Looting will have a long term psychological impact
The looting will impact the psychology of many communities across the South African landscape.
Indians and White people may become less sensitive towards the economic needs of blacks in Kwazulu Natal. This will have a long term impact on the gap between rich and poor. The increasing divide will be subconscious and so on. Those who were sympathetic may rethinking the instinct to give as self-preservation is a strong psychological quality. Also, the wealthy now have evidence, why they need to create and maintain physical and material distance between themselves and the poor.
Some people may consider that living near poor people poses a clear danger. This will exacerbate the Apartheid spatial planning that continues to create racial and class divides. The divides will harden as the wealthy resist low income developments near them.
As the poor becomes less able to help themselves, desperation will increase and so will the fear of chaos. Those who are able to create work will consider if the financial rewards are worth the risk.
Most investors will always choose a save financial investment over social responsibility like job creation. Why create jobs for others when my money is giving dividends in a safe environment?
Those people who burnt down the business that gave them services and jobs will be sorry.
The government will not be able to remedy this situation since the government failed to protect the businesses. Words will not sway investors when faith in governments ability to restore law and order is lost. We have seen this before. How many trains, busses and trucks were burnt over the past few years? Where was the follow-up, where is the explanation? Last year, a few created chaos by leaking the matric exam, what happened to that case, who committed the crime, where is the follow-up?
As a society we have tolerated and looked for excuses for 20 years for the increasing stupidity, laziness and arrogant corruption. We have seen politicians steal and “flash the cash”.
The time to discuss is over. Let us use the municipal elections to remove and flush the rubbish from the political system and send a fresh message to the world. If we continue to vote for the same incompetent and corrupt parties, then we are fully to be blamed. We are the “voter accomplice”.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress