Society requires examination.
When we witness dubious actions, we must remember that human’s error and that God is merciful.
However, since we just come down from level 4 lockdown and schools are reopening, the lines of people at bottle stores, requires reflection. The evidence suggest something is wrong in our society.
South Africa in general and Cape Town specifically has some of the highest crime stats in the world. This includes 20 000 murders per year with Gugulethu being the most dangerous few square kilometers on earth. Gugulethu is more dangerous than the wars in Yemen, Afghanistan or Libya.
We have some of the highest levels of road accident deaths and injuries, general child neglect and abuse including child rape. We lead the world in foetal alcohol syndrome and many other crimes that are directly linked to the alcohol. Our hospitals and clinics waste billions of Rands annually dealing with alcohol related crimes and injuries. Ironically, regular people die because they cannot access dialysis care etc. due to a shortage of funds because the tax money is spent on drunkards.
Every spiritual and divine text and guide representing all major religions, warns against alcohol.
Yet, in the midst of a pandemic, locals threw caution to the wind, forgot about social distancing and danced inside liquor stores. Some cried, others sang out of sheer emotion because they could return to that comatose condition where they could abuse others free of any accountability.
Whilst Covid 19 is increases, the question is, what in God’s name did we learn from the lockdown?
We learnt that even when the President of our nation with a university full of professors told people that drinking alcohol and smoking was bad for the nation, millions of people just do not give a damn.
We learnt that some care more about alcohol than about religious institutions and schools.
We learnt that people will quee for hours for alcohol but complain when they wait at a clinic.
We learnt that some who queue for free food at religious institution will gladly pay for alcohol.
We learnt that our problems are self-created and some do not give a damn how their behavior impacts upon others.
We learnt that we cannot help everyone, because some people really do not want help.
So, now we must pray as the car accident and murder and raping rate increases.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress