Saturday, 17 May 1986: The White South African Emigration Dilemma

10:00 AM, Home of Woolfie & Irene Joffa, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State

Woolfie and Irene, the retired Jewish couple I’ve been staying with in Bloemfontein, have four children and six grandchildren.  All have moved to San Diego, California.  Many young English-speaking white South Africans are leaving the country and a number of them are heading to the U.S.  Some also immigrate to Australia and other English-speaking countries.  


Woolfie (second from left) took me to his private lawn bowling club in Bloemfontein to watch a favorite sport of older white South African men.

 

Last night we had dinner with Morris and Betty (members of Irene and Woolfie’s synagogue).  Woolfie provided me with a yarmulke for the Friday evening prayers. Woolfie and Irene keep kosher at home, a new dining experience for this goy.  I don’t find it much of a sacrifice and it’s probably very healthy.  I could never stick to a strictly kosher diet for any length of time, however.  I could probably get along without pork but would have a tough time giving up shellfish.  And spaghetti with meat sauce doesn’t taste as good without grated cheese.   

Morris and Betty’s daughter just returned from California where she got a teaching job offer from a secondary school.  She is now working on her U.S. immigration application.  However, older South Africans like Woolfie and Irene, with savings and investments, are stuck here.  If they emigrated from South Africa, they could only take the equivalent of US$35,000 out of the country.   Hell, their condo alone is probably worth $50-75,000.  If they left, they could leave money here in investments and have the interest sent to them in another country.  It’s also possible to smuggle wealth out of South Africa in the form of jewels and collectables but this can be risky, especially for those who don’t understand the market for such items. 

If the future is so bright here (as many of the whites try to convince you it is), why do so many want to leave?  Both of Woolfie and Irene’s sons served in the South African military, although one of them is a pacifist.  Woolfie admitted that all their kids were worried that their children might have to fight in an eventual civil war had they stayed here.  All males are required to do two years of military service and it is virtually impossible to get out of it.  Furthermore, they are subject to reserve call-up for years after completing their active duty service.

With their children all in San Diego, Irene and Woolfie make yearly trips there.  This year, they are going for three months beginning in August.  Next year, they are planning a six-month trip.  Problem is, they are limited to about US$3,000 per person for travel abroad (excluding airfare) per year.  If they weren’t staying with their kids, they wouldn’t have enough money to make the trip.    

 


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