'What we deserve...'
Brandon Faber, News24 User
I've been called "racist" so many times it's completely lost on me. "Your kind" comments have no effect and neither does any suggestion to "leave the country if you do not like the way things are done". Why should I? And why should we accept the cards we are being dealt?
For the record ladies and gents: I am no racist. I do not believe the colour of a man or woman's skin has any bearing on their character, their humanity, their intellect. My parents taught me to respect everyone deserving respect and to listen to all sides of every story before passing judgment...
Often I am asked, "why didn't you ever castigate the apartheid government the way you do the ANC"? And the answer is simple really: The opportunity just never presented itself.
I was in primary school when Nelson Mandela walked to freedom. I was in high school when the country held its first democratic elections and I've been as much a part of the formative years of this new South Africa as anyone else. Like many other white South Africans, the dark days of yesteryear had nothing to do with my will, nor that of my father - or his father.
Setting a poor example
Was apartheid a horrific and terrible thing?
Of course it was but I will not sit in the corner like a naughty child and apologise for it with silence. Freedom of speech, thinking and opinion is the most precious commodity of any democracy - yet, when we raise our voices to blatant and consistent mismanagement - not only of the country's resources but of the dreams of this nation, the immediate and only reaction is to label one a racist.
Desmond Tutu called the ANC in its current format morally corrupt, long before I thought of doing so. Massive service delivery failings are a fact of life - not the fabrication of a white writer, and so is the horrendous crime wave that is forcing this nation to its knees.
Let's calm down for a few moments and cast our mind's eye over the past few years.
Think about all the reports, all the senior members of the ruling party having to defend their actions in court, all the suspicious procurement procedures, all the dodgy contracts. Think about the examples that the ANC have set for the youth.
"It's okay to commit a crime, to basically enrich yourself at the cost of others' well-being. If you are caught - at most you will receive a slap on the wrist." Is that the right way? Is that the type of leadership any country deserves?
Another popular accusation is that I focus on the negative way too much and should highlight the achievements. Sure, progress has been made - but has that progress been sufficient or - all things considered, has it been sub-par? Which government departments, excluding Finance, can we highlight as bastions of good governance and clear planning?
Doing a terrible job
None, ladies and gentlemen. And it's not me saying so, these are the facts. The main reason for Trevor Manual's department being the lone shining beacon is the leadership of the man. He was no financial guru when appointed to the position - but he made it his mission to become one. He read, he learnt, he listened, he planned, he executed and, most importantly, he did not condone mediocre performance from anyone.
By strong contrast, most of our other ministers just could not be bothered to become experts in their industry. The strive for excellence, the desire to perform, the passion to excel is not there. Again, feel free to prove me wrong but the history of the matter speaks for itself.
Yes, I do think the ANC government is doing a terrible job at governing the country. The question is, "why don't you"?
Is it okay for a potential president of any nation to be not only morally corrupt, but also under strong suspicion of having a finger in all the wrong pies? Is it okay for youth leaders to shoot their mouths off without strong action being taken? Is it acceptable that people who have been convicted of corruption are protected and welcomed back in the fold - the same fold that tells the nation it will fight crime?
That is simply not believable, is it?
Respect is something earned on a continuous bases. We do not respect people and parties for what they did, or stood for - we do so because of what they do now, the examples set - now. We listen to those who are clear in their thinking, fair in their comment and strong in their minds.
We deserve...
Turning a blind eye to a constant stream of mismanagement, simply because the perpetrators thereof are comrades of the revolution, is not healthy for the future of this land and void of honest introspection.
We deserve to be treated with respect people. We deserve clear, accountable, reasonable governance and we, as a nation, have the right to stand up and shout as loud as we possibly can when wrongs are committed without retribution.
I am not a racist ladies and gentlemen. I do not think the colour of man or woman's skin has any bearing on their character, their humanity or their intellect. The question we need to ask ourselves is simply whether or not, based on performance alone, we can be happy with the government of South Africa?
The only logical conclusion is, sadly, "we cannot".
Nelson Mandela said that a good head and good heart are always a formidable combination.
Let us be formidable in our opposition to anything but the best.
We deserve it, don't you think?
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