Much more work needed to see the president’s new dawn

IF 2017 was the ultimate annus horribilis that many South Africans said it was, then 2018 couldn’t have been that bad. We’d reached the bottom, so it could only be better.

My brain agrees that this year we’re saying good riddance to was relatively better, but my heart wants to simply tell it to bog off – please excuse my English.

This year started off very well.

There was a promising new dawn, but the sun didn’t actually rise. And some of the dark clouds above us are refusing to dissipate.

The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same.

As you and I were enjoying ourselves overeating on Christmas Day, some elderly people were still waiting for their “Christmas”.

Last year eThekwini Municipality’s “gogos’ Christmas” parties were spoilt by an unsuccessful tender bidder.

This was on top of the usual city officials and tenderpreneurs who’ll always spoil the party by pushing their own agendas.

This year the elderly had to wait until after Christmas for their lunch and food parcels. Many had to wait in the scorching heat on Thursday, some locked outside halls. Some were made to wait in vain for the whole day for the trucks bringing their hampers.

This is no way to treat people who’ve spent a great part of their lives building this city, province and country. It’s one of many clear signs that South Africa is still at the bottom and we have a lot to do to climb up and see that new dawn.