Why is it that, in South Africa, you find whites and blacks begging on the street but no Indians or Chinese??

Question

This has been my experience in Jo'burg, Pretoria, Natal and a lot of the Free state as well.

So if all non-white races received an inferior education how come it is only the blacks and a handful of whites that remained uneducated?

Answer 1

Tristan: You b!@tcH!

Answer 2

Blacks beg cause they breed like flies and can't support themselves.

Some whites have been forced to beg as the new government has it in for them.

You don't see Chinese as there are only a handful of them in South Africa.

Indians are not seen, as they have too much pride to beg, and there families usually help out, and most are quite successful in business.

Answer 3

Very good question, cant say Ive ever seen an indian or chinese beggar...maybe cause they the hawkers?lol

Answer 4

Very true I have never seen Indians or Chinese begging on our streets.

Answer 5

Chris, maybe your question should be expanded to include coloureds. I don't agree that Indians don't beg, I lived in KZN for more than two years and seen many Indians do it. I've seen many coloureds in WC. But majority of the beggars are black people. Whether this is because they are majority in the country is a different matter.

I believe that because the Chinese community is very samll in number and had spent most of their lives trying to be accepted as part of South African population, they became a close knit society and look after each other, one way or the other.

As for whites, I'm still surprised that there still exists a myth that there are no poor whites despite this. What irks me are some comments from some of my black brothers. I was in the car of one 'friend' (if I can call him that) and there was this white man hitch-hiking, and he remarked 'where were you when whites enjoyed their empowerment, I'm not going to give you a lift'. To my happy surprise none of others supported him. We were four in the car, and this other friend ripped him apart. We all agreed that he had the right not to give that guy a hike, but (and even though) he didn't hear him; it was rude to make such a remark. he painted different scenarios - what if the guy has just been robbed by (in all probabilities) one of us (blacks); what if he lost support of his white folks because he was anti-apartheid; what if he wants to prove that it is still safe to walk in the country against the many claims that it is not safe; what if he's just poor like any one could be and is rushing to see his dying mother/father; we then asked him how would he have reacted if he was a white female with all possibilities of her being picked up by a molester, would he leave her to the mercy of such characters. I must say that largely we were very hostile towards him (which was not helpful) but we made our point. There are many like him out there.

Bottom line, there are poor people in this country - from Sipho next door to Koos in east of Pretoria, to Hammid in Stanger to Candice in Cape Flats.

I must say that I can't say, for certain, this or that is the cause that more blacks and whites are street beggars. Maybe one wise and influential person must use this to show whites and blacks that they are this and the other side of the coin - some poor and some rich, and the sooner they live together in their diversity the better for their survival as different communities but one society.

Answer 6

there not uneducated.they are lazy.

Answer 7

this question is OK

******* idiots that do not like freedom of speech are ruining this site

Indian families do not let there relatives go homeless and maybe blacks are lazy, get more abuse  or are from illegal immigrants from  other countries

Answer 8

Mainly because the Chinese and Indians are prepared to work hard, often for poor money, as they prefer to keep their self respect.

Answer 9

I think Indian people look after each other, but I have seen some begging.

I think Chinese are the same.

Answer 10

Joppie said it all - and i think it is mostly unemployed rather than uneducated that is one of the reasons for begging

Answer 11

Me personally dont like beggars no matter what the color of their skin is.

There is always a way to get a job no need to beg.

I see beggars as lazy people

And no i haven't grown up in a rich home. In my final year of university both my parents were unemployed still they manage to keep a roof over their head there werent food always but still my dad tried to get a job doing odd jobs here and there even working in on a farmers farm cleaning machines etc my mom tried as well. Eventually after a year they got a break it is still not going great but at least they have food on the table.

During this time i started to work part time to pay for my studies.

So for me there is always another way than to beg on a street corner.

You have to work to earn a living

Answer 12

gone to the dogs

Answer 13

Indians and Chinese people support each other ,,,,,whites and blacks everybody for them self's

We have a bad culture among us whites that had to change

If we saw some white guy beg most of the time we though he was just lazy,,,,now in the new south africa " bee and aaaaaa" left many whites to beg he don't want to steal but wife and kids are hungry no money.

Now there are also two categories

one who can get a job but the pay is to low and one who can't get a job because he is white and old

Answer 14

Slu, that is an excellent answer. I wish more people want to realise that there are poor people of all ethnic groups who have a difficult time surviving.

Answer 15

I think it comes essentially down to a sense of ethnic responsibility. The sense of family extends beyond one's immediate family into the community of which one is a part. This used to be the case among the British in the colonies; if one fell on hard times, the others would try to keep his head more-or-less above water. That is perhaps also linked to pride; it wouldn't do to let the "natives" (or whoever) see a white man in that position.

The whites have unfortunately lost this feeling, as have the blacks who have perhaps also lost their sense of tribe/family to a considerable extent, but the Indians and Chinese have not. The result is that they do tend to look after one another - and not just in SA.

I don't think it is a question of education, unless it be that in some circumstances, education has contributed to the breakdown of the structure of black society by making them more individualistic and more concerned with their own individual advancement, as opposed to that of the tribe/family.