Those who sought to use poor people as a Trojan Horse, to create chaos through looting as a smokescreen to achieving political aims, came short because they failed to reckon with the simple fact that good South Africans outnumber bad.
They miscalculated that the impacts of poverty, Covid and political party factionalism had destroyed the nation’s soul.
The fact that good people outnumber bad was a foundation stone of Nelson Mandela’s philosophy to fixing apartheid South Africa, and is the platform from which we recommit ourselves to fixing South Africa today.
The looting and destruction of property this July, following the imprisonment of a former President, ensures July 2021’s place in history. We commemorated Mandela Day this year with tears in our eyes.
But the lessons our Founding Father left us stood firm, among the most important being those relating to our shared humanity.
If South Africa is to prosper, affording dignity to all citizens must be the first priority. The daily lived experience of millions of desperate people who feel they’ve nothing further to lose challenges our collective humanity and undermines the nation’s sustainability.
This month’s edition of Waarheid! reflects cruel and degrading treatment of citizens in financial distress by those running local government in our major cities. The stories attest to inequality in service provision, and the magnitude of the task ahead.
In a democracy, citizens take responsibility for choosing their representatives through voting in elections – not through burning, looting or violence.
Citizens will soon be given the opportunity to choose again, in local government elections. It is here that the work of fixing South Africa can begin.
The turbulent waters we’re in requires all good hands on deck: People of courage, constructiveness and common purpose, an unbeatable combination, to steer us in a fairer direction…
People committed to justice – it’s not a job for whiners, factionalists or sissies.
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