Issues at stake: Praying for political maturity
Instead of disruptive and violent political gamesmanship, South Africans desperately need to refocus their attention and energy on issues that really matter,
There are a number of crucial issues facing the country which need to be rectified post-haste if we hope to return to a path of peace, prosperity and stability.
Chief among these is an effective economic turnaround strategy, something embattled Finance Minister Pravin Gordan is committed to achieve in the face of ongoing political absurdity.
Fixing our most pressing challenges such as rising unemployment and the steady collapse of law and order, health, education and local government service delivery, all hinges on resources only a revitalized economy can fund.
Unemployment especially is a simmering melting pot of restlessness which, when it boils over – as it surely will unless decisive intervention comes to pass – will have consequences too ghastly to contemplate.
But instead of focusing all our energy and resources on placing South African society back on even keel, politically motivated opportunism holds sway, leaving us floating rudderless in a sea of discontent.
Recent events are a case in point.
Last week three ANC officials were murdered in KZN and this week large areas of the Tshwane Metro were shut down as unruly mobs went on the rampage.
Similar scenarios are and have been playing themselves out in other regions.
Feeble causes
The alarming fact about the recent spate of violence causing damage of millions of rands to infrastructure, businesses and private property, the interruption of economic activity and brutal killing of people, is that these were not the result of some serious issue of national importance, but rather party political infighting about mayoral lists.
If something as feeble as mayoral lists causes the country to be turned on its head at a time when we all need to work sensibly to pull South Africa back from the abyss, then only God can help us.
The single most important factor that allows for a culture of violent protest to rule over orderly democratic principles is that there are no consequences for the people who kill, slash and burn.
Outbreaks are contained, pacifying utterances are made, but perpetrators walk free.
Society has become accustomed to the perception that only violent protests bring results.
That is a serious indictment against us as a society – and the calibre of our leadership at all levels.
This week senior officials said they knew who the masterminds behind the Tswane mayhem were – conveniently referred to as ‘hooligans, gangsters and anarchists’. Community sentiments painted a different picture.
Be that as it may, why then, in the interest of an orderly South Africa, are the ‘war lords’ not hauled in and dealt with by the law?
At this juncture at which we face extremely tough challenges, it is critical that superficial political gamesmanship causing disruption and societal division now come to an end and leaders of substance present themselves to restore order for true democracy to flourish.
