WHAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS

In Pakistan, over 1 000 people have died due to floods; Ukrainians are battling with their homes being bombed and their families being slaughtered; America is blessed with a president who’s as appealing as a bowl of cold unsweetened custard; and the UK has just got rid of a new prime minister reminiscent of a school head girl.

And what of South Africa? Cursed by unbelievable unemployment in a country blessed by abundant natural resources, and a frighteningly horrific crime rate. So how do we resolve this? Apparently by dancing in the streets because some of the lucky employed think they aren’t being paid enough.

Maybe they aren’t, maybe lots of

people aren’t being paid enough – and I’m thinking particularly of the doctors, nurses and other hospital workers who toiled to help us through the Covid pandemic. So how dare the employed strike and cost the struggling economy billions of rands?

If the economy improved, they’d probably get better pay, but in the meantime, every employed person should be grateful and do as much as they can to get this beautiful country on its feet again. The mantra, “I get paid little, so I do little”, should rather be, “I’ll do more, so that I can get paid more”.

Come on, South Africans, stop jumping around in the streets, pulling faces for the cameras. Get back to work and pull your country through this, help generate employment, which would lessen the crime rate and make life safer for all.

Then will be the time to ask for more. JANET, HARARE