I read the news today, oh boy!

[Ruby]

how accurate is this article Ruby? (just asking because you live in SA)
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/wom...d=msedgntp

I am not familiar with that hostel or the surrounds CH. I’m 1,500 kilometres away, however, there is massive poverty, a hugely disenfranchised sector of the population, an affordable housing shortage, homelessness and many people illegally here having spilled over from Zimbabwe, Malawi, etc. That journalist, who is not South African talks of previous governments, but the present ruling party has been in power for 28 years. You’d have thought that by now they might have effected some positive changes. Unfortunately, in a country of around 60 million citizens, less than 3% of us pay income tax and the politicians have a deep-seated history of corruption. The moment people get into lofty positions, something happens that seems to switch off their consciences, supposing they had any to begin with.

I don’t know the answers, but it’s not sustainable. Too many with no hope of any kind of future which in turn leads to crime (it shouldn’t necessarily, but the fact is that it does), too many living in intolerable conditions (many much worse than what you see there), complete lack of service delivery in many provinces, Cape Town being an exception (run by a different party), a lowering of standards generally, little to no effective law enforcement (they are corrupt too) and just way too many people who expect everything to be handed to them on a platter instead of getting on with things themselves.

Sounds totally miserable and it can become terribly distressing and depressing, the enormity of the challenges, but somehow we manage to get along ok and it’s not all doom and gloom. We do have the ability to laugh at ourselves, great weather and scenery and despite some undisputedly third world situations, a whole lot of first world ones too! And while I do understand the setbacks some have to face, there are always those that rise above them, miraculously - I am of the opinion that largely, one makes one’s own luck. There will be exceptions to that statement, I realise, sometimes health is a factor, and so on, but to me, it’s a lot about the choices we make in life – or am I speaking arrogantly, from a position of privilege? I don’t know anymore!

Ok – enough – wandered right off track! Lol! Oh – and sometimes these news apps or whatever you want to call them are not the most reliable or accurate source of news, in my view and which is probably why you asked in the first place. They focus on using the sensational and while there are enough truths in the stories for them not to be implausible, they can also leave out important points and embellish those that are guaranteed to provoke an emotional response. Just sayin’.