Benefits capped but UK gives away millions

[Surfer01]

Read this article and you will be flabbergasted! Click on this link. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238017/UK-gives-19million-aid-South-Africa--president-spends-17-5million-palace.html

[Nystagmite]

Nice to see where the priorities lie.

[Surfer01]

Annoying as South Africa has more mineral wealth than the UK and very few of its citizens live in poverty.

[SOD'EM]

Yep. That 's about right for this Government. No surprise, and things won't change in the near future.

 

That's assuming that the Daily Fail speaks the truth.

[Surfer01]

Unfortunately most of what it said was taken from SA newspapers as it seems the opposition party are creating quite a stink about it.

[estellyn]

Annoying as South Africa has more mineral wealth than the UK and very few of its citizens live in poverty.

 

Actually there is huge income inequality in South Africa, with large numbers (more than half, I think) of blacks living in poverty and very few whites living in poverty. Although things have been changing for some, they're still pretty bad for many. The shanty towns still exist with awful conditions, there are huge crime problems and plenty of violence.

 

I suppose your viewpoint on these type of issues depends on whether you see your country first, or whether you believe you're part of a global community. Both are valid viewpoints. I lean more towards the global community view, in that I don't think help should be with held for the poor of a country because of the corrupt rich in that country. I just think we need to do more to ensure that any money we do give, gets to the people who need it, and doesn't get funnelled into admin costs, bribes, or the pockets of the already wealthy.

[Surfer01]

Actually there is huge income inequality in South Africa, with large numbers (more than half, I think) of blacks living in poverty and very few whites living in poverty. Although things have been changing for some, they're still pretty bad for many. The shanty towns still exist with awful conditions, there are huge crime problems and plenty of violence.

 

I suppose your viewpoint on these type of issues depends on whether you see your country first, or whether you believe you're part of a global community. Both are valid viewpoints. I lean more towards the global community view, in that I don't think help should be with held for the poor of a country because of the corrupt rich in that country. I just think we need to do more to ensure that any money we do give, gets to the people who need it, and doesn't get funnelled into admin costs, bribes, or the pockets of the already wealthy.

 

It seems that most people do not realise the scale of corruption there. People also measure poverty by their own standards. A person who lives in a mud hut in a community probably has more wealth by their standards than you or I. There are also more black millionaires in South Africa than anywhere else in the world. When last did you visit South Africa?

[estellyn]

It seems that most people do not realise the scale of corruption there. People also measure poverty by their own standards. A person who lives in a mud hut in a community probably has more wealth by their standards than you or I. There are also more black millionaires in South Africa than anywhere else in the world. When last did you visit South Africa?

 

The measures I use are things like sanitation, clean water, access to healthcare, crime levels. A mud hut can be a perfectly nice place to live, but when you're cramped together in a community without the things I mentioned, and no way of leaving, it becomes untenable. Yes there are black millionaires - but I don't see how this somehow negates black poverty - which when compared to white poverty is huge.

 

I've never been to South Africa - my Aunt used to live there, but returned to the UK due to worsening conditions. Also due to a loss of hope - she'd been hopeful that conditions would change for the black community, but has found, that the same as everywhere else, people of any colour can be greedy and corrupt, and many who get rich have little interest in helping their former communities.

[Surfer01]

The measures I use are things like sanitation, clean water, access to healthcare, crime levels. A mud hut can be a perfectly nice place to live, but when you're cramped together in a community without the things I mentioned, and no way of leaving, it becomes untenable. Yes there are black millionaires - but I don't see how this somehow negates black poverty - which when compared to white poverty is huge.

They had all that prior to change of government and it has all fallen into disrepair for the reasons you named. Their communities are hardly cramped unless you are referring to the illegal squatter camps. How can any government cater for a squatter camp? I know for a fact that in a certain squatter camp outside Cape Town they installed water taps and sanitation. Within less than a week the taps were stolen and the sanitation vandalised to such an extent it was un-useable. BTW this does not happen in the rural areas. Such a shame as it is a beautiful country.

However there is still no reason why we should be giving aid to South Africa. That is like giving aid to the USA when people in the UK are battling to make ends meet!

[estellyn]

They had all that prior to change of government and it has all fallen into disrepair for the reasons you named. Their communities are hardly cramped unless you are referring to the illegal squatter camps. How can any government cater for a squatter camp? I know for a fact that in a certain squatter camp outside Cape Town they installed water taps and sanitation. Within less than a week the taps were stolen and the sanitation vandalised to such an extent it was un-useable. BTW this does not happen in the rural areas. Such a shame as it is a beautiful country.

However there is still no reason why we should be giving aid to South Africa. That is like giving aid to the USA when people in the UK are battling to make ends meet!

 

We're not going to agree on this - best to agree to disagree.