OPINION: A year of double blessings?

Phiri Cawe

I can’t remember well what happened in the past year.

If you can, help me remember some good things in my country.

I have few bad memories of 2019, besides the drought that has hit some provinces.

But strangely, I also have nothing positive to think about.

It was a year that left me numb and puzzled. Not even the Springboks winning the Rugby World Cup could excite me.

Maybe Zozibini Tunzi being crowned Miss Universe is something to remember.

In fact, I would hate to look back on the year that was.

I would prefer to close my mind and forge a way forward.

All I remember well was that black people continued to make fools of themselves.

Towards the end of the year, they drank as if there was no tomorrow. Maybe they are too stressed.

We begin another year most people have termed a year of double blessings as it is 2020. That I can be sure of. If the January 8 statement by the ruling is the way to go, we should be fortunate.

Let’s forget about the blessings.

As I drove through Symphony Way, I noticed that a 15-year-old girl is still selling herself there.

About 100 metres away, is an elder woman, possibly a mother doing the same.

That is a strange observation but it is there for us all to see. I have also noticed that the guy responsible for load shedding is back to work. He/ she came back on Sunday January 5 when we were left without power again. We are still in the dark when it comes to load shedding.

I would be shocked if in 2020 we will still think that nice times are synonymous to binging. Why black people still glorify booze beats me.

In 2020 it’s shocking that we still have foreign nationals living in the middle of the Cape Town CBD and nobody cares.

Women and children sleeping on the ground of Greenmarket Square. Businesspeople at the square are losing out.

As we start the new year, I guess it is not too much to ask the ANC to deliver on its promises.

South Africans of all races deserve respect from the ANC.

The once glorious organisation should be ashamed of the shameless greed in its ranks.

I have observed that so many things have not changed and are far from it.

So many of my friends think this will be a good year, but I beg to differ and I could only wish them good luck going forward.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Up to now we have no clue what will happen to those who have been mentioned in the Zondo Commission of Inquiry.

We all know that the president and the former president will appear at the commission this year, but for what? After appearing what will happen to them?

The status quo will remain.

The drought that has hit the country is an example of bad things to come. The country is still at war with itself and nobody gives a damn. Municipalities are still corrupt to the core even though some have been put under administration. And we don’t give a damn. All we care for is booze, nice cars and parties.

Citizens must make sure that indeed this year we all find a solution to unemployment, corruption, cadre deployment and crime.

The solution should come from us. I once said this, and I will repeat it: No political organisation will ever resolve our issues.

The solution should come from us, ordinary citizens of this beautiful country.

All these organisations, all they provide is a talk shop.

In the battle against women and child abuse, the solution must come from men.

This should be the year where we come up with solutions. This should be a year where we stop burning roads for sweet nothing. It should be a year where we behave in a good manner. Closing the N2 or a street in the township will not solve anything but cause more misery for us.

Destroying the little infrastructure that we have is taking us backwards.

This year we should protect our schools, parks and playgrounds for our children as well as the roads that we drive on. We are allowed to remain vocal and let’suse that for a good cause.

This year, let’s strive towards that double blessing.