As a 53-year-old white I now realise how privileged and advantaged we really had been growing up under the previous government.
We had a vast amount of swimming pools, parks, recreation areas, sport stadiums, public transport and bioscopes.
During my high school days in Sundra, some 20km away from Springs, we travelled extensively to Springs by means of a railway bus that ran from Delmas to Springs on an hourly basis. Once arriving at a very clean Springs station with its beautiful fountains and steam engine statue, we usually went to a nearby Wimpy, movies, swimming pools and shopping malls after school.
The Springs kids had a network of municipal buses taking them to school and back and after school and weekends they also used them to travel between the suburbs and town.
Unfortunately, our black counterparts of that era did not enjoy the same privileges under apartheid. One hoped that the new generation would have been given that privileges, but unfortunately that is not happening.
I feel so sorry for the youth of today, they’re missing out on all of these thanks to all amenities being destroyed by the ANC controlled town councils. They destroyed all the swimming pools, parks, the railway stations, Murray Park, Olympia Park sports grounds and PAM Brink Stadium. They fail to keep our once beautiful town clean.
Why, may I ask, could the nationalists do all that for its youth, irrespective of economic boycotts against them and mainly only white taxpayers’ money, whilst the ANC government cannot do same for the current youth (especially the black youth and poor whites that cannot afford swimming pools) with no economic boycotts and added tax money from a rising black workforce?
May I point out that a vast number of black families are now living in the previously white suburbs?
Why is the ANC controlled town council betraying the kids of these families?
Surely these children would have loved to use these amenities and swimming pools?
As for public transport the ANC has given children the treacherous and dangerous taxis. No parent can feel comfortable sending his child on one of these taxis and buses. I feel immensely sorry for the parents that have no choice but to do it.
As for the black townships, could the ANC enlighten us whether they have built any swimming pools and clean, safe parks for the children of the townships?
We are so quick to criticise the youth of today for falling prey to drugs, sex and alcohol abuse and crime, but what do we offer them to stay away from it?
To the ANC I can only say, it’s your country now and we are rid of the dreaded apartheid. When you are planning your treeless box houses, please plan for the children too.
Give them parks, sport grounds and swimming pools too.
Please … clean our towns, townships and stations. You have the money … we know – you could spend R13 million on defending a drunk driving traffic chief.
JPW
* Letter shortened
