Citizenry must not leave youth a country worse off than we inherited

Dear South Africans, we need to acknowledge that we face a deep crisis as a nation.

Sure, we have faced many crises before. We have faced ones of divided groups, nations, tribes, kingdoms and so forth – very often as enemies on opposite sides of the many dividing walls of history.

However, crises have brought us together as we realised that the most basic of human needs, to live and hopefully thrive, required that we co-operate. And a crisis can in fact, offer an opportunity to choose a better existence.

The amicable resolution of previous conflict usually brings with it the possibility of co-operation by parties that possess, not only different views, but strengths and abilities. This is the story of human development and progress.

However, when such times come, it takes vision, bravery and foresight to comprehend and utilise such opportunities.

When we refuse to move forward, we often condemn each other to a worse existence.

But when people are caught in the violent turbulence of a rushing river, we must decide – do we try to swim across or try to swim back to the shores from whence we came?

We had set off on this journey to reach a better place, beyond the river.

We may have misjudged the strength of these waters.

But now we are where we are, right in the middle of thrashing waters.

I dare say, we can never afford to try to swim back. Our salvation can only be in swimming boldly all the way across, holding hands tightly so that none of us are claimed by this raging river.

This crossing might be completed off target and somewhat downstream, but it must be completed nonetheless. To go back now would be to condemn each other to destruction and fail in our noble mission to cross to a better place.

Behind, lies our painful history with all its dysfunction.

Ahead lies our great future.

South Africa’s salvation now lies in the hands of an active citizenry.

It lies in the grasp of a people who realise that no political party – or politician – will likely discharge their mandate unless citizens are well informed and active in ensuring that such a mandate is fulfilled.

Citizens can no longer afford to be fans on the sidelines, cheering or shouting out in frustration, while politicians continue to run amok, serving their own interests at the people’s expense.

Those political parties that insist on representing the past must be left in the past. Those which envision a new co-operative and inclusive future, must submit to the will of the people through being great models of transparency and accountability.

The ANC’s inability to understand what is wrong, presents the party as being firmly stuck in the past – in an era of its own glory and almost unchallengable power.

While the party finds itself in deep crisis today and is the prime cause for our current crisis as a country, it insists on holding fast to the same tactics that delivered us into the present crisis.

According to media reports, the ANC would like all senior appointments in government to first be approved by the ANC national executive committee. This very suggestion reveals that the ANC still sees itself as inseparable from power in South Africa. This is a dangerous view in any democracy.

Also, the ANC fails to acknowledge that cadre deployment has failed spectacularly! Politicians head government departments in line with ANC wishes as we speak – to disastrous ends. To now want to extend this horrible calamity to include senior government officials is beyond logic.

Modern economies require a clear separation of duties between politicians and government officials, something which has been all but ignored by the ANC. You find this mistake at the root of almost every crisis in government. Somewhere along the line a politician has been meddling with questionable intentions.

The ANC now wants to make this mistake its policy in an attempt to arrest the decline brought on by this very same mistake!

“However, in the past the NEC has been unable to discuss government appointments because many of its members served in top positions in government. It has also in the past failed to reach consensus on a variety of issues due to divided opinions,” wrote Quanitah Hunter in this week’s Sunday Times, demonstrating how unworkable this idea is.

“If current trends continue, the country faces a bleak future and we will be forced to live with the legacy of leaving our children a worse country than we inherited,” said Bonang Mohale at a #BUSINESS-BELIEVES event in Cape Town.

We cannot afford such an outcome. Surely we must reclaim our future!