Assignment 05

SUS1501 – Sustainability and Greed

Student Number: 62701231
Date: 06/04/2022
Teaching Assistant Name: Neil (Prof Eccles)

Declaration:

By submitting this assignment, I implicitly declare that this is my own work.

I am aware that if ANY unacknowledged copying is detected in ANY part of this assignment, I
will get 0 (zero) for the entire assignment.

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Read the “1. Background Facts” and “2. Introduction” sections below;
• Fill in your assignment contributions under the relevant headings 3 – 5 below;
• Save the file as a Word document with a short name (myUnisa will reject files with long names);
• Submit this file into the Assignments tool on myUnisa;
• Take a screen grab of the final submission acknowledgement on myUnisa and save this
somewhere safe in case of any disputes:
• Check under the Assignments tool that there is a date in the “Processed” cell for the SUS1501
Assignment 5.

3Px4620201KHP6Xr#000Twc9q
1. BACKGROUND FACTS
• “In the 2018/2019 financial year, Bob van Dijk, the CEO of Naspers earned a total
remuneration (salary, incentives and options) of R 1.9 billion.”
• “60% of the world’s cobalt is mined in the DRC. Significant amounts of this is mined
under appalling conditions often by child labourers.”
• “Of the top 10 wealthiest people (all men), seven are tech billionaires. Their net worth is
US$ 847 billion or ZAR 13 trillion!”

2. INTRODUCTION (written for me by Prof Eccles)

In assignments 2, 3 and 4 we have, as a group, reflected on the facts above. We debated whether it was
ok for Bob van Dijk to earn ZAR 1.9 billion in a single year. Some of us thought this was a reflection of a
job done excellently. Some of us thought that this was morally outrageous.

We debated the issue children working in appalling conditions in cobalt mines in the DRC. Although
most of us thought that this was a problem, we saw how other ethical interpretations were possible.

And in the final analysis we considered the possibility that these two scenarios – great wealth and great
poverty – might in fact be linked. On the basis of this, we debated whether the whole picture looked ok.
I think it is safe to say that most of us were left feeling a bit uneasy about things.

That is all well and good. But what about me? In this short essay, I’m going to think about this question.
I’ll start out by trying to figure out where I currently fit in in this picture. Then I’m going to think forward
in time. Specifically I’m going to imagine what I hope my legacy will have been over the course of the
good (eudaimonic) life I have lived. In formulating this vision of a life well lived, I’m going to make
reference to key virtues or excellences (arête) that I think I will need to develop in order to achieve this
good life. And I’m going to think about the sort of problems that these excellences might present if
taken too far or not far enough.

3. WHERE DO I FIT IN NOW? (200 words)

The standard of life I’m living shows that I belong to the lower class for 15% in south Africa. according to
the income comparison tool, which means that in my household we earn a monthly income of
approximately below R5000 per month so this cost me too much to continue with my studies so I can
fight for better living standard.

While this may seem like some sort of privilege, of which I am utterly grateful for and by no means do I
take it for granted don't get me wrong, being in the lower-class income distribution does not have huge
challenges, as we are not heavily taxed for water and electricity because we are provided with Rdp
houses and I also excited for the live I’m living.

So, l still currently has my parents who have is supporting me they are also both working for good jobs
and earn good salaries which one of the main reasons why I fall under this income distribution. I also do
part--time jo which pays me average of the average of R2000 per month that means I have less
disposable to buy nice clothes and pay for the bills income which I found to be quite good and, in a way,
makes me fortunate but at this time I’m living with elder brother who is working good job.

4. AT THE END OF MY LIFE …… (300 words)

All of us will come to the end of our journey in this world someday, this is one of the guaranteed things
in life. It is a scary fact to most of us, but it is something that none of us can escape and all we can do is
to try to make our lives worthwhile and exciting. Most of want to leave behind a legacy that we can be
remembered and none of us want to be remembered for bad deeds. This topic is something that I have
always sat and thought about at times.

I am not a perfect human, but I want to be remembered as a respectful daughter who take care of her
frail parents, a brother who looked out for her siblings, a good man who worked hard for her children
and give them good lesson and all the good values that I had also learnt from my own parents, a relative
and friend who was always willing to lend a helping hand, a community member who was always
inclined to assist the needy, a good employee and eventually a good employer and lastly a loving man.

I imagine that my life will be full of ups and downs, there will be struggles and celebrations, there will be
tears of sorrow and jovial, there will be struggles and there will be great achievements. There will be
times when I will be feeling overwhelmed, but I will never be a quitter. I want to travel the world with
my family and give my own children some of the luxuries that my parents couldn’t afford for me. I want
to be the man who was looked up to because of her perseverance, tender-heartedness, and hard work.

I want to be the man who made people strive to change their lives better and the man who lived life to
its fullest potential. I strive to bring nothing but goodness in this world and I only want to be
remembered for the good things that I contributed to this world.

5. CONCLUSION (100 words)

Due to the Covid-19 we have lost a lot even education was not flowing in the right manner so I will fight
for all this I’ve mention I will fight for brightness future I want to achieve all of this without being
patience in life. My vision is to live a better life where I will be able to provide myself and others enough
for those around me and be able to afford some luxuries for myself and my parents, but due to this I still
have a long way to go as I’m still studying. Most of us are poor and only getting poorer while the rich are
getting richer because of the privileges. And I will make sure that all my community people are living
standard lifestyle I will fight for those who are unemployed and I’m inclined to leave a best legacy in this
world people healed and unemployed.