I've been getting a lot of requests from friends in Europe and the US who hear and see suddenly a lot of negative reporting in their electronic media regarding South Africa's fast accelerating slide into a Third World Banana Republic. During a phone call to one of our European Client's the person on the other end was very concerned about my personal safety after just having seen a full page, extremely negative, report on the conditions inside this country. Corruption, violence against women and children, nepotism, maladministration, Police brutality etc, etc. And this in a publication usually not known for such negative reporting. It seem even the liberal press in the First World is waking up. I had to tell him that whenever I go out I have a personal armed guard following me in his bulletproof car. Comes at a price, but it is a lot cheaper than a coffin and a funeral. It is nothing short of amazing how many press reports, on a daily basis deal with corrupt cops. Motorists are being harassed, abducted or carjacked on a daily basis. I am posting a few more press reports about this. Getting very tired just posting negative stories but these are the majority of reports of what is being published. I will look for some positive stories as well. One that comes to mind is that our beloved government, being cash strapped as usual, are now looking for some innovative ways to raise more taxes. One such grandiose scheme is to introduce a 'Graduate' tax. Meaning that graduates from tertiary institutions will be subject to an additional tax over and above income tax. Ingenious. Will do wonders to encourage young people to get a degree or two. Will they be taxed per degree? So if you do a Bachelor's then a Masters and then to crown it all a PhD you will have to pay 90% of income tax.
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