SA owes itself to get smarter and better

I GREW up in Johannesburg and was always concerned with the state of affairs that came to rule and divide the country. I wondered why all the black people lived in Soweto. I wanted to go there and look. It was so close and yet so far. The divide seemed absolute in many ways.

In around 1990, I met Thomas and I would visit him in Diepkloof. I found it amazing that people were so friendly, and that I could walk around openly without any threat of violence. In fact, they loved to see a white face in the townships. I used to visit my other friend Henry who was in Soshunguve, and I found it equally as friendly.

Fast forward to 2018, and I wonder if the country has lost its course. It is understandable that communism seems an attractive option to many. If you have nothing well, hell, it looks great. You can get all those things you wanted and there would be more equity. South Africa has to go forward and it has to get richer, more creative and smarter. The race card cannot be pulled out every time there is a problem. The country owes it to itself to get smarter and better.