Tutu’s gravitas will be missed
WITH the passing of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Mpilo Tutu, South Africa has lost one of her greatest sons.
The tributes paid are testimony to the high regard Tutu was held by ordinary people and world leaders alike. Sadly, with his demise we have no other leader with such gravitas.
Tutu played an important role in our Struggle for freedom and in 1984 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. He was the shepherd that guided his flock through the darkness that was apartheid – a voice that gave hope at a time when it seemed that even God had forsaken black people.
When freedom came in 1994, Tutu played an important role in promoting national unity and reconciliation. He coined the phrase “a Rainbow Nation” and envisioned a society at peace with itself and the world.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which Tutu headed, played an important role. It sought to uncover the atrocities that had been committed by the different sides during the struggle years. The aim was to allow those who had done wrong to come clean in return for amnesty and for those who had been wronged to receive an apology and reparations. The process was by no means perfect, but it did allow many families to understand how their loved ones died or what happened to their bodies.
Tutu retired from public life more than a decade ago but, until his death at the age of 90 a day after Christmas, he remained critical of injustice.
In April 2017, when then president Jacob Zuma fired Pravin Gordhan as finance minister, Tutu joined other South Africans in protest. But by then he was frail while those who were bent on enriching themselves and dividing us were gaining strength.
Tutu will be buried on Saturday, the first day of 2022. While his journey is over, for the rest of us 2022 is going to be challenging.
Inflation
Our lead story makes it clear that inflation is set to rise.
Given that most of our goods are transported by road, any price increase that truckers pay is passed onto the consumer. In the new year this would include a massive hike in insurance premiums, the potential of higher petrol prices and ongoing instability in the transport sector.
The Reserve Bank pushed up interest rates in 2021 and, given the number of factors pushing up inflation, there is every reason to believe the cost of borrowing money in 2022 will be a lot higher. Those with money in the bank will do a lot better than those who need to repay debt.
Unemployment
The current dominant strain – Omicron – seems to be a lot less deadly than previous Covid-19 mutations, especially for those fully vaccinated.
With less people becoming seriously ill, our health-care sector is not overwhelmed. South Africa made it through the festive season on the lowest lockdown level and this would no doubt have provided a boost for the economy.
However, there is little to suggest our economy is going to grow anywhere near the levels needed to create jobs and reduce unemployment. As a result, our unemployment rate is likely to go over the 50% mark in the new year. With black economic empowerment, minority groups will find it increasingly difficult to find jobs or be promoted. Those looking for jobs would do better if they empowered themselves to create work.
Crime
Given the economic situation in our country, crime is likely to increase in the new year. But it is not just the economic situation that encourages people to break the law.
Those who do wrong often get away. It includes those who stole or abused public money, yet, despite the evidence at the Zondo Commission, few have been held to account.
Meanwhile, those who are responsible for protecting us showed us during the unrest in July 2021 just how incompetent they were. Nothing has changed to suggest that our police are now better equipped to protect us or our property.
To stay relatively safe, you need to invest in a security estate or have several layers of security in your home and neighbourhood.
Service delivery
A recent government survey found one in four senior public servants were not qualified for the positions they occupy. As you go down the ranks, you will find more people who are not qualified for the jobs they have.
But most South Africans didn’t need a survey to know this. They experience shocking levels of incompetence on a daily basis. Water and electricity outages are now the norm as are uncollected garbage and potholes.
After the recent local government elections, there are a few new faces in government but the people who do the work, the civil servants, have not changed. Once again, there is nothing to suggest any dramatic improvement in service delivery. To get by, you need to invest in a Jojo tank and have some sort of back up electricity supply.
Our future
While our everyday problems can consume us, we must not lose sight of the bigger picture.
On Christmas day, Nasa launched the James Webb Space Telescope into space. It is more than 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope that it will replace and will allow us to look further into space than we have ever done before. But the new telescope is not just about getting pretty pictures. There is a race to conquer space for new worlds and minerals.
In 2022, America, Russia, India and Japan plan unmanned missions to the moon. There are voyages of discovery to Mars and even beyond.
Our future as a species lies in the skies and we must ensure we, or our children, are prepared for that tomorrow.
Our species has always had some challenge to overcome. It is what has come to define life.
We have to do the best we can in the environment we find ourselves in and conquer the hurdles we face. And while doing so, we need to strive to find peace and joy. May you find both in 2022.