What do you miss the most about the Apartheid years?

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london.oval

So some comprehensive answers', taking your question quite seriously - I miss the fact that in the small community level everyone talked to everyone, there was no or very little mistrust and the level of crime was at a minimum.

Life was valued and certainly worth more than the price of a second hand car.

We had less of a refugee problem, and there were less starving people. A wonderful infrastructure of roads and communication was maintained.

However on a political and national level there is nothing to miss - apartheid was abhorrent and the worst thing SA could ever have done was give racism a name!!! And what is more they have done it again, have they not?

Al Inshearah

I liked that song "Freeeee Nelson Mandela".......the can't sing it any more

MERCAYDEES

niks nie

Politically - NOTHING.

Socially a lot. People were more for each other. Weekends were the most interesting as we would go to soccer games and music festivals. We listerned to REAL music NOT today's fakes etc.

...the unity people had in working towarding a common goal. Trust was everything back in the days...today, we rarely see acts of trust and unity. Everyone is into it for themselves..its corruption everywhere. Its sad...

dWali

The absence of Affirmative Action

MikeInRI

As an American I miss all the stories about South African - the good news - I don't need to hear about South Africa as much being an evil nation.

Good Luck!!!

Motti _Shish

Everything! Not that I saw it or anything, lol, but ya!

elf2002

I don't miss anything from that era except lower crime rate -- it's sad to see the rising criminality in the country.

I guess i also miss some of the protest music like Eddy Grant's JoAnna and Free Nelson Mandela.

Tweety

I think the country used to be more organized. There was definitely less crime and less death in this country.

Jonathan M

what i miss most is freedom cause now we all live in fear. even though i no longer live in sa(now live in europe but visit from time to time) i miss respect,freedom of speech(now you have to watch the words you use) i just miss sa permantely.

SAgirl

To feel safe in your own home, to go to the shopping centre and not be affraid that you will get hi-jacked, raped or murdered.
Knowing that one day my children will grow up in a safe country

therna

i miss having lots of south african exiles/run- aways...those days africa was more united and stronger than it is today

A Bloke

Watching some racist get caught on his own and given a slapping

pietpompiesook

mag jy dit vra.............ek mis die grens diens in swa en angola..........ongerepte natuur..................buitelewe.......... slaap..........die wild

Reference-Man

nothing

Vango

The UDF graffiti on campus toilet doors...

Smiley

South Africa used to be a very civilized country but now there's only chaos. People live in fear now and they disrespect each other. South Africa is now like one big prison compared to those years. We felt free to do what we want to do and now you can't even go for a walk or go out at night without that constant fear in your heart that you might be the next victim.

Good Police...allmost crime free then....and the right to live normal and not like a caged animal....or that i had to look over my shoulder all the time.....or that if my Kid goes to school, will that be the last time i will see him...

Sorry to say....that was the good old days....walks in the Park, can go camping in the bush without fear. now FEAR RULES YOUR LIFE......

stevieboy69

Everything. We used to be able to walk around at night , but now you can't even go out in your own front garden without the fear of being killed. I miss the fact that we were assured of jobs, but now we have to come to UK or USA or Europe to work and settle down. I miss my country very much.

Brad Morris 6

Porgie, Porgie, Porgie. Such a loaded question.
The second answerer inadvertently nailed it. Back when the country was becoming steadily more ungovernable, there was the constant outcry about freeing South Africa and the outrage over the white minority that presided over a semi-civilized country.
Now that South Africa has been plunged into chaos, no one says a damn thing about the genocide being inflicted on that white minority.
Don't you just love the hypocrisy?

holly

are you for real

gabnella

black slaves

Alf Garnett 1V

Porgie the only answer to this is "nothing" but that would also be to ignore some of the achievements of the former colonial Government. You cannot deny that they did leave a legacy of modern infrastructure and commercially viable businesses, That there was an element of acceptable International business practice which even today makes you more favourable to deal with than other African Countries.There were many,many other facets of a first World country but the political system was destructive and always destined to fail.I often wonder, given that political pressure had seen the main tenets of apartheid removed,if left to themselves that kind of progress would have seen South Africa in a better state than it is today.The old diehard Nats were virtually gone or were at the least ineffective and you had younger more enlightened leaders who were only to willing to engage the ANC.The young were sick and tired of being the pariahs of the World and wanted change. I think they would have brought it about but when Mandela was released and all the promises were made about the Rainbow Nation etc most saw in him what they desired.What has happened since then has been well chronicled and instead of encouraging your Human assets to stay they have literally been driven out of the Country. Today you have immense skills shortages but even when they are available to you they are declined on the grounds of race/colour.The perception amongst Whites is that Apartheid has been replaced with a new form of racism and even the many coloured and Indian friends I still have in South Africa are of a similar perception. South Africa needs to sort itself out pretty quickly but your present Leaders are either on a self enrichment orgy with members of the elite or are so out of touch with modern reality they are of no value going forward.Be honest - as soon as something goes wrong Mbeki's immediate response is " the legacy of apartheid" and he loves to dwell on the past instead of rising above that temptation.Or his views on HIV/Aids and now Crime. He is not uniting the various population groups but actively splitting them in favour of his own, particularly the Xhosa. From what I hear things are still OK at an individual level but at a Group level people are at each others throats.
Sorry Bud but unless things change drastically and quickly South Africa is destined to be another African disaster.

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