We are ANC’s clowns

The South African government reeks of corruption. Obvious, I know, but here’s the context from which I am coming.

While having a conversation with a friend about the state of our country, he quickly said even the apartheid government was corrupt. We only see the “evil” in the ANC because of the liberties they have given the media and the easy access to information.

It was not the first time I had heard such a comment. It also wasn’t the first time I had partially agreed and partially disagreed with such a statement.

I was born in the late ’80s so, to a large extent, I really cannot say I know apartheid. Racism I know, but not apartheid.

I do not even know if the parastatals of that time were making a profit, or if the matchbox houses given by the then government were build by shoddy building companies, or if failing infrastructure was a norm.

Now, there are families who go to bed on empty stomachs, there are grannies still waiting for RDP houses, there are students who are chanting “fees must fall” so they can get an education.

There are many shortages, but there is always money for extravagant lunches and convoys of German cars on our roads; there are food parcels that were used to get votes, all at the expense of the have-nots; there are areas with no electricity, no running water; and children who head households on a meagre social grant.

But there stands an esteemed political figure who tells us that they lied about a swimming pool being a firepool.

The audacity in which the voter is disregarded, the confidence that officials have when they lie to us and remain in power, calls into question our collective intelligence.

How dare we not understand the importance of a firepool?

Then, they are bold enough to stand before us and declare the lies... and have the confidence that when the elections come up, their party will come out tops.

Have we reached that stage of arrogance that the ANC will mop the floor with our emotions and still be guaranteed our vote?

We are in a circus and the ANC is treating us as their clowns.