Failure of governance affects all communities, no one is spared
The pain and difficulty felt by poor citizens is not inferior to that of the wealthy
What can farmers do to cooperate with surrounding communities? That was the theme of the recent Senwes Future Focus Conference I attended recently.
I was excited to receive an invitation to speak on the panel addressing this very question. Excited because there is a mind shift in this country, where communities so long separated by a plethora of differences are seeing the possibility, and the necessity, of coming together.
The race and class divide is a legacy of apartheid. There’s no need to labour that point. But another legacy less considered is that of a sense of exceptionalism among and between different communities and groups.
Consider the issue of the killing of farmers which is always bound to come up in any discussion about the role of commercial farmers – who remain predominantly white.
My answer to that is we cannot deny that farmers are being targeted and killed. We cannot argue with their experience and anxiety over this issue. But we can challenge their attitude of exceptionalism.
Although farmers are victims of violent crimes, according to crime statistics the majority of murders in this country happen in low income areas, such as the neighbouring communities around farms.
Far from a genocide against white farmers, both the farmers and the poorer communities in their vicinity are the victims of unbridled criminal activity.
It is not an issue that should be politicised to perpetuate the perception of a country that is naturally hostile towards its white residents.
More than anything, this issue calls for solidarity which can be built through these disparate groups working together to put pressure on politicians and government officials to carry out their duty towards all citizens and thus give expression to the constitutional value of equality.
If anything, the current state of affairs in local government, and of governance more broadly in the country, should be sufficient to convince South Africans that their destinies are intertwined.
Weak state capacity, whether on account of incompetence or corruption does not benefit anyone.
In the long term, persistent bad governance and the destruction of the state curtails the prospects of all citizens regardless of which of the two worlds of our country they live in.
It is for this reason that the state of decline in governance should galvanize communities to unite against a threat that in the medium to long term will not discriminate.
For some time, those enjoying the bliss of suburban life and townsfolk smirked at the plight and struggle of poorer communities.
“Why do they disrupt the flow of traffic with their protests? Why can’t they voice their issues in a more civil manner?”, they sneered.
As the dialogue about farming communities and rural towns at this conference revealed, the reality is dawning that potholes, erratic garbage collection, intermittent water supply and electricity cuts induce the same amount of frustration in the privileged as they do in poorer citizens.
While farmers complain that lack of maintenance of roads disrupts the speedy distribution of their products and increases the cost of maintaining their trucks, their frustration is not exceptional.
Poorer communities complain about the same roads because they cannot access services like schools, work and business opportunities in nearby towns when the roads are in a decrepit state.
For those in our society who remain committed to realising the vision of a united South Africa, the last decade of deteriorating governance, though disheartening, is opportune.
It challenges the material basis of our separateness and divisions.
And this could be the stepping stone for this nation to transcend deeper divisions and to embrace a common humanity.
We should not rejoice at the failures of governance. But perhaps it’s what we need to begin to take seriously the values upon which we committed to build our county, the primary of which is equality.