“Beware the last kicks of a dying horse, for when the animal knows it is dying it gets a surge of adrenaline from the fear, and the last kicks will be the strongest and most dangerous.” – Daily Maverick, 18 October 2017
The past two weeks have been tough. We have been inundated with horrendous scenes of looting, rioting, wanton destruction across KZN and Gauteng. We are all sad and angry, fearful of what the future holds for our families, our dreams, and our quality of life. As a real estate agency, whose clients are the homeowners and communities that are directly affected, we are hit by both the intense sadness of what this means for our communities, but also our agents who work tirelessly to make a living for themselves and their families. Can we stay in a place like this? Can we really say we have confidence in the leaders of this country, that South Africa can stabilise and present opportunities to its people?
- S Africa violence spreads after Jacob Zuma jailed
- South Africa looting: Government to deploy 25,000 troops after unrest
- South Africa violence: Troop numbers on streets increase to 25,000 amid looting – and more could be deployed
- South Africa’s Looting, Violence Reflect Inequalities Exacerbated by Covid-19 Pandemic
Recently, on social media, I saw a post that resonated with me. It’s a sketchy one – wrongly attributed to David Attenborough, it says:
“If you collect 100 black ants and 100 fire ants and put them in a glass jar nothing will happen. But if you take the jar, shake it violently and leave it on the table, the ants will start killing each other. Reds believe that black is the enemy, while black believes that red is the enemy, when the real enemy is the person who shook the jar. The same is true in society. Before we fight each other, we must ask ourselves: why was the jar rocked?”
I’m no biologist, but the sentiment is correct: look through what we see on the surface and try to understand why things are playing out the way they are.
And there’s only one answer: the horse is dying. The good guys are winning.
The ANC power battle is all but over
Since President Ramaphosa won the ANC elective conference in December 2017, South Africa has been crippled by the factional power struggle within the ruling party. But as we stand today, this power battle is all but over. President Ramaphosa has won, ridding the once morally upright movement of corrupt leaders who enriched themselves at the expense of their poor electorate under the guise of Radical Economic Transformation. The ANC is not a shadow of the party that we once thought would lead us into a Rainbow Nation, but a first step in atoning for its many sins is to clean it up. That has happened and will continue to accelerate.
- Bad news for Ace – Court rules Magashule’s suspension stands
- ANC Suspends Carl Niehaus With Immediate Effect
- ANC suspends Andile Lungisa for 18 months
Upholding the Constitution and rule of law
Our public entities that are tasked with providing basic human necessities – the SAPS, emergency services, hospitals, roadworks, traffic management, education, you name it – are in a state of disarray. It is hard to argue that it is even living up to a modicum of its constitutionally enshrined responsibility, and business has had to step in. However, after more than a decade of wanton self-enrichment by the ruling class, President Ramaphosa has managed to start the rebuilding process in the National Prosecution Authority and the South African Revenue Service. Finally, it is holding to account the corrupt individuals who have been parading their bounty under the guise of “working for the people”. Charges against Ace Magashule, extradition treaties issued for the Guptas and testimony at the Zondo commission culminated in Jacob Zuma’s imprisonment two weeks ago – which set this all off. But one thing is clear: Sheriff Batohi is in town, and the rule of law will be upheld (even if it’ll take time).
- Masterfully multitasking: Shamila Batohi’s National Prosecuting Authority is getting back on track
- Net Closing On Guptas As UAE-SA Extradition Treaty Set To Kick In
- Ace Magashule and co-accused charged with further crimes, totalling 74
- S. Africa Ex-President Zuma Jailed After Contempt Conviction
We are making progress
While it is almost impossible to keep perspective, especially if you or your family or community is affected by the senseless destruction, or if you are one of the thousands of honest, hardworking South Africans who will now lose your income and ability to provide for your family as a result of stores closing down. My whole heart goes out to you. I am heartbroken. And I pledge that I will play my part in creating employment and opportunities as a proud South African.
At the same time, we should not forget or discard all the good things that have happened over the last 12 months —
- Government fiscus performed above expectations, with SARS exceeding tax collection expectations. After two decades of being out of fashion, our mining companies turn out to be the saviours of our economy, and the commodities boom means the rand trades much, much stronger than we would have expected given our macroeconomic conditions
- Eskom – the single biggest risk to our economy – after 15 years of being at the coalface of corruption, has moral leadership with the singular goal of serving the people of South Africa. Governance is improving, tight supply chain and financial controls are being put in place, and the days of corrupt dealings are fast coming to an end resulting in its own type of “dying horse kick”. Even as the frequency of load shedding is reducing, the government has approved moves to allow 100MW of self-generation. We are finally making long overdue moves to strengthen our economy.
- South African business seems to have finally found its voice by coalescing around the impact of COVID-19, and government has indicated its willingness to work with business. We have smart people in our private sector, and we’d miss a trick by not pulling in one direction.
- Our vaccine roll-out is happening to an eager citizenry. I received my first shot a week ago, and I can vouch for the camaraderie amongst people standing in the line, the professionalism of the health workers, and the sense of relief and gratitude. Our response has been slow and the impact of it immense, but we’re finally getting on track.
- We have so many heroes to look up to on a daily basis who show us what it means to be South African. Our incredible journalists who put themselves in harm’s way to uncover the truth behind greed and corruption or provide the insights that keep us sane; whistleblowers like Bianca Goodson who stand up for what is right at incredible personal expense; sportsmen and sportswomen who lift us every day and provide sources of pride and escape week after week; our constitutional watchdogs who do the work we don’t have the mental fortitude to do; or communities who this week showed that they are willing to fight looters and forces of destruction. The list goes on and on – we have so many heroes.
Waking up on that Friday, it felt like after a veld fire had ravaged the land. This past fortnight has been traumatic and emotional, and it will take a long time before we recover. But the green shoots are coming through our scorched earth. Although we are dazed and wobbly, like a boxer after taking a few punches, we are standing as a nation. Democracy will be strengthened, and we’ll look back in years to come to this week as a seminal moment in the life of our young democracy.
Now, let’s be kind to each other, and help each other back to our feet – physically and emotionally.
