- Picture: copyright: Spotlight Jesuit Institute South Africa
“Mr President how should we react ? What about you ? In just over 48 hours a boxing champ shot dead , a UCT student raped and killed , a child kidnapped from school , stores in Malvern & Jeppe looted and burned , 607 Patients at Baragwanath wait up to 9 months for an MRI scan.”
This twitter from Ashraf Garda yesterday describes the situation and questions most South Africans have in our days – while a new dawn was promised and people started to believe it, the reality kicks in that a new dawn also needs new people. Moving forward and having the incompetence, the corruption, the ideology of yesterday as part of the deal will never work as also Zimbabwe shows in an very intense way.
But South Africa would not be South Africa if there is not a twist to the story: While some journalists paint a bleak picture for the foreign press and undermine tourism which counts as one of the most important income sector of the country the truth is that tourists are very seldom even get in touch with all the murder, violence and lack of service delivery. It seems that two movies are playing out for the time being and only those who paint with broad strokes are not able to see it. And contribute to the downfall of society even more as jobs are lost.
Keeping people in work and creating new jobs, bolstering the tax base, strengthening the service delivery record of government on all spheres are the fundamental requirements if this country is destined not to fallen prey to despair and chaos. Creating more and more situations where role models and success stories counter the hopelessness and despair of the ordinary people is needed. And of course government must play its part: Shelving the madness of an NHI , stopping to run behind a socialistic tainted ideology which has been proven to fail a long time ago, retiring with honor all those whose only credential are struggle stories from the past, putting whatever money is left in infrastructure, education and health and last but not least partner with reliable NGO’s and civil society organization to turn the tide. I know this is a lot asked in our situation where it seems that the corrupt political elite’s ethic filters down to the streets of our major cities.
And it will only work if the president of this country – instead of traveling the world and talking nicely – shows leadership, stops the cabal of the Zupta fractions in it’s track, reassures the nation not with talk but the right action in showing that honesty, hard work and dedication to the well-being of society are at the forefront of public service. Healing also starts when justice is served, as slow as it may be in a democracy – but those implicated at the Zondo commission must have their day in court so that people see that indeed everybody is equal in front of the law.
Desperation of the poor meets the incompetence of many in government, incapacitated by a strong ideology – the good news is: this is not a physical law but a status to be overcome by using common sense and the yearning of most people in this country for a better future for all. It’s possible or as a Nike advertising states: Just do it! And please: don’t blame foreigners for your own sins and lack of action and planing…
Filed under: Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, South Africa, Uncategorized, ANC, desperation, ideology, Jeppe, johannesburg, loothing, NGO, ngo sector, NHI, Ramaphosa, service delivery, service delivery protests, south africa, tourism, Xenophobia, Zondo commission, Zupta
Dear Friends and Partners, near and far –
South Africa produced in the moment many headlines showing how much this country needs healing and a stable political and social framework to come back from a state captured on so many levels.
God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE 