Taxi war in Sandton points to a crisis in the security cluster
The motto “Unity in Diversity” is a profound representation of the complexity of the South African nation in the making.
The idea of nationhood expresses the sense of belonging felt by an individual within a group. In other words, the individual sees and accepts the group as an embodiment of his or her own identity.
In this sense, nationhood is a melting pot that converts individuals from their atomistic state into a national whole distinct from others elsewhere.
To say “other wholes elsewhere” is to render the concept of nationhood territorial – meaning that geographic space (and the uniqueness of its natural attributes) is an essential part of the constitution of a nation. Thus mountains, rivers, animals and other natural phenomena have come to define the character of nations.
It is possible for people to occupy the same territory without feeling a common sense of belonging, or feeling and believing that they belong to different nations.
The slogan “Unity in Diversity” does not express the simple reality of a nation composed of diverse individuals. The diverse colours on our national flag don’t represent individuals but sub-national groups that ought to subordinate themselves to a bigger South African nation.
We say “ought” because the mere existence of a country’s constitution cannot force subnational groups to feel a bigger sense of national belonging.
There are relics of the past who still harbour a racist and exclusionary sense of being South African. There are even black people who see themselves primarily as Vendas, Mpondos or Zulus. For such people, the idea of being South African is a woolly concept in the heads of deluded city dwellers.
In short, the concept of an SA nation is an ideal that seeks to forge diverse streams of identity The war between meter taxi and Uber drivers is another example of a complete crisis and paralysis of the South African Police Service.
The drama that took place in Sandton, Johannesburg, last week where drivers torched cars, could have been prevented if police were serious about stopping the war between the rival businesses.
What happened endangered the lives of warring drivers as well as those of innocent people. This shows that the capture of the police and other criminal justice services is real and, more importantly, it impacts on the lives of ordinary black working class people.
Anyone who has been to or has read about Sandton will know that it is the economic hub of Gauteng to flow in the same direction, hoping that the streams will eventually become tributaries that merge into a big river of South African identity.
In our current stage of national development, all the identity groups that constitute the tenuous SA “nation” feel very strongly about their subnational identities.
We tend to think that Afrikaners are overly conservative when they form associations to defend their language and culture. This observation is subjective and masks our very own conservatism. Touch the Zulu king if you think Afrikaners are ultra-conservative.
Even as our national flag projects and articulates the diversity of our sub-national identities, the tacit ideal is for a province and the country.
It houses big companies such as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Scores of international tourists who visit Johannesburg end up sightseeing and dining in Sandton.
Local people with extra cash to spend also shop and dine there.
Sandton has to be protected. Police cannot allow Uber and meter taxi drivers to turn Sandton into a war zone.
Their fights over routes and customers have to be stopped and those involved must be arrested.
The economic downside of the war and the inaction from police is a complete failure and disregard for the obligation to keep citizens safe.
This underlines the collapse of this important institution of our
‘‘ Our greatest challenge is to find a president not a tribal leader ‘ ‘ Uber and meter taxi drivers cannot be allowed to turn Sandton into a war zone
bigger South African identity finally to crystallise.
The process of moulding such an overarching national identity will depend on the consciousness and political dexterity of our national leadership.
Even as he did not necessarily disown his tribal roots, Nelson Mandela comported and projected himself as a security services.
The news about the acting police commissioner allegedly shielding bad cops in crime intelligence is bad for se curity.
More importantly, the infighting within the crime intelligence sector is probably one of the reasons why the police can’t act on the taxi war that has been simmering for months now.
The police are running around protecting politicians and corrupt public officials.
They have become involved in the ANC’s factional battles.
The police are missing in action and Minister of Transport Joe Maswanganyi released a statement calling for the various factions to put an end to the war.
Unless the culprits are brought to book the war will not stop.
We, however, continue to wait for the police to do what they are paid to do, to protect you and me.