We are not alone

We Are Not Alone

Whilst our Rand is showing the same sentiment as the people of South Africa, that is, we are stable, positive and prepared to work hard for our future, our government continues to disappoint. The problem is they are not alone. Looking around the globe, whether in Venezuela, Zimbabwe, the US, or Turkey, a very similar set of issues are being played out between the ruling party and the people they are supposed to serve.

Manipulation, intimidation, false news, sycophants and loyalists to a self serving cause are not unique qualities of South Africa’s ruling party. In fact, it seems that there are ruling classes in many corners of the globe that have a taste for this kind of behaviour. In my opinion, politicians are running a mock because the chaos they manufacture is a wonderful distraction when you are in it to win it for yourself.

Turkey’s referendum held over the Easter weekend has given their President Ergodan powers to make critical changes to the constitution. Key amongst these changes is the dissolution of Parliament and the creation of an Executive Presidency. The Supreme Electoral Council allowed non-stamped ballots to be accepted as valid. The main opposition parties decried this move as illegal, claimed that as many as 1.5 million ballots were unstamped, and refused to recognize the results. All of this is happening in Turkey whilst there is a State of Emergency and most of the opposition are in jail. Does this sound like a place you would like to be marching against the President?

The situation in Venezuela reads like a love story “Once a rich country held together by strong leadership and heavy social spending, it is now in economic disaster and could slide into widespread social disorder, triggering instability throughout Latin America. Drastic shortages of food, medicine, electricity and other necessities are causing riots. Organized crime and extrajudicial police killings have given Venezuela a frighteningly high rate of murder and violence, with narco-traffickers allegedly in cahoots with corrupt allies in the government and security forces. Runaway inflation means that from March 2016 to 2017 a basket of basic goods for a family of five became 524 percent more expensive. As if this weren’t enough, the government is taking steps toward authoritarian control over its opposition” according to the Washington Post 18 March 2017.

So let’s be honest, we know that the ANC and its friends are helping themselves to the hard earned tax payers’ cash at an ever increasing rate. We know that at some point there is not going to be enough to go around. No matter how much noise we make about the situation nothing changes. So where to from here?

Do we wait until we have our backs completely to the wall and end up in a State of Emergency or bankrupt or both before we the people of South Africa say enough? I think not.

The where to from here is quite simple, keep the pressure on and let’s not be intimidated, manipulated or bribed to give up the cause for a corruption free democratic South Africa that is proud of its government and all it does to advance the interests of its entire people. Funny, it sounds like an anti apartheid slogan.