Behaviour has consequences
Nobody is perfect and we all error. I say this often as it is vital to know that we all have access to God’s mercy and anyone can improve themselves. Ironically, God’s mercy is limitless, but humans are much less forgiving. Example, when we harm etc. others, the Torah, Bible and Quran advice that we must remedy the harm first instead of asking God for forgiveness and trying to bypass the victim.
This is a double-edged scenario as God advices forgiveness as those who are need to forgive also requires God’s forgiveness for their own antics etc.
Where am I going with this?
A friend hired a plumber to work on a leaking underground pipe. Since he was at work, my friend asked me to check on the plumber. On arrival I saw the plumber having lunch. I asked if he fixed the leak. He replied that he found the leak but wanted to show the leak to my friend before repairing. As the plumber charged per hour and my friend was only returning home at 5pm and he found the leak at 11am I asked if charging for 6 hrs extra when the leak was detected within 2hrs and having lunch was justified. The plumber was upset as he believed that having lunch and charging the customer for that time he was waiting instead of just fixing the issue, was standard practice in the plumbing trade.
My friend also had a man painting whilst he was at work. Returning after 5pm he noted the painter had several drums in-hand and which he asked if he could have. The housekeeper then told him that the painter spent 2hrs and hundreds of litres of water cleaning the paint drums at my friend’s cost.
The Torah, Bible, Quran confirms that you cannot enter Heaven unless all debts on earth are paid. Mechanics/plumbers/doctors/lawyers/electricians etc. who deceive/overcharge better take note.
We have a history of pathetic local services where artisans take advantage/abuse customers and we ironically have politicians who are wholly xenophobic and want to rid South Africa of all foreigners.
May I suggest that Home Affairs consider allow foreigners with genuine skills, like plumbers, tailors, tilers, plasterers and so on permission to stay. Foreigners who do not add value to our society must be deported as they are a liability to our tax base etc. Since we have enough local poor people who add no value and remain a burden to South Africa, keeping poor/unskilled foreigners is plain stupid.
Hopefully if foreign artisans/service providers do a similar job at viable prices, locals will stop taking advantage/conning clients and improve quality of work/ethic and conduct. (God willing/Inshallah)
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress