By Lurnay Tshabalala-Mavuso - Writer/Reporter | OPINION | 30 April 2024
The Outcry that we have as South Africans is that foreign nationals take our jobs, they don't pay tax and that they are destroying lives and our economy.
We cry about all of this while not having in mind that - we feel entitled. There no one taking any job from anyone, we just fail to become progressive in our individual lives. We are too reliant on the government for job opportunities, money, food, safety, health care and many other things, while not bearing in mind that the very same foreign nationals that we speak ill of, have none of what we have here in this country. We are regarded as a developing country whilst, other countries within the diaspora view us as a developed country, hence they come here and look for employment opportunities and entrepreneurial opportunities. South Africans have too many capabilities and skills to take this country to greater heights. The only thing that they do not want to do is to get up and work hard, to get educated and to be patient while getting education. Instead they want things that come easy and things that are from the hand of the government and for this I blame the government for making South Africans get used to be spoon-fed and being given everything on a silver platter. This have motivated South Africans to be lazy and to feel entitled to an economy that they aren't even helping to build.
This country's economy would be in irrecoverable shambles if it weren't for the SIN Taxes, which are taxed when purchasing tobacco and alcohol goods. The tax rates differ particularly between VAT (Value Added Tax) and SIN Taxes, Value Added Tax is lesser than SIN Taxes. SIN Taxes have a higher rate than VAT, because they are charged on goods that are not essential but are rather for entertainment and so not for a positive gain. Currently our VAT is at 15%, and SIN Taxes are at an increase of 6.7% to 7.2% on just alcoholic beverages for the term 2024/25, while for tobacco, the most popular brands are levied at 40%. The government has proposed to increase tobacco excise duties by 4.7% for cigarettes and cigarette tobacco and by 8.2% for pipe tobacco and cigars for the term 2024/25.
Even with such high numbers of SIN taxes, as a country we will continue to feed our habits instead of doing what is right by scaling things on an Opportunity Cost basis, meaning we ought to choose to purchase more of what we need to survive and to live a healthy and sustainable life, instead of purchasing more of what we do not need and can live without. However you cannot control people with their money. They have a right to do what they want to do with their money, even if it means spending it recklessly on things that aren't essential.
Going back to my argument, I stand by the words that South Africans feel entitled to the country and the economy of the country because they have been spoilt-rotten by the government, all in the name of solving and correcting the injustices of the past (Apartheid). South Africans have used the Apartheid card for long enough now, that it is now the weapon they use to milk the state and the economy dry. While the loaf around and lazy in their couches, while again waiting for the government to give them employment, an income, free education and free service delivery, while they just sit and blame hardworking foreign nationals for their laziness and spoilt-ness.
SO ONCE MORE, THE PROBLEM IS NOT FOREIGN NATIONALS BUT THE ENTITLEMENT THAT SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE.