THE problems facing our country are mainly political. How political power is exercised is the golden key to solutions.

This means the answers to these problems: corruption, education, healthcare, economic transformation, land redistribution, housing, racism and violence, among others, is to be found in how political power is used.

The people need to reclaim their power from politicians.

When we hear that the president is building a private mall and bunker at his homestead we know that power is no longer used to serve the people.

The worst thing is that those who are designated intellectuals in our society are also lost as to what is the root cause of our problems and as a result they make opinions known and comment but provide no solution to help society out of the moral, political and economic crises.

One reason is that intellectuals or thinkers agree with the system of democracy that disempowers the majority.

Another reason could be that they are afraid to speak truth to power since their bread is procured from serving the current political system.

We have the strange situation where intellectuals are either hyper critical of the ANC without showing they serve old white and new black capital at the expense of the voting majority.

On the other hand you find hyper defenders of the ANC who do this for jobs, recognition and favours. This reality reduces our intellectuals and commentators to hired agents of narrow interests.

They therefore never rise above the concerns of their paymasters.

They can't take a stand against injustice. This robs the country of solutions that are concerned with the interests of the majority.

We haven't heard any solutions with regard to how power should be exercised for the majority and to bring about real equality.

Our thinkers lack audacity and imagination, or is it downright cowardice?

Tinkering on the margins is no longer enough, we need women and men of conscience to stand up and take the side of the excluded majority with courage.

History is littered with great examples such as Jean Paul Sartre who stood against the French colonial government with those fighting it in the colonies.

Edward Said lost nothing by declaration his support for Palestinian liberation. Where are the black professors of justice?

I often wonder what would have happened in Limpopo had Julius Malema and his friends used the political power they had in that province to serve the people instead of facilitating get-rich-quick tender schemes.

Wouldn't Limpopo be a shining example of what selfless leadership can do with political power?

Schools would work, hospitals heal, the quality of housing exemplary and land and mineral wealth used in the interest of the people.

But instead Limpopo prides itself in housing the rich in places named obscenely like "tender park", while black lives in general fall apart.

I wonder how many intellectuals would support the call by the September National Imbizo that it must be a criminal offence for politicians and public servants to use private services.

Is this not one of the most important solutions that would bring about quality services to all? I wait and see.