not lie in the hatred of one another because my skin is a different colour, but in recognising the need for working together before it is too late. Now is not the time for pointing fingers because of what happened in the past, but the time to wrap those fingers around the shovel and the pick and to work together to change the future.

So there you have it – Happy New Year!

Bosveldgroete!