Past year shows SA has a long way to go

THE end of the year is often a time to reflect on the past year’s highlights and lowlights.

South Africa is a beautiful country brimming with endless possibilities. It is also laden with infinite contradictions. This year has indeed been a roller-coaster.

For some, the resignation of President Jacob Zuma presented the opportunity for a new beginning. The crescendo was the appointment of Cyril Ramaphosa, whose Thuma Mina wave instilled hope that better days were coming.

For others, however, the petrol price hikes, soaring food prices and technical recession pushed them beyond what they could handle. Hope dwindled. In the centenary year of Nelson Mandela, it would have seemed that South Africa would work towards getting its house in order.

But reality has proved otherwise. Events from this year have shown that our beautiful land still has a long way to go. The revelations from the State Capture Commission have compelled us to dig deeper in our quest to find the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it is.

The loss of life among academics, singers and actors has been unbearable. Some of our heroes lost the mental strength to carry on because of depression.

But there have also been good moments that we should remember fondly and hold close to our hearts, such as Banyana Banyana’s Africa Women’s Cup of Nations victory, how South Africans stood up for the widow in the Momentum life insurance saga, and how little random acts of kindness in our communities have helped make the lives of others better.

In the New Year we will continue to tackle racism, femicide, unemployment and other obstacles we encounter daily, but let us also be hopeful of good things to come. We are strong and we are the only ones who can make this a beautiful country for generations to come.