Foreign nationals pose no threat to our wonderland
IWAS interested to read a recent article about “foreign nationals” trying to obtain the necessary papers to allow them to stay and work in South Africa. One man from the Congo said he had been waiting for nine years for his nationalisation papers. Without them he was unable to leave the country and unable to find permanent work inside the country.
There are thousands like him, who would love to live in our beautiful country, and pay taxes and contribute to the welfare of the nation, but cannot get the necessary papers from the Department of Home Affairs.
I know of one French couple who desperately want to live here. They have been coming to the Cape regularly for more than 20 years. In fact they have bought a house in the valley and spent many thousands of rands altering and improving it.
They are retired teachers, earning good European pensions, and come to their Fish Hoek home for part of every year. They’ve been applying for permanent resident status for the past 12 years, but without success. They can stay for only three months at a time, then they have to leave the country and go somewhere else for a while, then return for the next three months. If they didn’t have to spend so much of their money on air fares they might invest more in South Africa’s economy. It’s so ridiculous.
They contribute to the welfare of the city by paying their rates and taxes, they support local businesses, they buy locally produced groceries, they aren’t a burden to the state at all. But for some unknown reason they are denied residence rights.
Meanwhile, thousands of indigent “foreign nationals” queue at the Home Affairs offices daily wanting to benefit from our grants and pensions without having contributed anything. Does this make any sense at all?
I look at the classified advertisements in our local newspaper and see lists of people looking for positions as gardeners or housekeepers. Apparently you stand a better chance of finding employment if you begin your ad with the word “Malawian”.
I wonder whether they have to leave the country every three months. I doubt it.
Evidently Malawians play a vital role in our economy. Curiously, they don’t seem to want land, only employment. How very un-South African.
My French friends would probably offer employment to one of those questing Malawians, but our government seems to think French folk are a threat to our economy. We live in a wonderful country. Some would even say we live in Wonderland.
I expect any moment to see a large caterpillar sitting on a toadstool in the local shopping mall and smoking a hookah.
Last Laugh
The judge glared at the accused and said: “Do you have anything to say before I sentence you for theft?”
“Yes, your honour. I am unemployed and have no money and my wife needed clothes, so I broke in to the store and stole a dress for her.”
“But according to the evidence you broke into the same store no fewer than three times.” “That’s correct, your honour. My wife didn’t like the first two dresses I brought home.”