Our Editor’s Note
Debtfree Magazine #7/2021 – Our Editor’s Note
Let’s face it, July 2021 is probably going down in our history books as the “month of shame”.
In the wake of the ex-President being incarcerated, (for repeatedly ignoring the highest court in the country) people in areas of KZN and Gauteng began a criminal spree under the guise of a protest. As these citizens took to the streets to commit theft, arson, violence and even murder, they exposed, not only their disregard for the authority of the courts, but also their disrespect of the laws of the country.
Counting The Cost & Lives Lost
With over 300 people losing their lives, these have been really dark days. These events have highlighted political divides and the intense level of discontent that people, all over this country, are feeling.
Then, of course, there are the financial ramifications. The fallout from the few days of looting and violence will be felt for a long time to come. Not only did countless small businesses come under attack, but in the wake of the devastation, the workers and staff of these businesses have been hard hit with job losses and income loss. Government has fortunately stepped in to try and offer some assistance and relief to those affected.
The Rand and foreign investment confidence took a real kick in the teeth, and those affected will be experiencing bleak times for a while to come.
Of course, it is reminiscent of the chaos and confusion in the USA during the storming of the Capitol by politically unhappy people, who realized that they actually hate the democratic process. The USA experienced riots during the “BLM” protests too; SA is just one of many countries around the globe that is cracking under the pressure of the pandemic and social unhappiness.
‘regular South Africans picked up brooms and made an effort to clean up and get things back on track’
That being said, it is best to focus on the positive, once the worst of the looting and murders were over, regular South Africans picked up brooms and made an effort to clean up and get things back on track. There are stories of taxi associations protecting malls, and regular citizens putting themselves in harm’s way to help protect others. There are moving pictures of regular people helping rescue babies from burning buildings – inspiring stuff!
Did The Banks Forget About Their Debts?
However, in the midst of all that, the banks still want to get paid. The demands for payment have not stopped just because thousands of people lost their minds and morals, nope, life goes on.
‘we are going to spend some time this issue talking about how you are not saving, and why it is basically impossible to do so… or is it?’
So, with that in mind, we are going to spend some time this issue talking about how you are not saving, and why it is basically impossible to do so… or is it? We will also look at other financial news, discuss retirement; look at a common misconception in debt review and more.
Stay Safe, Stay Positive
We hope that you made it safely through, we hope we never see a repeat of the recent chaos, we hope that if you got swept up in the madness and grabbed a flat screen TV, you have come to your senses and returned it.
Please stay safe and try stay positive despite the challenges we face. Let’s not get bogged down in all the negatives that life throws at us, and rather focus on the positives, like helping others or paying off your debts and finally becoming debt free.
This article first appeared in Debtfree Magazine issue #7 of 2021
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