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TEXTE :
y Tough times for white South African squatters, Finbarr OReilly, Mail &Guardian
Online March 26, 2010
BARME :
y 1. comprhension /20
y 2. comptence linguistique /20
y 3. expression personnelle /20

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MINISTERE DE LEDUCATION NATIONALE

MINISTERE DE LENSEIGNEMENT SUPERIEUR ET DE LA RECHERCHE

Tough times for white South African squatters

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Sitting in a deck chair at a white South African squatter camp, Ann Le

Roux (60) holds a yellowing photo from her daughters wedding day.
Taken not long after Nelson Mandela became the countrys first black
president in 1994, it shows Le Roux standing with her Afrikaans husband
and their daughter outside
their home in Melville, an upmarket*
Johannesburg neighbourhood.
Sixteen years later, she lives in a caravan and a tent shared with seven
other people, including her daughter and four grandchildren, at a squatter
camp for poor white South Africans. She is one of the growing number of
Whites living below the poverty line in South Africa who blame affirmative
action* and the ANC-led elected government for their plight*.
While most white South Africans still enjoy lives of privilege and relative
wealth, the number of poor Whites has risen steadily over the past 15
years. White unemployment nearly doubled between 1995 and 2005,
according to the countrys Institute for Security Studies.
Seeking to reverse decades of racial inequality, the ANC government
introduced affirmative action laws that promote employment for black
South Africans. This shift in racial hiring practices, coupled with the fallout*
from the global financial crisis means many poor white South Africans
have fallen on hard times.
At least 450,000 white South Africans, 10% of the total white population,
live below the poverty line and 100,000 are struggling just to survive,
according to civil organizations. South Africas population is about 50
million.
Many poor Whites have ended up in places like Coronation Park, in
Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, a former caravan site beside a water
reservoir and a public picnic park frequented by middle-class families at
weekends.
South African President Jacob Zuma visited a white squatter camp near
the capital Praetoria last year, saying he was shocked and surprised.
The vast number in black poverty does not mean we must ignore white
poverty. Zuma said at the time.
White poverty in South Africa is a politically sensitive subject that gets little
attention, but it is not new. Under apartheid, introduced in 1948, Whites
enjoyed vast protection and sheltered employment. The weakest and least
educated Whites were protected by the civil service and state-owned
industries operating as job-creation schemes, guaranteeing even the
poorest Whites a home and livelihood.
But with that economic safety net* now gone, South Africas unskilled
Whites find themselves on the wrong side of history, gaining little
sympathy from those who perceive them as having profited unfairly during
the brutal apartheid years. There are about 430,000 Whites who live in
squatter camps. Around the capital Praetoria alone there are 80 squatter
settlements. There are over 2000 much larger black squatter camps
across South Africa. Formerly comfortable Afrikaners recently forced to
live on the fringes* of society see themselves as victims of reverseapartheid that they say puts them at an even greater disadvantage than
the millions of poor black South Africans.

55

60

65

Blacks get more than Whites at the moment. Theyre being pulled forward
against us. Thats why all of us are here. Its very unfair because they told
us it was going to be equal, but its not equal, one resident at Coronation
Park declared.
This feeling of victimization and abandonment by the state has forged* a
collective sense of fatalism, isolation and firm reliance on their Calvinist
religion at the camp. Many poor white communities also struggle with
alcoholism, violence and abuse*. But at Coronation Park, social problems
have declined. We kicked a lot of the worst ones out and the fighting and
violence have gone now, Hugo Van Niekerk, who has managed the camp
over the past few years, declared.
Van Niekerk, who solicits donation and helps the community members find
odd jobs*, successfully fought an eviction order* from the local community
last year, but he expects little help from the government on housing.
We wont get houses from this government. If we were black, maybe yes,
but we are white.
Finbarr OReilly, Mail & Guardian Online March 26, 2010

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Word Bank
upmarket = wealthy / plight = condition, situation / affirmative action: politique
dintgration / the fallout = the consequences / a safety net: un filet de scurit / the
fringes = the perimeter / abuse = ill-treatment / to forge = to form / an eviction order:
un ordre dexpulsion / odd jobs: des petits boulots

1. Written Comprehension (/ 20)

1.1. Identify this document: make one sentence (/1) :

1.2. Rewrite the title in your own words (/ 2) :

1.3. Part 1 From the beginning down to middle-class families at weekends

(line 29).

Are the following statements true or false? Justify each time by quoting from
the text. (/ 4)
a. In the 1990s Anne Le Roux was leading a comfortable life.

b. Sixteen years later she is still living in her house.

c. The poor white South Africans only blame the ANC government for their present
situation.

d. Most white South Africans live below the poverty line.

1.4. Part 2 From South African President (line 30) down to squatter camp
across South Africa (line 46) (/ 4)

A. Find in the text the equivalent of the following words (/ 2)

then :

protected : .

unqualified : ...

inequitably : ..

B. Tick the right answer(/ 2):

President Zuma visited a squatter camp in

2010
2009
2008

White poverty is an important political issue but

it is a new problem
the government is taking measures to solve it
little has been done so far

Under apartheid the Whites could find a job

because they were unqualified
even if they were unqualified
because the Blacks were unqualified

1.5. Part 3 From Formerly comfortable (line 47) down to the end.

A. Pick out the six words or expressions referring to the Whites feeling of
victimization (these words are to be found from line 47 down to line 54) (/ 3).

B. In your own words explain what reverse-apartheid (line 49) means (/ 1)

.
1.6.

Translate from
(line 61). (/ 5)

Blacks

get

more

(line

51)

down

to

declared

2. Comptence linguistique (/ 20)

2.1.
a.

Turn the following sentences into reported speech (/ 4)

Its very unfair because they told us it was going to be equal, but its not equal, one
resident at Coronation Park declared.

...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................
b. We wont get houses from this government. If we were black, maybe yes, but we are
white, Van Niekerk said.
..
..............................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................

2.2. Complete the following sentences using a modal (either negative or affirmative
form). (/2)
a.
The South African government .. take measures to fight white
poverty.
b.
President Zuma .... have been surprised the first time he visited a white
squatter settlement.
c.
According to civil organizations, about 450,000 white South Africans ..
live below the poverty line.
d.
Poor Whites think they .... get houses from the present
government.
2.3.

Use the elements in the second column to make a compound adjective that
could fit in the sentence. Rewrite the whole sentence in the third column.
(/ 2: ter 0, 5 point par rponse fausse)

a. For 10% of the white

population, poverty
could be a
..
problem

long / to
last

b. Most settlements are

places.

violence
/to
strike

c. Under apartheid a lot of

industries were

state /
to own

d. Unskilled workers get

. jobs.

low / to
pay

2.4.

Translate (/5):

a. Y a-t-il plus de pauvret parmi les

Blancs que parmi les Noirs en
Afrique du Sud?
b. Mandela a t le prsident le plus
clbre de lAfrique du Sud.

c. Le prsident Mbeki ntait pas aussi

populaire que le prsident Zuma.
d. Ce problme devient de plus en plus
srieux.
e. Plus ils sont qualifis plus ils ont de
chances (opportunities) de trouver
un travail.

2.5.

Complete with a relative : (/ 2 : ter 0, 5 point par rponse fausse)

a. President de Klerk was the first South African president .... took measures
against apartheid.
b. President de Klerk .... was present at Nelson Mandelas inaugural ceremony,
has remained a popular president.
c. His action, ....was rejected by most Afrikaners, has been approved by the black
population.
d. Nelson Mandela, .... racial policy has been approved worldwide, has now
retired.
e. Among all the voices .... have denounced white poverty, that of civil
organizations is prevailing.
2.6.

Complete with the right tense (/ 5) :

a. There .... always ..racial problems in South Africa. (to be)

b. Ann Le Roux ...... very hard living conditions since
1994. (to experience)
c. She . in a squatter camp for ten years. (to live)
d. The government ..this problem yet. (not to solve)
e. ..you ever .. a squatter camp? (to visit) Yes,
I .

3. Essay (/ 20)
Chose one of the following subjects :
a) Should South Africas unskilled Whites pay such a high price for the Blacks
better social status? Weigh the pros and cons. (200 words)
Or

b) During President Zumas visit, a poor White complains about his living
conditions. Imagine what he is telling the president. (200 words)

Good luck!

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