Don’t judge us by First World standards, when the majority live below the bread line

I READ recently that South Africa was rated 56th out of 56 countries in “The world’s safest and most dangerous roads”.

Now, the writer wasn’t reprimanding South Africa or pointing out how this could be a true reflection of how bad our countries roads have become, no, the argument was rather that we were not actually bad as the selected countries consisted of mainly highincome countries.

In other words, we are a Third World country and must be judged as such.

On the one hand I tend to agree that we shouldn’t be judged solely by First World standards although, when it comes to certain values, we are judged by First World standards.

For one, I also read that in 2021 we are aiming to implement a zero tolerance for alcohol levels when driving.

This is possible in high-income countries because they have the infrastructure to accomplish this. There is reliable public transport so that you don’t have to drive while drinking. Walking in these countries is also safe. In South Africa it’s the exact opposite!

The authorities tend to quote First World standards when it suits their goals but be critical of them when they work against the country. We need to get our house in order before we can preach and implement First World standards to a country where the majority are living below the breadline.

Get the people working, get the children educated so that we don’t have to worry about feeding our stomachs and be able to concentrate on being law-abiding citizens.

I’ve mentioned it before and will continue to do so: in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, if the basic needs of people are not met, YOU CANNOT expect them to be open to the other needs such as safety and belonging.

PETER-JOHN ROMAN | Sunnyside, Athlone