Canada, a beacon of hope for Africa - or its nemesis?

"The Canadian media likes to protray its country as a beacon of hope for Africa, with dedicated volunteers ready to help starving babies, and reporting how Africans can learn from Canada," says the Weekender, a South African newspaper. In an August editorial it also quoted a Globe & Mail headline that stated, "Can South Africa copy our medicare?"

The reality is that Canada is luring medical professionals from South Africa to its borders. In 2008 South African trained doctor outnumbered their Saskatchewan trained counterparts 277 to 245. Advertisments in South African medical journals off remuneration packages of Cdn$230,000-$328,000 per annum. An advert from Kindersley offered at least Cdn$25,000 per month! Betwen 1000 and 1500 South African doctors work in Canada, matching the yearly intake at South African medical schools.

South Africa's High Commissioner, Dr. Abraham Nkomo issued a dramatic plea to Canadian provincial governments to stop poaching South African dctors. "These doctors migrate at very high cost to the country with a huge loss in investment in education and training."

The doctor to patient ratio in South Africa is about 70 to 100,000 people and as low as 3 to 100,000 in rural areas. Saskatchewan considers its 136 to 100,000 as bad. The South African ministry of health would have to recruit 9000 doctors a year for 10 years to meet WHO standards.

Apparently Canada and Saskatchewan are unrepentant. "It's cheaper to recruit than to train them ourselves..." admitted a Saskatchewan health official following Dr. Nkomo's plea.

In response some South African's in Saskatchewan try to justify their emigration citing violence and a dreadful situation in South Africa. South Africans of all races have suffered substantively as a result of the Apartheid era - not least black South Africans. Many whites fled the country with the ending of apartheid out of fear of the substantive political change underway.

Saskatchewan papers like the Starphoenix have published highly polemical statements like that 9 and 10 year old boys practise rape at will. This is highly unsubstantiated and incredibly bad journalism that just perpetuates negative African stereotypes. It should not be forgotten that Saskatoon ranked in the top 10 countries, along with Johannesburg, as having the highest per capita murder rate in the world.

While unemployment, violence and many other issues plague post-Apartheid South Africa (often stemming from the Apartheid state era) the society is struggling hard to establish a free, democratic and open society that embraces all races, creeds and religions. There is still a long journey ahead but as many black, white and coloured South Africans have pointed out to us since our arrival here - we are making progress and are proud to be South African - the new South Africa that respects all people!