The
S outher n C ross
December 30, 2015 to January 5, 2016
Reg No. 1920/002058/06
No 4956
www.scross.co.za
NEXT WEEK: YEAR OF MERCY POSTER
This was Pope Francis’ Year 2015
Pages 8-9
R7,00 (incl VAT RSA)
Testimony: Surviving cancer with God
Page 10
Hard times ahead for SA’s poor BY STUART GRAHAM
C
ATHOLICS are urged to support the Church in easing the suffering of the poor in the years ahead as South Africa enters a period of deep economic hardship and inevitable social upheaval. All South Africans, but the poor especially, will be hit in their pockets and in their stomachs as the economy starts to unravel after years of poor economic policy, said Mike Pothier, an advocate and senior researcher at the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office. “The people who will suffer in the coming years are the poor—the people who have no reserves and savings, who cannot trim expenditure anymore because they are down to the bare bones already,” Mr Pothier told The Southern Cross. “Heavy food price inflation will cause food insecurity and hunger. There is a possibility that social unrest could lead from that. We have to be careful,” he said. “Our communities are very resilient. They have the ability to withstand tremendous suffering. But we have to be aware that political and social unrest can arise from hunger and growing poverty.” Social protests, such as the Fees Must Fall movement against university fee increases towards the end of 2015 and the rubbish collector strike in Johannesburg will be more prevalent in the years ahead as the economy struggles, said Mr Pothier. “Balance of Payments and Gross Domestic Product is economic jargon that the poor often don’t understand, but it is their problem. The falling rand and slow growth are going to hit them in the pockets and tummy in a big way. Conditions will be very tough in the years ahead. We know that poverty and hunger often translate into political and social upheaval.” South Africa’s economy is riddled with structural problems which cannot be wished
For further info or to book contact Michael or Gail at 076 352 3809 or 021 551 3923 info@fowlertours.co.za www.fowlertours.co.za/ poland-2016/
away and which no leader can solve, said Mr Pothier. One of the country’s largest problems is its reliance on primary industries like mining, which has been the lifeblood of the economy. “Gold and diamonds are running out. Anglo American is not even in top 40 shares of the JSE. You can put anyone you like in charge of our politics, but you can’t just invent more gold,” Mr Pothier said. “We are coming across a lot of negative factors and indicators and challenges. The rand is seriously weakening, and even though it is good for the farmers who sell fruit and wine, in the long term is not good for the economy,” Mr Pothier said. “We still have to import more than we export in the form of electronics, cellphones, laptops—all the serious data infrastructure that a modern economy needs. We import these items from countries with strong currencies.” Food prices are also likely to rocket, with southern Africa hit by the worst drought in decades. The country’s farmers are not growing enough maize and wheat to feed the population and the country will have to import these products, with a weak currency. South Africa’s poor leadership has resulted in ratings agencies downgrading the country’s credit status. It is now one level away from “junk status”; another downgrade would heavily impact its cost of borrowing. “One of the things agencies look at is: does the government have a plan to deal with the economic crisis,” Mr Pothier said. In South Africa’s case, “they see no plan. They see a president who gives zero leadership on economic positions. They are not confident that we know how to manage crisis.” The economic crisis “is going to hit poor people hard”, Mr Pothier warned. “The rich have ways and means of surviving. They see Continued on page 2
Men dressed as the Three Kings ride on horses in an Epiphany parade in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican in January 2015. This year in South Africa, the feast of the Epiphany, also known as Three Kings’ Day, has been transferred to Sunday, January 3. The Epiphany commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and thus the Messiah’s physical manifestation to the Gentiles. (Photo: Paul Haring/CNS)
...and now for some bad news
A
S it is with everything, even The Southern Cross must increase its price— though in our case, we will do so next week for only the first time in more than TWO years. In those two years the cost of everything involved in producing The Southern Cross has increased, sometimes dramatically, but we have done all we could to keep the cover price stable for as long as possible. This has required us to make many sacrifices. However, the present price is no longer sustainable—especially since the newspaper is
St John Paul II Pilgrimage to Poland Southern Cross
entirely self-financed and therefore depends on sales and advertising—and so The Southern Cross will go for R8 as of next week. This amount is still less than the cost of a can of cool drink, or four cigarettes, or 600ml of petrol which takes you only as far as 7km. In short, we believe that at the new price, The Southern Cross still represents excellent value. We thank our readers for their steadfast loyalty and hope that you will keep up your weekly relationship with South Africa’s only national Catholic weekly.
A journey to the places of St John Paul II’s life and devotions, led by a Bishop who knows Poland intimately.
Led by Bishop Stan Dziuba 13 - 21 May 2016
Kraków | Wadowice (on St John Paul II’s birthday) | Black Madonna of Częstochowa | Niepokalanów (St Maximilan Kolbe) | Divine Mercy Sanctuary | Warsaw | Kalwaria Zebrzydowska (with miraculous icon) | Zakopane | Wieliczka Salt Mine (with Mass!)