Wishing all our readers a happy holiday season
This is our last print edition for the current year. We will be back on January 8, 2023. We are, however, pleased to inform you, our dear reader, that our online edition will continue to keep you informed and up to date throughout the festive period on the day-to-day events as they happen across the country.
Our online and social media platforms will continue to bring you fresh information about events as they unfold at the ANC elective conference taking place at the Nasrec Expo Centre.
This year has not been an easy one. The country is crippled by loadshedding, which appears to have no end in sight. South Africa’s economic problems are deepening by the day. The unemployment rate and poverty constitute a major source of potential instability, with the country’s youth being affected the most.
The rising scourge of crime means South Africa is no longer a safe destination for tourists and investment. Our police services seem to have lost the fight against criminals.
The cruelty of gender-based violence has reached unimaginable proportions and the country seems unable to offer any viable solution to curb the pandemic.
The majority of municipalities across the country are failing to render services to citizens. Infrastructure is collapsing at an alarming rate. Corruption and looting of resources remain high at the municipality level. Officials at that level seem to have no clue about good governance.
Businesses are struggling to get back on their feet following the deadly Coronavirus pandemic. Instead, we are witnessing large-scale retrenchments across industries with little new employment opportunities created.
Our state-owned enterprises are battling to recover from years of corruption associated with state capture. They are failing to contribute to the economy and cannot provide employment, but we see them constantly seeking financial rescue from the government instead.
The massive achievements and excellence in several sporting codes and other creative industries are barely noticed because we are a country which is politically and economically in deep pain. Our political system offers no respite because it is characterised by more personal aggrandisement than compassion and care for the downtrodden.
It is a matter of everyone’s guess if the governing party will be able to come out of its conference with an appetite and a concrete plan to tackle these challenges. The governing elite seems more obsessed about leadership positions and less fixated about strategic policy direction.
From the chaos that have already been witnessed at the opening of that conference at Nasrec, South Africans must not expect any change for the better.
• As this year comes to an end, we wish to thank you our reader for your continued support in walking this difficult and often exciting journey with us.
We urge you to drink responsibly and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. Avoid being a road maniac whose delinquency on our public roads could result in loss of lives.
We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.