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South Africa is like a man drowning at a pool party – he beats the water, and kicks and screams for help, but everyone around him thinks he is participating in the fun.
Our youngsters are drowning in despair and try to find comfort in the bottle and drugs, but the party continues. The #FeesMustFall movement is right – give everyone an opportunity. But the problem is that the light at the end of the tunnel comes from the fire of hell.
Youth programmes have been destroyed, unless they march to the political beat. Unemployed and in despair, atrocities against their souls are committed daily as they try to be accepted by an equally desperate society that sees them as worthless.
Drive through the suburbs during the day, and see the empty streets. No children play outside – perhaps they are sheltered behind high walls. Then go to the nearest township. At a glance, you see structures and people and communities. You see brashness more than politeness. Little children run around and it all looks normal, but in fact, they’ve been abandoned by their parents, who are chasing the never-ending fun.
The children will see their mothers again, if they survive the rough life, when they come home to deliver another baby to Gogo’s care. Our population is exploding – from 40 million to almost 60 million in two counts, and no one seems to be worried that the economy is not growing at the same rate.
Drive through Hillbrow and Berea, and see that hunger for opportunity is on the rise, and, like all forms of hunger, it leads to anger. Ever more protests are staged – over service delivery, education and the lack of jobs.
These are like the signs of the changing seasons, except these are bad signs. In the past decade or so, we have honoured ignorance as if it was a virtue. We’ve elevated the uneducated to high office as if they have supernatural powers to govern, while our trading partners put the best-qualified people in the right positions. As a result, we are unable to compete. Our leaders behaved predictably, giving favours to friends and family rather than creating opportunities for everyone.
When our economy was growing, we attributed that to our prowess. Little did we realise that we were living off the scraps from a booming world economy. Nigeria flew past us to become Africa’s largest economy and South African companies stopped investing at home, citing uncertainties. We blamed it on Afro-pessimism, but then we realised they were investing in other African countries.
This ongoing despair among our youth is a violation of the right to dignity. To change this situation, our country needs younger, well-educated leaders who recognise the problems of today and have the mental capacity to find new solutions.
There is no denying that, in its heyday, the liberation movement was an army of well-educated men such as Oliver Tambo, Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe and Steve Biko. They were a class above these overweight and horny howlers who’ve turned the liberation movement into a joke.
We must brace ourselves for long suffering because the current generation has been raised on the Church of Self, where the heart beats for the accumulation of personal wealth rather than fellowship of humankind. Where will the young learn selflessness when the priests and pastors eat before the flock, and build ornate cathedrals for themselves?
We need young leaders who can speak in a modern language. We need someone who will convince these hopeless children that they can give their own children hope. We need leaders who will work with business to create opportunities and jobs, and not plunderers who are concerned only with themselves and their families.
When you’re sick, you need a doctor who is qualified to treat you. Our country is sick right now, and it needs qualified people to fix it.
