They say money talks. The only thing most people hear it say is
“good bye”. I used to believe that South Africa had the best lifestyle for
middle income and higher income earners. State support has good intentions in
South Africa but the funds never seem to flow to meet the
purpose of those intentions. Being poor and jobless in South Africa makes for a
miserable life compared to most other countries. Middle class and up though, I
thought we were streets ahead. I believed each Rand you earned could take you
much further than a Dollar or Pound earned in the U.S or U.K respectively.
Reality was South African middle income earners could afford a
housekeeper, who worked five days a week. Some could even afford a house where
the housekeeper was a live in, with or without servants’ quarters. Today, more
and more people with a housekeeper have a set up where the housekeeper comes in
once a week. Housekeepers have to scramble to look for different families to
work for, as they look to fill six of the seven week days with paid for work.
Reality was middle income people in South Africa could put meat on the
table for two meals a day. A braai was comfortably hosted, with friends invited
expected to only bring drinks. Now the concept of a “bring and braai” is no
longer frowned upon as something you did with your friends when you were
students.
Reality was that electricity was so affordable that people never even
questioned their metre readings and subsequent to that, their billing. People
were so comfortable with the set up that they happily powered up, and paid for
their electricity based on estimates, rather than true metre readings that gave
actual consumption. Now that same middle income group is opting for pre-paid
electricity as a form of controlling spend, in order to avoid the surprise bill
one might get even after a month where the geyser is turned off during the day.
Eating out was the norm, and while income inequality was evident for
middle income earners, it was not a problem in reality. The people that had a
problem with income inequality were the poor, as “have not” status in South
Africa makes for an earth shattering life experience. The poor did not have a
voice, and their suffering was not a reality for the middle income group and up
in South Africa. They were there but not visible enough on the street corners
and on refuse removal day in the neighbourhoods.
Reality has changed! When you are married with two children, and your
net earnings are R13,000 a month, reality is you have to pay for a bond of
R6,000 a month and vehicle finance of R3,000 a month before feeding the family,
paying school fees, electricity, etc. The quality of human life for most people
is reducing.
The protest against e-tolls is not coming from the Blue Collar Worker,
often associated with strike action in this country. Now the White Collar
Worker is also feeling a further burden on their pockets.
People used to be fine with the reality of income inequality because the
poor did not have enough of a voice and the middle income earners had a
friendly relationship with reality. As the rich get richer, and the middle
class gets poorer, the relationship with reality goes from friendly to hostile.
From most people’s perspective this is a powder keg, waiting for a spark. It’s
not an anti-capitalism or pro-socialism reality that I am speaking of. It’s
simply highlighting that if reality is not a friend of most, something has to
give.
South Africa does not have the monopoly on this problem. It is a
worldwide reality. This video questions reality, looking at the wealth inequality gap in America.
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