Workable solutions exist

Former US president Barack Obama said “yes we can” and always tried for progress. It is too easy to say “no, we can’t”, seeing only the barriers: bureaucratic systems are filled with reasons for inertia.

I am looking at some prevailing facts and wondering where are the people to say “yes, we can” and creating solutions for them.

The problems: lots of schools all over the country need new buildings and properly built toilet facilities. It is not apparent to me that any government department is doing anything energetic about this. Talking? No doubt! Doing?

Further facts: there are plenty of people all over the country out of work.

There is a capable construction industry which is chronically short of work.

There are lots of consulting engineers with spare capacity and young qualified engineers without jobs and needing field experience.

There are systems for sound, prefabricated, industrialised buildings, which are less expensive and easily assembled. We have an advanced and innovative financial industry.

Hopefully, there are sympathetic ears at the top of government who would welcome constructive initiatives and help bypass barriers.

Surely we have here the elements for speedy resolution of the problem and surely if local labour can be organised, supplied and managed to assemble their own school buildings, these will be valued and a source of local pride?

Surely, also, visible energetic action in an area like this would be good for the country as a whole.

We see depressing problems and fewer solutions. I can’t help feeling Madiba would have been putting these facts together, probably in his own informal way.

Roger Briggs Edenvale