After living in Essex for more than 19 years my nephew and family returned to South Africa this month. They both attained English citizenship and he started a very successful plumbing business in England and his wife worked for the country as a physiotherapist.
He bought a house in Still Bay and they are unpacking their furniture and other equipment
I was curious as to the reason for his return and asked him why he did return and want to list his reasons for returning after appearing to having settled in England. I would like to summarized what he stated as his reasons:-
* His son is now 10 years old and must now to secondary school. The quality of education is good - but the environment in which secondary school children function is degrading insofar as issues such as family values and respect for parents is concerned, He and his wife is worried about what influence the environment would have on their son.
* He expressed his own findings and said socially Europe is in political chaos. He referred to the way the politicos treated May and also in the frustration people showed with the political establishment all over Europe.
* He found that in the main in the working class the children are financially worse off than their parents have been, A new generation of poverty is emerging and the children of working class people find it hard to find employment and if they do, they have to put up with inadequate wages to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
He still owns a house and a flat in Essex which he is leasing out and that would give him an income of circa R40 000 per month and will start a plumbing business and his wife will do physiotherapy work as well in Still Bay - a very rapidly expanding town.
He wants his son to go to the Oakdale High School in Riversdale and until then will go to the primary school in Still Bay. His son is only ten years old and very tall for his age. Oakdale is a top sport school and his son is a very keen cricket player already.