Amid SA’s crisis, citizens hold the key to their power
EVERY day we see signs of a society that needs to reimagine itself and redefine the role of the government. We consistently deny that we are in crisis. However, it is only those who are unable to see because they are in complete denial (in which case we can’t blame them), or because they choose not to see. Those who do see the problems and yet still choose to play the “innocent” should be brought to task.
SA is in crisis. It is not a crisis caused by a lack of leadership — as is often suggested — nor is it a crisis of politics. There is plenty of both to go around.
What is happening in SA today is what happens when the hungry and marginalised lead the country. They lead in the only way they know how. They have a simplified outlook on life: I need food, shelter, and clothing for myself and my kin. How do I secure this as quickly as possible, or how do I keep what I have? Whoever is standing at the ready with an answer to this problem will find followers.
Many political leaders are without tangible options in the private sector, and they are without hope of ever achieving success through this channel.
South Africans are hungry for more than food. They are financially stretched. There is leadership to guide them, but is ready and very able to take advantage.
THE misuse and misallocation of the country’s resources and money works in favour of those who would take advantage of a vulnerable and rudderless nation.
The war in SA may not have the same levels of gun battles as those in Libya and the Democratic Republic of Congo but it is premised on the same principles. It’s a fight for resources. It’s a fight for dignity. It’s a fight for wealth and for power.
Many of our politicians are relishing their power. Many leaders have moved from the townships into the expensive, leafy suburbs. Those leaders are biding their time and gathering followers, who lean towards achieving the same goals.
We have created a society where being in government is the key to wealth and prestige. It is such a status symbol that civil servants no longer have names but long titles.
The government may claim that SA is a developmental state, but the private sector is not a party to that idea. Business has adopted norms that are counter to the current thinking in society.
There are many people in SA who still want a job for life, and that kind of stability can be obtained only when working for the government.
We have created a system that encourages profit making. Whether it is ethical or not, profit is king. Government tenders are the key to instant riches. This is what we continue to encourage.
The government as an institution continues to be all powerful, as it was in the days of apartheid and colonialism.
There are millions of South Africans who continue to honour and venerate those in the government and regard them as doing us favours, not realising that it is the citizens who hold the keys to their power. This attitude is prevalent at all levels of government.
On the 40th anniversary of the June 16 uprisings, South Africans need to remember that it was the children who pushed back against an overreaching government. South Africans today need to do the same. The government needs to implement this voluntarily, starting with its own culture change. Public servants need to start realising that they are the servants of the people. Sadly, not a single political party appears intent on limiting its influence on society and returning community leadership to communities across the country. For as long as we don’t change the rules of society, the government will keep saying “don’t burn our schools”, instead of communities telling arsonists that those are their schools. Gcabashe is a traditional healer.