We are on our own

Sir,

It is now clearer than ever before that despite great relationships with our international counterparts, we are still marginalised.

The worst part is that this same discrimination does not only end with our international friends, but we are starting to see it within our continent as well. Unfortunately it does not end there, the discrimination seeps through into our birth countries as well, where we are denied basic services and service delivery is poor. A number of social issues have us as the face, as we are still at the forefront of these socioeconomic problems with no end in sight.

Fail

When will we realise that we are living in an environment built to ensure we fail? With issues such as lack of proper healthcare, no Zondle for pupils, yet they are expected to learn and pass without any hurdles, disputes due to mismanagement of land etc, it is evident that people are expected to struggle enough just to get by and not necessarily thrive in their environment.

The country we live in, unfortunately, weakens the prospect of growth and is fine-tuned in such a way that only a select few tend to excel. Seemingly, the system is specifically designed to oppress us.

You never see children of prominent individuals complaining about the feeding schemes in their schools. There are graduates languishing at home with so much knowledge and so much to give but will not be given the time of day because the system is rigged. Everything is strategically aligned to oppress the majority, be it tariff increments or food price inflation or fuel hikes, it is all done to ensure that certain people remain where they are and are never given the opportunity to thrive.

Structured

The problem is thinking that because you work or have a small business, you are immune. The environment you are in is still structured to ensure that you do not excel but instead are frustrated enough to eventually kill your mindset and suppress your dreams. In this case, the bare minimum will be seen as an achievement by you, and by only celebrating those little milestones you will fall into a trap of mediocrity and never aim for higher.

Indeed we are on our own. This should serve as a reminder to not fight among ourselves and realise that our fellow people are not the true enemy.

The way of life and the acceptance of the bare minimum from our authorities and the shrugging off of corruption and hiding under the carpet crucial information are the real enemies. The true enemies are the people you elected who promised to teach you how to fish but instead provide you with fish in order for you to keep begging them and depend on them enough to reconsider electing them for the next term.

The true enemy is the minimum wage strategically assigned to help you provide enough of the basics but not have more than you need to deprive you of financial freedom and render you a victim of shylocks. The true enemy is a job which doesn’t give you enough resources to do your job and paints you as an enemy when you decide not to work. The true enemy is a government that constantly gives out scholarships yet has no job prospects.

K T