Posted on April 20, 2005

Pitiful State Of South Africa’s Poor Whites

Limbic Nutrition Weblog, March 8, 2005

The Afrikaner charity website has a the Vanderbijlpark (fan-der-bail-park) transit camp and surrounding town. The area is populated by destitute disenfranchised Afrikaners who live in utter poverty in a country with no social security and a growing hostility to whites. It is just about the worst place in the world to be a poor white person. The photos of the transit camp shows an almost post-apocalyptic scene. Life there is very tough and pity abscent.

The terrible poverty which still abounds in the town of Vanderbijlpark, is however even worse than before. This due in the main to further retrenchments by the giant steelplant, Iscor. Sally has remobilized and has a new group of volunteers who are helping her, and currently she is looking after 152 families, who are destitute. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories and to see the people who are so helpless, so bitter, and so disillusioned. They are confused, because all the rules have changed. They have lost their way.

It is nigh impossible for them to get work, and most of them are totally dependent on the donations which Sally and her helpers distribute to them. Afrikaner Charity is one of the support group who are trying to help as best we can. The situation is so bad, that it has boiled down to survival. Children can’t go to school, because they don’t even have shoes or proper clothing. They don’t get enough to eat, and they are tired. In many of the ‘homes’ there isn’t even a bed for them to sleep on. No electricity or running water in the house, as this costs money which they don’t have. They cook outside with wood, if they can find wood, which they put into containers and try to get a fire going. Water is obtained from taps outside. They battle to get a proper meal together. There are no nappies for the babies, so most are using toilet paper in place of nappies. Formula for the babies is a luxury. Milk is a luxury.

You might wonder why you should have any pity for these people, after all, there are millions of black South Africans living in poverty too. But that is part of the point. They are no more deserving, but they are deserving of our charity to. These people have been poor their whole lives. They were artisans and minimum wage workers and there has always been an Afrikaner underclass in South Africa. The Afrikaners were South Africa’s proto-Urban poor. Apartheid was partly driven by the resentment and suppression of these people. The National party had a message of hope for just these sorts of people—Apartheid. It promised economic salvation, power and respect.

Now they are cast adrift, outcasts even from the white tribes of Africa. They have little hope and a bleak future. The little hope is literal. It is the 14 children in this camp and the many other in the area. Through education they can escape this and let their parents be the last of them to live like this.

You may want to help the Afrikaner Charity with its great work over there. Donation details are here.

Click here for the Afrikaner Charity website.

More photos of destitute Afrikaners.


Update on Disenfranchised Afrikaners in Vanderbijlpark

Afrikaner Charity

It saddens me to report that Sally, who was in charge of the transit camp in Vanderbijlpark resigned towards the end of last year. This being due to the fact that the Vroue Federasie (Womens’ Federation) of which she was a member, and in whose name the transit camp was registered, decided to open its doors to all population groups.

The terrible poverty which still abounds in the town of Vanderbijlpark, is however even worse than before. This due in the main to further retrenchments by the giant steelplant, Iscor. Sally has remobilized and has a new group of volunteers who are helping her, and currently she is looking after 152 families, who are destitute. It is heartbreaking to hear the stories and to see the people who are so helpless, so bitter, and so disillusioned. They are confused, because all the rules have changed. They have lost their way.

{snip}

We are putting out an urgent appeal for donations to help us cope provide at least some of the most urgent necessities. There is also an urgent need to stock up with medication. Where there are children, there is always someone who needs some form of medication to remedy either a cough or bring down a fever. Toiletries are urgently needed so that these people can at least wash themselves and their meager clothing. But most importantly we need to feed these hapless families who are in such a desperate situation. The children are one of our main concerns. They are not eating balanced meals and we fear for them once the telltale signs of a mineral/vitamin deficiency begin to show. It usually shows in the form of ulcers on their faces and bodies.

Thing generally are not good in South Africa and here in the neighborhood where I live, as well as tales from friends in other parts of Johannesburg, it is becoming evident that many older people are battling to come out on their now insufficient pensions. We hate to think where this is going to end one day.

Most sincere and grateful thanks to all you good folks out there who will find it in your hearts to help us. We cannot do what we need to do, without your help.

God bless.

Marge