SEEING SPARKS

It’s midday the third day in the dark, and just listened to the news on Talk Radio: The country has been plunged into Level 4 ‘load-shedding’ since last Friday and we are told could keep going until Wednesday - and believe it or not, only makes a bottom-end mention as a reminder on Talk Radio news.

Now I have a couple of comments around this: 1. The country has been plunged into darkness and it does not even make the top three on the news - the top story being that the Guptas process to stay in SA was crooked. Oh wow, no! Never saw that coming. 2. The second news story was an election punt of the Pres on a train from Soshunguwe to Pretoria, and he being shocked and horrified that it was late and dirty and and and....On a commuter train just before elections, knowing full well more than half the country travels on trains every day and it’s a good wicket to bat on? Nnnooooo! But ain’t that fine and dandy that eventually he knows. Probably a decade or so late, but better late than never. By the way, anyone know what scrapheap those oversized trains landed up on, and where those that orchestrated the deals have purchased their prime-cut seafront holiday homes?

3. My third issue, Level 4 ‘load-shedding’? That’s sixteen hours no lights per day for just on a week. And they never saw it coming or thought to say something? How is that even possible? The players have been fighting this war since Zuma moved on, as well as during his time, asking for more money, exposés, importing human capital, the whole nine yards. But despite everyone jumping around behind Cyril’s smile, it seems to me we are worse off than ever, and heading for a still darker place ...literally.

Meanwhile Talk Radio discusses the Reserve Bank, economic policy and foreign investment with straight faces. That is so funny! Who is ever going to throw their money at a country that cannot power or run itself? ...And then we wonder why the entities most interested in South Africa are drug cartels, child traffickers and crime syndicates, all secure in the knowledge that in South Africa, anything goes.

On the streets, justice is a four letter word, the education system is spewing out natural born killers assaulting or killing teachers and classmates, with little regard for deed or consequence. There is a sense of helpless but bitter resignation within communities who no longer believe their voices are heard, but cling desperately to weightless strands of fanciful promises - because when desperation kicks in, there is nothing else to do. While in the wings, state institutions whose responsibility it is to entrench and nurture justice and sanity, stand by in expensive shoes and watch, deflecting accusations in every way they can, that they too are part of the problem, not the solution.

But things are looking up, so we are told. In the Sunday Times over the weekend we learn the DA now know if they are little boys or little girls, but are in a state of discourse as to what shade of grey these little boys and girls should be. And the biggie, purse strings are being tightened to strangling point on politicians. From now on they will be restricted to only two overseas trips with spouses all paid per year, and no more carte blanche 1st class travel. And worse, they will no longer be able to buy top brand German cars like Mercedes S class or Porsche.

Okay, so let me get this straight; before now they were? Legally I mean? Despite the empty promises from leaders come election and State of the Nation times, the country has been in a state of fall for years now, and these guys - our role-models - have been living movie star lives on tax payers money ...legally.

As an analogy, could you imagine a patient going to a doctor and being diagnosed with cancer. The doctor immediately prescribes a barrage of tests, assessments and treatments that just about bankrupt you and your medical insurance, and comes back a few (harrowing for the patient) months later in expensive suit, a travelling man attitude and a broad smile, informing you,

‘About the cancer, not making much progress there I’m afraid, but we have managed to soften up the skin around your ingrown toenails.’ Meanwhile all the roleplayer specialists head off into the sunset, laughing the whole way to the bank.

No! Wrong! If it’s cancer, get rid of it, that’s the priority.

In South Africa, Cyril Ramaphoza is our doctor, his cabinet his specialists and government the hospital. Cyril, the cabinet and the government (ANC) are the one we look to for diagnosis, treatment and ultimately, cure.

Unfortunately even now under Cyril’s watch, it still looks to me like all the doctors are getting stinking rich, and he is spinning stories about ingrown toenails.

The ANC top brass have had more than enough opportunity to diagnose and cut out the cancer. God knows there have been enough forewarnings and prophecies of failed state gloom to respond to from Lester Venter’s disturbing ‘When Mandela Goes’ painting a dismal SA future, to the hundreds and thousands of newspaper articles, reports, opinion pieces and columns warning our leaders and our nation, before as well as when cracks began appearing in the woodwork of state and progress. What has transpired over the past twenty four years is frighteningly similar to Zimbabwe, even on timeline, and is a text-book example of the decay of a wealthy country through mismanagement, corruption and the greatest evil of all, dereliction of responsibility with regard to systems on which lives literally depend. Systems inherited in good working order, and now all but junk.

Did our leaders not see the writings on the wall? Don’t they not read newspapers? Or did they just not really care? Are the games they play now as leaders, more enticing than their original laudable mandates?

But that was Zuma and the Guptas, some will say. And an entire bloated-to-the-extreme cabinet, all the institutions of state, and the country could do nothing? Is this how democracy works? This is ridiculous.

The real tragedy is that this ‘couldn’t care less’ attitude has filtered down to every level of SA society. You struggle nowadays to find an honest employer, an honest worker, and ethical service provider, and you certainly struggle to find honest financial advisers. Society is degenerating back to dog eat dog, the survival of the fittest. Quite ironic that power is on the verge of collapse as we descend back into the dark ages.

But, we are reassured, the Zondo Commission will set us free. Justice will prevail. The questions of course are who will it set free, and what form of justice? The country is teetering precariously on the brink of collapse, the nation is scared, frustrated and desperate, and the only significant head to fall is that of a dirty-himself whistleblower. Meanwhile those on whom the whistle was blown, once again do the spin cha-cha out of the spotlight.

So who is to blame? The ANC was in command. They have collectively proven themselves dishonest, devious, incapable and untrustworthy. They as a collective were responsible for putting leadership up for SAA, which did the opposite of Red Bull. They were the ones putting leaders in place at SABC which turned the national broadcaster voice into a croak. And they were the ones putting leaders in place at Eskom, and giving them the freedom to operate without course, vision, conscience or consequence.

Now we hear the new President will save the day, and all those running the parastatals were the bad guys and will ...will, not really sure of what... Looking at President Ramaphoza and his journey to date: Came out of the stocks firing on all cylindars as the co-writer of the new SA constitution and won the hearts of a rainbow nation. To the disappointment of many, he decided to move into business rather than politics and made a fortune. He married into one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the country, and when Zuma started his hanky-panky in earnest, Cyril proved not only to be the best option, but just about the only viable option. And the country sighed with relief.

However, when Marikana went down, he was a non-executive director of Lonmin, yet he kept his silence during the hostility chaos, and ensuing carnage. When Zuma almost sold us down the river to Putin, Cyril again kept his silence. Throughout Zuma’s reign of error, he kept his silence. Rather playing politician than statesman. But that said, without doubt he is a brilliant man.

So in spite of serious misgivings, I hoped against hope he would be up to the task. I was thrilled when the Zondo commission kicked in hard and began exposing dirt. Yet despite all that has been exposed, none of those that by virtue of their positions had to have known what was going on, despite the fact that far too many politicians and their families have grown wealthy eons beyond what should have been possible within the constraints of their declared incomes; not one significant head has fallen. How is that even remotely possible?

Yes, the heads and boards of parastatals should be purged - along with a lot of staff the whole way down the food chain - if we are really serious. But without a slither of doubt, so too should those that put incompetent, bungling buddies in positions of critical power. So too those that ran a governmental system which rubber stamped horrific transgressions, allowing them to slide by, not under the radar, but in full view, explained away by drivel that it was the right thing to do because it was about transformation.

Two thoughts on this. First, implied in the word ‘government’ is an ability to govern. The ANC has failed. With regard to transformation, it might be a good idea to work out what we would like to transform to. If it is to another African failed state, justified by the fact that it is African run so whoopee, we all starve together, then fair enough, we are on track. But if it were to be to a successful African country, prosperous, in peace and harmony, then the brightest among us, judged as much on integrity as professional expertise, should be targeted and harnessed. Those with top tier skills, education and experience should be secured to mentor and train these future leaders. And as with the guy with the ingrown toenails, the cancer should be cut out, removed, got rid of. All of it.

But the depressing wake-up call is where to turn, where to go. The DA? With all their in-house squabbling about non issues, sinister whisperings of corruption and nepotism, and our good man Musi wanting to fist-fight his way into history for damsels in distress, having them running the country is almost as funny as the ANC, and probably not that much less scary than the EFF.

My opinion is we are not looking for a rocket scientist to lead the country. Rocket scientists can always be found. We are looking for someone honest, strong, grounded in reality and unwavering. Going to May, I do not put my money on my choice to win, but I do put my trust and vote in Bantu Holomisa. Never a glitzy star of stage and screen, but as far as I can make out, a man of honesty and integrity, and love for his country and all its people.

But whoever you do decide to vote for, please understand that we as a nation are partly responsible for where we find ourselves now. We were all witness to where things were headed and not too many were willing to voice indignation. It is supposed to be a fact that politicians are public servants. If you have a servant that does not do what is expected, you let them know. If they persist with shenanigans, you let them go.

How much longer must we bear witness to things falling apart before the nation says enough? Collectively it is our right and duty to hold government accountable. We need to believe the day will come when we hold them accountable - while there is still stuff to save. For should there come another day, when we discover that we are targeted or ignored or our voices have no weight, it will be a tragic day, for on that day, democracy will be exposed not as a face of freedom and hope, but a mirage of distortion and spin, invented by manipulative minds with access to a lot of money.

Ultimately, whoever carries our flag will also brandish a sword. The flag holds the promise of leading us to the promised land, the sword will hang above us with the potential to spill blood. A lot hangs on who we entrust with the power of the flag and the sword. And we can only hope and pray whoever it is, they see the light - metaphorically speaking - because if they don’t, we might not either - literally speaking - a little way further down the line.