Authorities come crawling as mob rule takes hold in our streets

THE country, it seems, has been turned into a menacing bonfire. Everywhere one looks everything is devoured by angry flames. From tertiary institutions, schools and townships to lowly villages, fire, or arson, has become the weapon of choice.

People are starting fires with gay abandon as if it’s something nonserious or frivolous; a plaything, something to resort to at the slightest provocation. Instead of the fires being doused with decisive action, the arsonists are being mollycoddled, even rewarded. We are, as it were, playing with fire.

The fires are indicative of the smouldering anger that is sweeping the land. The animus is not directed, as some would suggest, at some ancient hurt or historic injustice. It is about contemporary promises boldly made but never kept, expectations and aspirations that remain unfulfilled. The new South Africa — and its benefits — remain a mirage to many of its citizens.

It’s more about the failure in leadership. People are burning and destroying things not only because they can get away with it but because it’s only when they wreak havoc and damnation that the authorities come crawling on their bellies. We continue to reward wrongdoing.

There seems to be a template that’s being followed: rioters go on the rampage, destroying property and even killing people. The authorities arrive in humble supplication and accede to all their demands. The cycle repeats itself over and over across the country.

Amid the current mayhem, the government has almost become a spectator, reacting to events. For instance, despite the many billions of rands of destruction already caused on campuses, not a single individual has thus far been arrested or called to account. That is a criminal dereliction of duty.

The president, meanwhile, spends his time fabricating even more devious ways to get his finance minister arrested. That should be a world first. Jacob Zuma wants Pravin Gordhan out of the way, and if that means arresting him, he will. We call this a government, but it’s more a criminal syndicate.

Zuma has many serious shortcomings but one thing has stood him in good stead. He has a keen eye for toadies. One of them, Shaun Abrahams, the excitable head of the National Prosecuting Authority, delivered big-time for him this week. In deciding to appeal against a high court decision to reinstate corruption charges against Zuma, Abrahams knows he’s going to lose. But that’s not the point. The intention is to buy time, hopefully until Zuma leaves office.

And so as the country burns, the president’s attention is distracted by his own peccadilloes. He’s almost become a project on his own, a ward of the state. The legal bill for these cases runs into millions. But then we knew what we were getting ourselves into when we elected him. He came into office dragging his commodious caravan of scandals.

Thus unrestrained, the imbeciles moonlighting as students run amok, burning books and buildings. That apparently is supposed to be a revolutionary act. A university is a place where one imbibes knowledge and essentially engages in matters of the mind. Violence or mindless destruction are alien to the culture or the whole idea of a university.

It all started when somebody decided a statue was an eyesore that had to fall. Then they made a bonfire of artworks deemed inconvenient or irrelevant. Now the entire edifice has to come down. And so our future intellectuals, the salt of our earth, are running around with fireballs in hand, torching libraries and laboratories. It’s such a demanding enterprise, being a student.

The original grievance, high varsity fees, has all but been forgotten. After all, it was acceded to with some alacrity by Zuma. But the goalposts kept moving. University authorities have had to give in each time on pain of violence. How does one teach or study in such an environment?

If mob rule has taken over at some of our varsities, can the masses be blamed for getting in on the act? In Vuwani, in Limpopo, after locals set fire to dozens of schools, leaving many pupils without classrooms, the authorities moved in and made alternative arrangements. No questions asked.

But more damaging is the emergence of the spectre of tribalism that’s fuelling the conflict. That should send a chill down our collective spine. We’ve been labouring under the mistaken belief that such a ghost had truly been slain.

This week, Paul Mashatile rushed to Hammanskraal where rioters had caused untold damage, burning property and killing two unfortunate individuals. He gave in to all their demands. Again, no inconvenient questions asked.

Mashatile was, in a previous life, minister of social cohesion. He’s clearly putting his talents to good use. He has a bright future ahead of him and was not about to ruin it by doing the right thing. He’s certainly enhanced his leadership potential.

But we cannot condemn the rebellion in the streets while ignoring the lawlessness at the top. After all, a snake rots from the head down.

And currently it seems anarchy does not only rule; it also pays.