Politicians must stop making empty promises
Visiting bereaved families is simply not enough, writes Mafika Siphiwe from Mgcina
The gestures of goodwill, compassion and condolences that are being demonstrated by our political leadership across the political spectrum must be welcomed.
This they demonstrate when tragedy, disasters and any form of misery strikes our communities.
From Verena in Mpumalanga where the school children died tragically in an accident between kombi and truck, to Karabo Mokoena who was murdered and, most tragically, the three-year-old Courtney Pieters who was killed by a person who rented a place in her parents house in Cape Town.
Our leaders visited those fam- ilies to show compassion and pass condolences either on behalf of government or the political parties they represent, the latest being the visit by the ANCWL to the Mokoenas, and the Pieters family by President Jacob Zuma respectively.
These visits show ubuntu and the caring part of both our government and political parties.
My gripe and my disappointment, not withstanding the importance of these visits, is lack of fulfilling the promises they make.
My view is that these are just “feel good exercises” by politicians and the opportunity for photo shoots and making headlines in the next day’s daily newspapers.
Politicians need to change their tune.
Tangible programmes and campaigns that have meaning on the ground and find resonance with our communities need to be embarked upon.
Most important, the promises that politicians make during these visits and at the subsequent funerals need to be accompanied by real actions.
The days where politicians make promises and don’t fulfil them must come to an end.
There’s nothing more demeaning to the grieving family than making them promises that you end up not keeping.
The politicians need now more than ever before to come up with concrete programmes accompanied by well thought out strategies.
This should be coupled by good investigative work and efficient policing which will lead to perpetrators being brought to book and left to rot in prison.