Pretoria

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Unification Aspects:

Pretoria, the de facto capital of South Africa, is a beautiful city with numerous well-kept landmarks. It is adorned with large parks and gardens, such as the well-known terraced gardens of the Union Buildings and the sunken gardens of Venning Park. Near the city is the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, which has been successful in breeding several endangered species and was the first zoo to breed the aardwolf, a member of the hyena family.

In the mid-twentieth century racial segregation in the form of apartheid came into play in South Africa. The city had a rather sinister image as "the capital of Apartheid South Africa". However, its political reputation was changed with the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as the country's first black President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria in May, 1994. As president, until June 1999, Mandela presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid, winning international respect for his advocacy of national and international reconciliation.

Pretoria is one of South Africa's leading academic cities, yet over eight percent of its residents over the age of 20 have never received formal education. Although more well-educated and well-paid blacks have been working and living in Pretoria since black majority rule began in 1994, daunting problems remain. Though advanced and modern, some of Pretoria's neighborhoods lack basic necessities such as running water, modern toilets, regular rubbish removal and electricity. As is common in much of South Africa, these problems occur for the most part in the black neighborhoods.

While it is primarily a seat of government, it is also an important rail and industrial center. The unemployment rate is lower than nearby Johannesburg, but about 25.8 percent of the working-age population is unemployed, of which 92.4 percent are black. And while Pretoria does not have the same high crime rate as Johannesburg, tourists are routinely warned to be careful. In addition, government inability to deal with corruption adds to the problem of a region already bursting with illegal immigrants.

It is projected that the urban portion of Gauteng Province, comprised of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni (the East Rand) and greater Pretoria will merge by 2015 and contain some 14.6 million people, becoming one of the largest cities in the world. Its high unemployment rate and uneven distribution of education and, not only wealth but, necessities are issues that must be resolved in order to handle additional growth. The city has a firm foundation but needs a vision that includes the eradication of poverty and lack.

From Unification perspective, God is color-blind and loves each human being equally as His child. We are implored to "see from God's viewpoint", and our inability to do so stems from the Fall of Man. However, as we enter the twenty-first century and near the establishment of the ideal kingdom on the Earth, inequality and injustice, as is evident in Pretoria, must vanish. While many of Pretoria's citizens prosper, there are too many who continue to struggle with problems of economics and lack of education and health-care. These necessities cannot be disregarded. In the ideal, all people must be able to satisfy both their internal and external needs and experience lives of health, happiness, and prosperity.

Unification Aspects is designed to relate the subject of this article to Unification Thought and to aid
teachers and researchers who wish to further pursue these topics from a unification perspective.