Indeed there are several sentiments to be felt while watching the events unfolding in South Africa.
A first is clearly the relief that President Zuma has past his due date and stepped down. It was more than time to go for him – and there is the hope that all his cronies and yeah-Sayers will follow in the next couple of days.
But honesty is owed the observation that the man now in power firstly did not become rich only through hard work but using the often unjust and abused system of BEE and secondly stood by and defended the indefensible – praising a corrupt president as an outstanding leader. Guilt by association is punishable in many countries and South Africa has suffered big times because of it. The poor, the marginalized, those without voice have been sidelined but used as voting stock by handing out food parcels,T-shirts and empty promises before election. Racism was fostered and used as a political tool and most of them jumping ship now and switching allegiance have fueled the fire of social dissent for years abusing their office. And lets not forget: statecapture would have continued if and when not brave journalists and parts of civil society went the extra mile to bring it into the open painstakingly.
It is a mammoth task lying ahead for this man, almost a sort of penance for Ramaphosa and his political allies to either succeed in changing course dramatically or failing the country completely. Odds are against them, as history shows little support for the hope that a liberation movement turns into a political party without destroying most what was fought for in years. But hope dies last and therefore for those with goodwill there can only be one way forward to support the efforts made by the hopefully completely changed cabinet to indeed start serving the people of South Africa again in a decent, honest and passionate manner. The dream of a rainbow nation as the beacon of hope for Africa and the world has is not completely dead but has survived alas on its last breath waiting to be resuscitated and brought to the beauty of times long gone. It will take a long time to cleanse the rot of the last 9 years and to convince even the small little rural civil servant that nepotism and corruption is a thing of the past – that cadre deployment has come to an end and entitlement has ceased to be at the forefront of developments.
Hard work, honesty, diligence and a sense of duty are the ingredients of the new beginning. Then the two hearts beating in the chest are coming together and making place to reconnect to the ones around so that this nation rise to the occasion with one big beating heart living what our beautiful constitution has promised for its people a long time ago.
Filed under: Politics and Society, Reflection, South Africa, BEE, diligence, honesty, hope, Ramaphosa, society, south africa, zuma
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