Moving to France from South Africa

[Postie]

Quillan

I have read through all these posts with interest  & would like to ask you a question. If we Europeans are so abhorrent, why do thousands of Africans risk their lives every day to reach the land of their "white" fathers?

Postie - African born & bred

[Quillan]

And which Africans would they be, indigenous or white and what countries are they going to in their thousands?

[Postie]

Well that's a bit niave for a person of your intellegence. Black Africans are dying in their hundreds crossing treacherous oceans & hostile territories in their attempts to reach Europe - anywhere in Europe. I know for a fact that white people are not welcome in Africa but, when it all goes pear shaped, where is it that these people want to go - straight back into the arms of those who oppressed them for centuries. I was once told by a young European man that " Africa would be on a par with Europe if white people had never colonised the continent!" He was about as niave as you. Other than Botswana, not many African countries have shown any sort of ability to govern themselves, even after 50 years. 

Postie

[ernie]

Well, I would not consider Botswana to be a model country because its president is clearly a racist -“President Festus Mogae once described them (Bushmen or the San people) as 'Stone Age creatures' for whom there was no place in the modern world”

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2195640.stm

 

ernie

[Postie]

"MODEL COUNTRY in Africa" is there such a thing? In the big scheme of things, yes, Botswana is a model country! At the very least, the wealth generated by diamonds is more evenly distributed amonst the population. Every country has it's crosses to bear - Botswana being no exception! We lived there for 23 years so feel I'm qualified to comment.

[Quillan]

I think Postie has gone fishing to see what bites.

Botswana, with only a 7% white community has a migration rate of 5.36 people per 1000. With a population at the end of 2007 of just over 1.8M that's to my reckoning about 9,000 leaving. However they are also suffering from immigrants as are any of the countries that border Zimbabwe.

I think that these days mining, according to their own government is pretty low down the list in respect to employment, profit etc and is way overtaken by many other industries all of which employ more people and make more money. It would seem things have moved on a bit since Postie left the country. Alternatively, perhaps he is right but corrupt government officials are taking all the money from the mines and not passing it on to the people anymore.

Source - Migration Information Organization (http://www.migrationinformation.org )and Botswana Central Statistics Office (http://www.cso.gov.bw/ ).

I rather think that Postie needs to show some sources to back up what he is saying, facts and figures etc to help give his point more credibility.

I think we will leave it there for the time being [;-)] .

[Postie]

Yes, it is a few years since we left & rather than quote facts & figures from all these REPUTABLE sources I am quoting from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, which is more than be said for everyone who puts in their halfpenny's worth. And yes, let's leave it at that - I think I have said my bit.

Postie