Life is filled with paradoxes
As an aging man past his prime who spent half his life under Apartheid and half under Democracy I often reflect on what I have been told to believe and try to reconcile that with the reality that exists.
Life is not perfect and is often filled with deception but that is, what it is and so we can only pray that the future is better and that we have the tools, skills and ability to navigate into the future.
What the hell am I talking about?
Three decades ago, whilst studying Political Science and Sociology at university, everything wrong was blamed on Apartheid and general white arrogance and its side-kick western capitalism.
Ironically today, our “so called” Communist and Socialist leaders drive imported vehicles and drink champagne whilst they fly from Switzerland to New York and Paris to attend useless conferences.
Promises of investments are made but do not happen as investors know our business and political leaders are dishonest. Even our President does not trust our banks and hides money in furniture.
South Africa could “once upon a time”, like in a fairy-tale, feed itself and its neighbouring states.
Today, many locals cannot afford their “daily bread” and though we live alongside the ocean we cannot afford fish since the best fish are exported and the cheaper fish like hake is R90 a kg.
Our struggle for democracy has been betrayed and society has also been misled and duped.
Historically, our university lecturers and other so-called social, political and religious leaders told us that democracy will solve our problems. They also said that those who benefitted from Apartheid were evil and demonic and those who fought against Apartheid were good, decent angelic people.
Today, because of endemic corruption we know that everything we were told is not entirely true.
Example, we witness for ourselves, those who profited from Apartheid and those who “allegedly” fought Apartheid share a board room and together underpay the workers and increase food prices.
There is limited water and electricity in many parts of the nation and small business suffer as law and order has buckled as politicians use the State and law enforcement as a tool for factional fights.
Parts of our society are ruled with violence as the thugs are given free reign and minimal bail.
When ordinary folk try and minimise violence they are accused of vigilantism and when they identify foreigners as criminals they are accused of xenophobia. Ordinary taxpayers have become the enemy.
Ironically, those who broke into and stole from Presidents Ramaphosa were mostly foreigners.
To those university intellectuals and others who are always talking about democracy, please note, democracy without service delivery is like ordering a pizza and getting the box without a pizza inside.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress