This women is entirely unconvincing. The truth is that white South Africans, who could afford to, left their country when the tables were turned and life became uncomfortable for them. To mask this in any way is cowardly and sick making. My own country, New Zealand has it's own, very real and depressing, racial problems and I do not believe we need to import this type of trash.
Having read all the comments on this thread it absolutely amazes me how people can attack a person for putting her views out and at least tries to give her account of the world that she lived in. To those who wrote these comments without reading the book show the ignorance that causes this world to have such a narrow minded view. As a person who has read this book I did not find it a poor me story, I found it to be an insite into an individual who for their own personal reasons made some difficult choices and felt that she would like to share her families experiences. She even makes a clear point that this was how she and her family felt, not a nation. As a European New Zealander raised in a Maori Community with a South African Wife, you can really see the issues that South Africa face in rebuilding a nation. Apartheid was absolutely wrong and though New Zealands history we have helped support the fight against it as far as our abilities would allow. I also spent some time in South Africa and found the levels of crime and unbelievable violence to be shocking beyond my comprehension. No person should be subjected to this sort environment. I never went to South Africa under the Apartheid regime so I am in no position to comment, however the point that the past has created the present is valid and should not be ignored. Some of you seem to have a story to tell that seems different to Sandys, so rather than sit there and rubbish hers, write your own story, put it on a blog, give your account and views, actually put yourself out there and be bold and brave and commit your views into the public arena. For one I will read it and if it were a book I would buy it. This is the only way you get to understand all views and for a ROUNDED opinion. I congratulate Sandy for at least putting her PERSONAL experiences out there for people to start forming views, either positive or negative.
Ai Ai Marie !!! It's not about the silly book, you silly madam ! Nobody read the book yet,with it's very "original title" of course.( remeber, she never knew the guy who brought out a book with a very similar title ). DIG IS SY ...
Actually Maria, people may be reacting to Sandy's attitude during the interview. She mentioned she was sheltered from the truth about her political system and the horrors it put it's unwanted majority through for decades. She didn't seem to have any regrets about being part of it's support. Lucky Sandy for being ABLE to move forward. I'm also fairly sure she didn't work as 'bloody hard' as the people she still employs....albeit from a safe distance.
A stir feeling is simply caused by her narrow mindedness and to spread all her foolish propaganda trying to advocate for us white SAs with immigration perhaps or to be loved by Kiwis. She is hungry for fame as some stated. Why will she paint our country like that when she got away with letting those black suffer the way they have. She didn't need to write a book and appear on national TV and rubbish our country like she has, if she had good intentions of helping those blacks anyway. If she wants to make a difference for her ex-county there would be other better ways I guess. She knows like the majority of us white SAs we couldn't stand a black man ruling the country, now we are looking for a better explanation. The truth of the matter is this violence has been there for many years and we white SAs have supported it as we benefited a lot from it. There were those few white fellas who left our country a long time ago as they felt uncomfortable seeing God's people oppressed the way we did. Let us just admit it guys, we DID A LOT OF INJUSTICE TO THOSE POOR BLACKS. Now we want excuses and justifications for our BAD BEHAVIOUR. We left them with nothing when even the majority of them do not even have land, the Maoris are better they have the Treaty as their anchor for life. Let that woman response for herself not you please. Henry you are so right my broer the road of democracy can't be rosy dealing with 50 million let alone SA being Africa's NY. MY HUMBLE APPEAL TO MY FELLOW WHITE SAs. LET US SWALLOW OUR PRIDE and JUST ADMID OUR WRONGS. WE CANNOT HIDE BEHIND CRIME FOR SO LONG. WE TREATED THEM VERY INHUMAN ISN'T IT? I'm at peace since I admitted that and I have made more black SA friends here than when I was there. If you are so scared of dying what if tsunami strikes and swallow all of us, NZ is more like titanic, hahaha only joking.
I'm surprised to read so much negativity by so many - this book has certainly caused quite a stir in feelings. However one thing that is abundantly clear reading all these comments is that no one who has bothered to write them, has in fact bothered to read the book. Had they done so they would have discovered that Sandy Geyer is not proposing a political perspective on why SA's leave their homeland, but is offering her own view of what it was like to grow up in a ravaged country, that grew through radical changes, and how that affected her decision to leave her home and bring her family to the otherside of the world. This is a story which could also be told by English, Irish, or even many Asian people. It's a story of one woman's view point coming to grips with realising her country of birth was not as she'd imagined it as a small child. As a white kiwi who studied briefly SA in primary school, I thought it was great to learn of the other side of what we were taught here in NZ about the state of that country then. Also, Sandy donates ALL of the profits of this book to her well cared for black SA employees in the company she had to leave behind. It's also clear in her book that she worked bloody hard to create that business. Her message is quite simple - should any of those so quick to judge actually care for it - that it takes a lot to grow up and then get over the stuff that changes you and move forward.
Hey Nathan - You mean Polynesians or Maori. Our past is not perfect, but there's no comparison between NZ and SA. Dude, what was it like farming cauilflowers back in the Transvaal?
wow nz has no room to talk look what they did to there blacks 100 years ago
Sandy stop all this propaganda. You made a choice to come and live in NZ as all did, you do not have to go around trying to justify that, let alone writing a book with fabricated stories in it. You are probably feeling guilty of having lived so nicely with apartheid system feeding you with a silver spoon in your mouth. Your arrogance says a lot about you I reckon. Are you not even ashamed of yourself to tell the entire world that you did not even know who Mandela was? Shame on you. Crime in South Africa is affecting more blacks than white for your information. You needed to have studied your South African history and checked the relationship that NZ had before you could write your bogus story. If are were you I will make time and read all the comments written here and rectify things before time runs out for you. NZ does not stand for opinions like yours. You sound like a spoiled brat who wants short cuts for rich and fame. Kiwis and South Africans ex Pats are not stupid you cannot fool them for long. Stop being silly please, they are better ways of looking for rich and fame. Obviously there will be few who will choose to be narrow minded like you are and buy into you story, it is their democratic rights anyway. Migration of people all over the world has taken place for centuries so keep quiet about why you left S.A (Mzazi for sure). What is happening there should not concern you anymore because you cared less about the suffering of people there. You seems to be very bitter for the loss of your bosship and money. I'm black South African and have decided have lost some siblings and relatives owing to crime and apartheid regime, but I learnt to move on and live my life to the fullest. Bitterness destroys and makes you ungraceful and unforgiving. Thats true reconciliation, I'm carrying the scars of being robbed my life by the apartheid system that benefited you, so what. You need God in you life I guess more than any thing else. So repent before its the Son comes.