Willfully leaving a corrupt legacy
MIKE and The Mechanics' famous song, The Living Years, begins with the words: "Every generation blames the one before, and all of their frustrations come beating on your door..."
I wonder if those who loot - and those who earn money without putting in an honest day's work - realise that the only legacy they bequeath to the next generation will be corruption, lawlessness and poverty
The next generation of South Africans has every right to blame us.
They will be justified in cursing all of us for not creating a nurturing environment from which to launch their dreams and soar.
It is not just the policy-makers and well-known people in society who should be blamed but also the citizenry who has the potential to be influential but rather chooses to be passive and complacent.
My favourite is when older people lament the state of affairs and moan about "the children of today", better known as the lost generation.
Well, lost children are not born, they are the reflection of the adults around them.
Somewhere in South Africa a young person might have been watching news of the recent public service strike on TV.
On a particular evening television cameras captured a civil servant, wearing a Sadtu T-shirt, exchanging words with a police officer.
The Sadtu member was swearing at the police officer who was trying to disperse the crowd.
"Voetsek, voetsek, ke eng ka wena - what's wrong with you," she kept saying over and over again.
The scene was as comical as it was tragic.
Once I'd sobered up from laughing, this sick feeling descended on me. I wondered whose teacher that was and if she was aware that she was on national television, displaying such uncouth and unrefined behaviour for all the world, including her students, to see.
Maybe I should not conclude that the protester was a Sadtu member because we all know that every time a member of a union misbehaves or trashes the streets, the union never takes responsibility.
And the fact that this protester was wearing a Sadtu T-shirt does not necessarily prove she was a member. The T-shirt might just have been the favourite item she wanted to wear on a special occasion.
This week it was reported that several Tshwane metro cops abandoned their duties to attend the trial of rugby player Jacobus "Bees" Roux.
Bees is on trial for the murder of their colleague Johannes Mogale, who was killed in circumstances that are yet to be determined by the court.
The death of the officer is undoubtedly a painful and tragic experience for his family and friends. A young family man taken out in the prime of his life, is a heavy cross to carry for those left behind.
But let us be reasonable here. I am sure his colleagues who were not on duty that day could have gone to represent the rest of them.
Every day we read stories of the well-connected milking state coffers in the name of BEE.
Once a sound and justifiable empowerment policy, BEE has been turned into a "get rich quick" scheme by a select few.
There are so many examples here but this week we learnt of two former premiers, a former minister, a former deputy minister, a former director-general and other business people set to benefit from a controversial black economic empowerment deal involving mining giant Richards Bay Minerals.
It is reported that community members are seething with anger because they claim their rich land is being taken without any benefit accruing to them.
The effects of wide-spread corruption, greed and a lack of commitment to our work will only serve to further impoverish our nation.
And at all times I wonder if those who loot and earn money without putting in an honest day's work realise that the only legacy they bequeath to the next generation will be corruption, lawlessness and poverty.
Mike and the Mechanics warn: "So we open up a quarrel, between the present and the past. We only sacrifice the future, it's the bitterness that lasts."
HolaMzansi
Well said Redi and I might also add that this culture of tenderpreneurship is also killing our creativity when it comes to enterpreneurship. Until we as people realise that it is up to us as a collective to change this downward path nothing is going to change. We have local elections coming up and I bet nothing is going to change the same voting patterns will emerge.Report Abuse
Baleli
This is well said and i hope those that have the powers to change will make the change for the sake of the next generation. This is more or less what Gareth said only in better context.Report Abuse
Mosito
We need to take action.....people who have influence like bo-Redi should come up with proposals, because she is just as much in this boat as all of us. We need to form a new party that will be appealing to the urbanized majority, people are fed up with these nonsense that the ANC is delivering.Report Abuse
Charmaboy
@Redi,If you know "The Living Years" then I RESPECT you.
Whatever u say is right cauze you are mature....................
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FMNNS
This is spot on, I also uttered the same words this morning when looking at 12-15years old school boys smoking openly in public while waiting for their school transport. Where do you start to reprimand such children in public about their wrong doing when they will tell you about the adult right next to you committing the same offence smoking in public. They will just laugh at you and tell you that they have learned from the best. Gone are the days when my child was your child and yours mine! How are we going to restore those great values when adults of today are busy indulging in corrupt and indescent behaviours??? Adults need to go back to the basics and be good examples to the up and coming adults of tomorrow!Report Abuse
Vimash
Those who conceived the BEE idea didn't have a long comprehensive plann about it's narrow approach or limited capacity to address the economic imbalance created by the apartheid system. The richer are getting richer and the poorer getting poorerA large percentage of SA total income is in the hands of the Few, while the majority share the locust head.
In order to redress this and stop this cyle, South African must promulgate a rule that restricts one person from holding more than 1 job, or they must be taxed heavily.
Small medium enterprises that employs more than 100 people must get some tax exemption.
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KeRataBasadi
Revolutions devour their young even more so when its elders are "driving it drunk."Report Abuse
BrothaX
Personally I do not think things will ever get better in SA, economically, morally or otherwise, call me a pessimist but that is how i foresee the future of this country. We will never have a period where jobs are available in abundant, resources are becoming scarcer each year and those who are promising a better future for all are just plain delusional.Report Abuse
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Chris
100% correct Redi.But nothing will improve under the ANC government, it is actually getting worse.
The only solution is that we all vote for a different party. The DA is the best current option, that is obvious, but people are afraid to give it a try because they think that once you change your vote you cannot change it again later, when that party doesn't deliver the goods.
So there is still a lot of education to be done with the electorate to achieve a true democracy.
In the meantime , peoples faces needs to be rubbed in their own follies ,to wake them up.
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