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Mike Abel penned a profound open letter to South Africans living abroad who are watching the rioting unfold on social media.

 

South Africa (15 July 2021) – We can imagine that it must be incredibly hard for South Africans scattered around the world, watching their home country go up in flames. We have seen the international community’s reaction to the rioting in South Africa too and hope this message will bring some peace.

Mike Abel, a former SA-expat now living back in South Africa has penned an open letter to our countrymen living abroad. His message is one we can all consider and take pride in.

We have shared the letter in its entirety here.

A message to South Africans now living overseas:

Over the past few days I have received and read many notes of concern and sympathy for South Africa. Each of them is greatly appreciated. Thank you šŸ™šŸ‡æšŸ‡¦ā¤ļø

I have also seen many messages with ā€œI told you soā€, ā€œthank heavens we left when we didā€ etc.

My note is to these people. The second grouping.

My family and I left South Africa towards the end of 2008 following a terrifying crime incident and went to live in magnificent Sydney, Australia where I was the CEO of the largest and most successful advertising group in that country.

We lived in a beautiful home, in a beautiful suburb, with wonderful friends and family.

We came back to South Africa as we found the sadness of being away from those we loved most and a country that was, in every possible way, home, to be too heartbreaking.

We also came back as I had a wonderful opportunity to start something fresh, from scratch. We knew why we left, and we knew why we came back.

Many people who left and have stayed overseas, have created happy and wonderful lives for themselves and that is a beautiful thing.

Many however justify their lives overseas because ā€œthey saw the writing on the wall for South Africaā€.
Yes, South Africa has many, many problems for sure. It always has and it always will, certainly for the foreseeable future until we solve poverty, unemployment and corruption. Until there are far fewer people who have absolutely nothing and little hope.

But South Africa is a magnificent country too. When you sit in Sydney, Perth or Melbourne, Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Tel Aviv, London or wherever your journey has taken you, reflect on your own lives and happy childhoods in South Africa. Remember who you are, your accents, the Bokke, braais, biltong, pap, the people who helped raise you and the people who are still here. Who want to be here.

Many of us could live anywhere but we have chosen to be here. Because itā€™s home. Because we love it. Not because we are stupid and couldnā€™t see ā€œthe writing on the wallā€ less than you could. Many people here would also love to leave, and canā€™t because of financial and other limitations.

But South Africa is not the only country with issues dear friends. This week we saw soccer hooligans and riots in the UK and vile racism following the penalty kicks. None of which would have been visible had England won. But there you areā€¦

We have seen Americans (where guns literally outnumber people) storm the Capitol Building. Anarchy. Where Iā€™m not sure who is more threatening to their society, the toxic Left or lunatic Right?

We are dealing with a global pandemic from Wuhan, China that has destroyed hundreds of millions of lives and impacts us daily. It has literally changed the world. And not for the better as some may like to believe. The dolphins have not returned to the canals of Venice.

We see unrest in Cuba, Venezuela, the Middle East and around the world. Chaos, anarchy, hate and insecurity is not unique to us in South Africa. But I donā€™t see you commenting on this. You reserve a special scrutiny and dare I say, hints of schadenfreude, for a country that gave you your identity and best memories. A place where your parents, siblings, cousins and many friends still may live.

We donā€™t need your judgement and relief that you donā€™t live here. We need your love, concern and support.

There are many NGOā€™s and charities like Gift of the Givers, Afrika Tikkun and others who do remarkable work here in tackling poverty and hunger. Make a donation to them or to others, big or small.

Send love and thoughts to those you care about. Not messages of ā€œyou need to get the hell out of thereā€. Weā€™ll leave if we want to and weā€™ll stay if we want to. Itā€™s deeply layered and complex. There are no perfect solutions or answers. There is no decision without compromise.

What I do know about South Africa is every time we get to the very edge, the remarkable everyday people of this country pull us back from the brink. We regroup, re-eavaluate and somehow recover šŸ™šŸ‡æšŸ‡¦ā¤ļø

Itā€™s a scary time here. Dangerous forces are at play. There is deliberate insurrection and treason happening. Whilst Zuma & Co were the flame, unemployment related poverty created the firewood.

We need to fix this. We need far more of a sharing economy and inclusive culture. Hopefully this is a wake up call for Government. We cannot address unemployment without investment, both domestic and foreign, because ONLY economic growth can solve this. And a destabilised economy and society wonā€™t attract investment. We know this and we need to fix this.

So my request of you, is not to pat yourselves on your backs and say ā€œyup, we knew it, well done – and thank God we arenā€™t thereā€. Perhaps think of all the magic this country actually gave you, the very essence of who you are today, how you managed to move overseas and then please think of how you can help. In both big ways and small.

Nkosi sikelel iAfrika : God bless Africa

Mike Abel has written a follow-up to “I Told You So” – a letter that was read more than 150,000 times on Good Things Guy.Ā Read it here.Ā 


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Letter, Letter, Letter and Letter.

About the Author

Tyler Leigh Vivier is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Her passion is to spread good news across South Africa with a big focus on environmental issues, animal welfare and social upliftment. Outside of Good Things Guy, she is an avid reader and lover of tea.

4 comments

  1. Mike Abel I respect you! Your words captures the very essence of my gratitude and love for my motherland despite being thousand of miles away, I feel the pain and agony experienced by my family, friends and all South Africans who support law, order and a desire to make South Africa great! Viva iAfrica viva!

  2. This is the first time that thought crossed my mind. Not even once did I think that. However I did sit on my couch crying about my parents having no other alternative as to go to work ARMED. And how can I not also give them the life I have. šŸ˜­šŸ˜­šŸ˜­ One word I only feel GUILTY. Everyone has their reason here there or where-ever they find themselves today. Lord has a plan for us all and we are never ever guaranteed of our journey. One thing for certain if the Lord stirred your heart for a better life for you and your children and have made it work – hats off to those! Not even one thing is easy about immigration. We paid a very big price to be here. (Biggest is to leave our loved ones behind) Just another article about someone feeling shit for leaving Aus. And now living in regret. Moenie woorde in ons monde kom sit nie – My Friend!!! – Wilma Fratter Brisbane Australia

  3. Mike is factually incorrect, the right side of the political center are not lunatics. The event on Jan 6 in Washington DC saw no one carrying firearms. President Trump said in his speech that the march to the Capital should be PEACEFUL. In fact one of the persons shot was shot by a left wing police officer, of which that cover up has just been unmasked. The crowd was a mix of a few on the political left, many on the political right and a very extremists. Notice the march stopped in one day, and did not continue into the following day, unlike other protests globally. And protesting is a right in the USA, but looting isnt. Yes, there are more firearms than people in the USA, and that is a positive. Legal firearm owners are not the problem, Interestingly, i was robbed twice at gun point in Rosebank and Illovo in JNB when i did not have a firearm but have never been robbed at gunpoint in the USA, even though i own four firearms. I do not believe i will be as lucky if it happens again in JNB. But what has happened in South Africa IS happening elsewhere. The ‘have-nots’ want what the ‘haves’ possess, and they will do anything to level out their perceived injustice. Just look at the riots and looting in Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle, St Louis, Louisville, New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Baltimore, Ferguson, etc

  4. “reflect on your own lives and happy childhoods in South Africa.” The reason they were so happy was that we utilised resources available to 3m people which should have been available to 60m. To live like Elton John you should be Elton John. I would love to trade my 2 bed terrace house for a 5 bed mansion with a pool and servants like I had in the 1970s, but I recognise the inherent racism of that, both then and now.

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