I was not surprised by the headline “Ngubane refuses to take blame for ESKOM woes” March 8.
Former Eskom board chairperson Ben Ngubane like former President Jacob Zuma both have lived in a self-insulated matrix where they probably cannot define reality from illusion. According to my understanding, this happens when a person spends too much time eating, drinking, travelling and generally living off the taxpayer etc. The mind assumes that you are entitled to a life of privilege and splendor and ordinary people are thus not able to understand your “superior intellect and motives”.
Thus when leading business people, politicians and officials contradict themselves or plainly tell lies, they will blame the listener for not listening properly. They will have lapses of memory that are useful for self-preservation and refuse to assume liability for the wrong they did.
Example, about a year ago I sat one table away from Ben Ngubane at the African Utility Week at the Cape Town International Convention Center. Since Eskom sponsored the event it had a massive entourage in the VIP section. Some board members had assistance with them who had to carry their bags and stuff. At lunch, the lackeys ran about frantically getting foodstuff etc. while the board members and associates sat like overweight royals and monarchs at the expense of the taxpayer.
The problem with many South Africans especially leaders remain the “mentality of entitlement”. Some white people inherited this mentality from centuries of slavery, colonialism and Apartheid. Black people in leadership often believe that this mentality is owed to them because of their suffering. The mentality of entitlement remains a psychological impediment to genuine cohesion. Often blacks see whites as wanting to hold on to historic privilege and whites see blacks as wanting everything for free. The conflict exists subliminally but can be mistaken for old school racism.
Since we are living in the selfie-age where people no longer take pictures of the beauty of nature, preferring themselves, few people are genuinely interested in justice, what is fair and righteous.
Leaders at all levels have forgotten the words of the prophets. “God loves those who are a benefit to humanity in general (especially the poor and needy) and those who seek genuine justice for all”.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress