Thirdly, in international law there is a doctrine that allows new democratic governments to cancel the debts incurred by an undemocratic, illegitimate regime which it has replaced. Where the undemocratic government incurred debts at the expense of the majority of its people these debts are seen as odious. All loans made by the Apartheid Regime were odious as it was illegitimate. Trade unions, civics, women's and youth organisations are suggesting that the money saved from debt cancellation should be placed in a community controlled development fund. This fund would be directed to putting the RDP at the centre stage of our efforts to free our nation from poverty and the misery brought by apartheid.
Many people know what it feels like to owe money, even if only to a bank for a mortgage.
But it is a different matter altogether to be deeply indebted and unable to pay. And it is even worse to be in that situation if someone else ran up the debt and left you to repay it. The current government debt is R310 billion. The government regularly says that the interest payment is seriously obstructing its growth and development programmes. In 1989, the debt was only R80 billion.