We are too dependent on government
Elvis Masoga
An obnoxious sense of entitlement and a grave lack of patriotism among most citizens is crippling the futuristic prospects of our country. Post-1994, we have become a nation that relies heavily on the welfare and generosity of government. At all times and without fail, we unashamedly expect government to provide us with everything we want.
Very soon, some citizens may begin demanding that government must pay for their wedding expenses (lobola). Unfortunately, only a few citizens are truly willing to contribute meaningfully to the success of our government. It is fairly correct for government to contribute to the social, economic and financial wellbeing of all citizens. But it is bizarrely wrong for citizens to become overly dependent on government for all their personal needs and wants. As citizens, we have a patriotic duty to help contribute to the success and prosperity of our country. Many South Africans are overwhelmingly dependent on government when it comes to social, economic, financial and educational mechanisms of service delivery. A burgeoning sense of entitlement and acute dependency syndrome is turning our country into a ‘helpless nanny state’. Without any hint of shame, we fervently insist that government must do everything for us and provide whatever we want at all times. Some tertiary students strongly believe that they are even entitled to a free pen and a ruler. Certain school teachers once threatened to go on strike if their school does not provide them with free red pens. Our university students demand free tertiary education, but they do not want to repay NSFAS after they graduate and become employed.
We joyfully receive free houses (RDPs) from government, but we still have the guts to vandalise and burn public buildings during community protests. Truthfully, there is a raging lack of patriotism among most citizens in the country. Many citizens do not believe that they have a civic duty to help create a better South Africa. A time has arrived for every citizen to self-introspect and respond to this question:
As a citizen, how best can I contribute to the betterment and success of my country? A sense of entitlement, laziness and ‘short-cuts mentality’ must come to an abrupt stop.