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Why South Africa Should Have Hope

In our current political environment, it is very easy to feel hopeless. It is easy to see a downward spiral which our country seems set on following. It is very clear that our country isn’t doing very well, economically or politically, and many who can afford it, have left for countries that seem more stable. And yet, I say we should have hope. How can I dare say this?

I admit, it is difficult for me to have hope, too. Recently, when I learnt that more than 50 schools had been burnt down in Limpopo, I was convinced for a time that this country would not succeed in my lifetime and that the only viable option is to leave quickly, before things get entirely out of hand. And looking at the situation in Limpopo, it is difficult not to feel that the future is bleak and dark.

When one reads the news or looks at social media, one is constantly bombarded with the negative. Bad news, criticism, racism, quarrels over political views and many other disappointing snippets make up the bulk of it. However, one needs to remind oneself that the vile opinions on blatant display in social media and sensationalist reporting do not represent the entirety of the situation in South Africa, or the whole of society.

The news we see is meant to be shocking – the more unusual, the better it sells and thus the more thorough the coverage. Yet, some of the events happen so often that we become desensitised to it. We come to think of it as normal. It is sad that this is a reality: scandalous events, like a minister using tax payers’ money for their personal gain, occur so often that we no longer get outraged. Does the news tell us about the ministers who don’t steal from us, and do their jobs properly and diligently? More often than not, no. It is not as interesting to hear about good or okay as to hear about corrupt and scandalous.

The insult-flinging and angry arguments that we hear in person or see on social media is of epidemic proportions, but I believe these arguments are often between a vocal minority (or started by a vocal minority, and continued by well-meaning people who fail to realise that). Think about the people around you. Very few of them have an urge to go and kill someone because of their race, or to go fling insults at someone because they vote for a different political party. The rational people around us are our hope.

Two of the biggest concerns I have for South Africa right now, are the corrupt and seemingly irremovable government, and the racial divide that seems to be growing each and every day in the public space. A few other notable concerns are xenophobia, rape, tribalism and the education of our youth. All of these concerns are linked and none can be solved or addressed without considering their interaction, their roots and their places in the big picture of SA.

I urge you to have a look at our judiciary system. Our laws and our constitution have been an example to the rest of the world since 1996! And as far as things go, the system still works rather well (I point out to you that the judiciary system of South Africa recently reprimanded our very own president, after many blatant attempts by the governing party to protect him from law). Indeed, there are branches of the judiciary system (the NPA and the Hawks) that have clearly been compromised, and we need to be vigilant lest the rest be subverted as well. Yet, despite our judiciary system being crippled in part by political meddling, it is fighting to keep our country from falling into chaos – and making a difference; providing hope that justice will prevail.

I remind you that even our parliament is subject to law, and can be held accountable when they act illegally. One notable and almost unavoidable problem with the judicial process is that is takes time. In a very real sense, the very emphasis on fair trial is part of why court cases often take such a long time – both parties have to be given time to gather the evidence and testimony that they need, they have to be heard in full, and given more time to prepare if new circumstances should arise. What that means in practice, is that unscrupulous individuals with access to sufficient money, or legal aid paid for by someone else, can use every loophole and excuse they can imagine to delay a trial, ostensibly to prepare their defence. As such, court cases can drag on for years, drain the complainant’s funds and fail to prevent some abuses of the law from occurring (though the consequences eventually do catch up to the criminals).

This means that allowing the judicial system time to take action leaves many of us dissatisfied. We often have a burning desire for immediate justice. Those with a particularly strong desire to see immediate consequences may encourage us to completely bypass the system, to reject formalities, and to take matters into our own hands. But I implore you to ask yourself, how often do we regret the impulsive things we do when we are emotional? I believe we should trust in the judicial system and we may raise our voices if it fails us.

Now, have a look at Pravin Gordhan as an example. The man does his job and he does it well. There is no denying that Gordhan stepped on a couple of toes when he set up the national budget; those toes mainly belonged to parliament members who were used to living extravagantly. The budget itself promised a way forward for South Africa as a country; a way to avoid junk status and the failure of the state. Gordhan was unmoved when faced with unhappiness from parliament members, in an attempt to help South Africans as a whole. Many people also acknowledge his remarkable contribution in encouraging investors to invest in South Africa and in the temporary avoidance of “junk status”.

Another advantageous aspect of South Africa is its geographic location. We have very few natural disasters and a wealth of natural resources. The country has so much potential that has yet to be used to improve the situation of its people. One of my favourite anonymous quotes concerning South Africa is “South Africa is great! It’s the people who are messing it up”. Depending on the classification of biomes, South Africa has between six and eight different biomes – a great natural wealth on its own.

As it stands, we have a dedicated Public Protector, Miss Thuli Madonsela, whose term is sadly coming to an end. She has been ranked as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, which will come as no surprise to most South Africans. On more than one occasion, it would seem that Miss Madonsela has not allowed herself to be intimidated by political persons or entities who wanted her to turn a blind eye to their misconducts. She has diligently served our people, working hard for a united South Africa, sometimes having to overcome obstacles that have no place in a democratic country, the latest being a credible death threat in the form of a price on her head.

And lastly, I would like you to look at those around you. How many of the people around you would like to see South Africa fail and how many of them feel ready to take a stand and say “no”? Personally, I condemn the burning of schools, universities or disrupting parliamentary proceedings in a violent manner. I can make my voice heard through my vote and through talking about the problems that we are experiencing as a collective. We are one nation and we must work towards bettering the nation, as a whole. We cannot allow ourselves to be divided. Most of us simply want a better life for all South Africans. And that is something we can work towards, together.

Personally, I believe that the governing party having a two-thirds or more majority in parliament will always lead to mistakes. If the ruling party is comfortable and confident in its position and never worried about being elected, there is an opening to abuse the trust that people have put in them. This can be seen in what has happened to the ANC in the past 22 years, in how it has digressed from its original intentions. Luckily, we have started saying “enough!” as a nation and we see other political parties gaining support. This will either result in the ANC starting to work for the people of South Africa, or in the ANC losing in the upcoming elections and a new government stepping in.

Not all of the potential new governing parties will do equally well for South Africa. And I implore my readers to vote for what will be best for the country. Do not vote with your eye on revenge or with a feeling of loyalty owed for some past deed. You owe no political party anything – you appoint them to take care of the country, so it is up to you to make sure they do their job. Keep in mind that the governing party are not our rulers, they are our servants. Democracy, from the Greek dēmokratia, means “people power”. This nation is built on our power, our vote. Make your vote count – it is your greatest power, and the only way to keep this nation heading towards the bright future Mandela helped make possible for us.

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