Has the rapid deterioration of South Africa over the last 3 months...?

I dont want to say "told you so" but if my previous 13 Avatars were still around you would see that I have been saying so for 18 months. First I highlighted the crime which was denied then I got sucked into the Politics and did some research. The ANC have kept the lid on the pot but it had to explode sometime. The last 3 months tells you they were so busy fighting each other to get their snouts in the feeding trough they neglected to keep up the barrage of lies and propaganda about the Economy etc that has kept many deluded.The Sunday Times started the rot with the exposure of Beetroot and then the M&G who never let go of the Selebi saga. The ANC tried to gag the Press by buying it out but personal fights overtook them and the Press responded by exposing them even further. The coup de grace has undoubtedly been the power cuts and the further exposure of ANC incompetence in not heeding advice/recommendations dating back as long as 14 years ago. Now the eyes of the World are on them and the Investment community has demonstrated their confidence in South Africa by bailing out of the JSE. The Rand has gone for a loop and there is still more to come when the Petrol,Water and Sanitation crises bite in. For a long time I have been saying yours is a false Economy built on Mining,Foreign Investment,Tourism and Consumer Spending. Well the Mines are in a panic losing millions per day,the Investors are bailing out,your visitors are mainly from neighbouring African Countries and despite a political decision to hold interest rates Consumers can no longer afford to be buying big ticket items.

However, in saying the above the popular prediction was that the ANC would take longer to destroy South Africa than Mugabe took to destroy Rhodesia. Now they are well ahead of the game and I honestly believe that if FIFA pull the plug on 2010 you will see not only a rapid deterioriation but an internal War.

I agree with styviesblu. The government are making life harder to scare the whites away! Yes the more whites that leave the more it Will turn out just like Zimbabwe!! There is no doubt about the fact that Africa has been decreasing over the years. BUT I really think that sooner or later things will start to change, look at Mozambique, look how over the say past 10 years it's changed incredibly, however, there is still a lot of work to be done, lots of business men black and white are moving there from Zimbabwe, bringing in the cash for the economy, and now it's picking up. I do believe that South Africa can be prevented from becoming the "next Zimbabwe" but for that to happen, each and every South African, black, white, poor or rich has to OPEN their eyes!! It makes my blood boil to see what has happened to Zimbabwe! I have a lot of hate-rid for Zimbabwe's government and could say so many things about them, but I must calm myself! I just pray for the sake for Africa that we all wake up!! Before it really is too late for not only Africa but for this world! I still have hope, very little but never the less it is still there. I just can't believe such a beautiful mother land, could have so much destruction and violence in it's government! It's truly unbelievable!!

Contrary to popular belief this "rapid decay"has been happening for some time(years), but the calculated actions have finally started showing some results, which could be seen as unexpected to the minority, but to the majority, how has this been accepted? Remember Zimbabwe's attitude towards decay, even if they had to build a country from scratch, so be it, they will have their land back. Are they making it unbearable?

Yes, I thought so, I even predicted the rand euro disaster, that is why we left, Bull, dont panic, about your immigration, all will work out...Just work quickly and effectively to get out....I have heard comments from Europeans here in Europe, that it is not such a good idea to allow SA to have the FIFA, 2010....People are nervous to even go there to watch it....Unfortunately, the rand is not the only thing to go south but the rest of the SA business infrastructure....once things go south there is little to stop it from reaching rock bottom....

I wouldn't make any rash decisions.

I don't believe that the bottom is going to fall out all of a sudden.

If I was you I would carry on planning as you are doing and stick to your schedule/time table.

SA will "get past" this electricity crisis, in the sense that it will continue to limp along and "get past" it along with all the other problems that South Africans have had to adapt to.

No, it won't be a sudden collapse, the (overall) standards will continue to slide at the same rate as they have been doing for the last couple of years.

I must admit that I amalso rather shocked by the events. It seems that each new week has another surprise. It is all rather scary, as it seems soooo familiar. Like a replay of some other bad story iin Africa .... I can understand why people want to try and turn a blind eye to all the happenings.

You have plenty of time yet. These guys have another 3/5 years of looting before the place finds its level.

It took Zim 7 years, before the rot started and another 14 to stuff the place completely. Dont despair, but make sure you stay alive to witness it

My opinion is that I wont have enough time for my Australian Visa to cme through. What is the quickest way out of here? A study visa or just to go to New Zealand?

It scares me how fast things can, and do, go wrong...

remember the time there were strikes? then everyone wanted to jump on the bandwagon and strike as well. How many months of no schooling and no proper hospital service? Then we had the petrol problem, then its the load shedding... oi vey! What next ? (Or am I jinxing by asking?)

Too bad, too sad