During the apartheid era, South Africa was a Christian state. The regime claimed that apartheid was God-ordained. Nonsense. While apartheid was diabolical and evil, there was order then. Not only that, but children respected their elders and citizens respected the police.
When the ANC took over in 1994, South Africa became a secular state. All religions became equal and acknowledged. However, Christianity remains dominant. Since South Africa became a secular state, things have gone awry. There is moral decay and social erosion in our beloved country. Spiritual leaders are obsessed with money and status than the spiritual well-being of the nation. Old men sleep with young girls.
Schools, where children are supposed to learn, thrive and develop, have become chaotic. Learners have more rights than educators. As a result, learners disrespect educators, sell and take drugs at school. Bullying has also escalated to astronomical levels. Cry, my beloved country!
In addition, corruption has become the order of the day. The underworld has captured cabinet ministers and senior managers in government. The case of Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala is a classic example.
In the early stages of democracy, the ANC government initiated a moral regeneration programme, which was led by Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa. The programme does not seem to be having any impact, if it’s still there. Is it not time we revert to the Christian state? Clearly secularism is not working for us. Instead, it has made things worse.
- Thabile Mange, via e-mail
Mashazi’s miserable tenure
The testimony of former Ekurhuleni city manager Imogen Mashazi at the Madlanga commission was fraught with contradictions and inconsistencies. Mashazi pleaded that abdicating her primary duty to hold functionaries accountable was an oversight. It’s unbecoming of an accounting officer to turn a blind eye to wrongdoing and criminal conduct by officials.
We all know of the fate of then chief auditor Mpho Mafole upon blowing the whistle on fraudulent activities in the energy billing system. Mashazi was indifferent to the situation. Yet the rot translated into a constant cycle of revenue loss for the municipality.
- Morgan Phaahla, Vosloorus
Moaning in their mansions
Our country is experiencing challenges but the epidemic of negativity, especially among the privileged, hampers progress. I spent decades on the ground in conflict zones around the globe. I experienced the fall of the Berlin wall while stationed in Germany. I observed the unification of a deeply divided nation and the slow recovery in East Germany after decades of oppression — a process that has still not been finalised.
I saw the then Yugoslavia rising from the ashes after being bombed by Nato for ethnic oppression.
I saw Bosnia recovering after a bloody war caused by an ethnic conflict and learnt first-hand from the people about their pain caused by ethnic strife and intolerant politicians.
I talked to people on both sides of the deeply divided Cyprus about the pain and division caused by intolerant and power-hungry politicians.
In South Africa I saw people rising after generations of oppression. I was involved in a commission of inquiry into the causes of an uprising against the government of the day because of their oppressive policies.
I experienced how we survived the “swartgevaar”, the “rooigevaar” and the “night of the long knives” ... The latest is “white genocide”.
The GNU is turning a huge ship around slowly but surely under heavy “friendly fire” from their own people, yes, especially from the previously advantaged.
I am also on that ship and thoroughly aware of our challenges. I would have liked to see more of the spirit of the people that I observed over decades among affected people in conflict zones across the globe. But no, I see complainers who are still living privileged lives with white bread under their arms. Many of them are now preparing for the difficult trek to their seaside houses or their bushveld farms.
- Dawie Jacobs, Pretoria
Relax, but vigilantly
Season’s greetings and festive best wishes to all. At this time many will be on leave and looking forward to rest, fun, leisure and merriment with family and loved ones, get-togethers, vacations and visits to resorts, shopping centres and other places.
Regrettably, some will not be able to enjoy the festive season due to various factors, primarily ill health, bereavement, financial hardship, work and business commitments and studying. Please spare a thought for such persons, as well as those in the police, security, medical and emergency/essential services and store workers who have to be on duty.
Be vigilant and diligent as too many crooks and con artists appear at this time hoping to rob and defraud people. It is my prayer that Christmas and the New Year will bring all round hope, peace, fulfilment, success and prosperity. Let us all unite to make South Africa a better place with deliberate and positive individual and joint efforts.
- Simon T Dehal, Verulam
No ANC saviour in sight
Not even the rise from the dead of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo and Wilton Mkwayi could salvage the ANC. You don’t need a degree in political science to trace where the rot started: the abuse of affirmative action to deploy people into strategic positions who are loyal to the ANC rather than the principles of reality; the corruption of our patriots by corporate South Africa; and political office as a means to accumulate material stuff.
Criminals who were traditionally involved in cash-in-transit heists, carjacking, house robberies and other crimes realised that joining the ANC was a quick way to make money. This was compounded by unemployment, inequality and the reckless opening of ANC membership to every Tom, Dick and Harry. The stage was set for an unprecedented transfer of wealth to people who were not making any contribution to the economy.
Genuine entrepreneurs were sidelined for want of political connections. Politicians mobilised their families to benefit from state contracts. But such looting had to be clothed with an aura of legitimacy, hence terms such as “radical economic transformation” were coined.
With due respect nothing coming out of the Madlanga commission is new, before “Cat” Matlala we had untouchable taxi owners. The practice of officials working under the instructions of politicians to dish out tenders to certain hustlers in return for a share is an old practice.
Many are doing it but not in the violent manner that the alleged Don from Mamelodi did. Unlike their Italian counterparts, South Africa’s mafias seem to not incorporate dispute-solving provisions in their unwritten contracts. They quickly eliminate one another and people they perceive as threats.
No matter how much the loudmouth secretary-general of the ANC wants us to believe that such conduct is inimical to the values propagated by the ANC, evidence points to a terrible conclusion: the movement’s DNA is infected and unfortunately there is no cure.
- Junior Polisario, Hartbeespoort
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