My homeland-A change in motion

It was not by default or by mere inadvertent decision that our country was divided on segregation and class. But it was by force of apartheid regime which led, by then, my country into being despondent and despaired nation.

It was a fall into ocean without a rescue, people were divided into racial and ethnical groups that was propelling for the establishment of homelands. This inevitable segregation manifested ten South African homelands, among them QwaQwa land.

My homeland; a land where its oppressors were certain that they will impede its people from progress and from any form of development, however, the dawn of new dispensation came into light, it brighten the dark and doomed nation’s land from which legend were born, conquerors were breed, intellectuals moulded and the serenity of fountain built.

During post apartheid era, my land was surely but slowly flourishing from the disdain on which a seed of liberation germinated and resulted into an agents of change, a change in motion among the residents of QwaQwa. Undoubted, beholders can indeed discern and identify variably changes which have emerged and are still emerging. I’m talking about changes in health, education, socioeconomic aspects, infrastructural development and peace of mind among residents. 

Although we are glad to have these changes during our democratic dispensation, actually we still have prominent challenges incessantly which require level headed people who are pure from pursuing corrupt activities  on people’s needs. It is the aim of this essay to outline the achievements which were attained versus the challenges which are still prevailing post apartheid era.

QwaQwa land which was historically known as a poor and devastated land, amid its struggle and turmoil. The reign of his excellence chief honorable T.K Mopeli, has lighten the lamp of a beginning dawn of a change. Schools were built abundantly during post apartheid era, a salient signage of priority for education.

This change instill a passion and eagerness in a black child’s hungry mind for education, they capitalized and remained afloat on their misery by drawing contentment and serenity from education. From its stomach of colleges, scholars were graduated; leaders were born, born from the famine garnered from deprivation and stagnation.

It is by no chance that one cannot, in any how, ignore the pride drew from rusty, rocky land. Situated in shallow and hallow geographical scale, infrastructural development came into sight, during those hardships our forefathers and fore-mothers were gifted with the craftsmanship of building muddy houses or hut, sculpturing rocky homes for their families, the aftermath that was eradicated by the new regime of the democratic government.

New dispensation liberated my land by provision of well ventilated, built houses. Although human settlement was a stumbling block for the betterment of our people, these houses were established to co-exist with the priority of upholding human rights for access to proper living standards and safety. It could have not been made possible if it was not by the incumbency of democratic government to eradicate shacks which beautify my land with their splendid, shinny structures.

Although they were erected with the aim of sheltering, it was difficult to, in return, receive conventional standard of living that will protect my people’s land from heart felt pain of winter.

 Land distribution came evenly among residents; people reaped the sweat of their toil and drudgery from democratic government by receiving convenient access to health. Hospitals were built; a sanctuary for all who suffered acute and chronic diseases was brought into land. People benefited from the services of Elisabeth Ross hospital, which provided ‘her’ services without any form of discrimination.

‘She’ ascertains that every person irrespective of their racial or class factors are well catered and have access to suitable medical treatment. It was not only the born of this beautiful daughter, Elisabeth Ross, that our people were freed from substandard services of health. But again it was by the blessing of another daughter, Mofumahadi Manapo Mopeli Hospital that in addition the people’s health was taken into the heart beat of our politicians and social leaders.

These were changes which residents of Qwa-qwa sang the melodies of praise and appreciation for their then and current leaders. How do we attribute these changes as improvement to my people’s land? It is because anciently people suffered from medical related problems due to absent of essential health facilities.

In contrast, child mortality rate was very high, very high in that sense that we had no significant and sufficient resources let alone facilities to handle delicate situations like labour and surgical duties during delivery.

How can a son of a man turn a blind eye from seeing the new trends of businesses? How can a daughter of a wailing woman, fail to appreciate and embrace the equality brought within business opportunities? How can a self proclaimed handicap child of a land restrain himself to crap the empowerment brought by our democratic government?

They all came to a sudden halt, they scrutinized the situation and shared the laughter that came from deep harden heart and distraught. This was a situation that inhaled breathe of a new minds, a situation that exhale breathe of a sigh.

 A sigh that lamented the failures of oppressors by venturing into businesses, in contrast, my people’s land got the opportunity to establish their businesses. The likes of a well renowned entrepreneur Thomas Nkgatho, a founder and CEO of Bibi enterprise, it was only by our democratic government that enabled him to realize his goals, and actualized their plight for reviving, empowering and creating thousands of job opportunities among the land, people’s land.

Behold, mode of transport was not an easy and convenient model to have, surely it was difficult to travel from one place to another without one experiencing several challenges.  These challenges were based on road development and scarcity of vehicles, we had no roads to make traveling more exciting and interesting. Our people used horse-cart as a mode of transport, these horse-carts was very crucial for carrying daily duties and activities for their survival. Namely, our forefathers plough and cultivate crops using oxen which tended the soil by boiling carts.

Post apartheid and antics methods of farming came depleted as tractors were brought into farms; infrastructural development was made possible roads. That’s where variety of mode of transports emerged from taxis to private car usage, taxis are very operational to ferry commuters from their deep rooted houses into a shopping centre called Setsing complex. Currently, this complex has become a huge harbour of economic activities as diverse enterprises are vividly accessible. I’m talking about trade stores like Truworths, Total sports, green and Richards, and many more.

All thanks to the preamble of South African constitution, the cornerstone that converge all people from different walks of lives. The essence of peace, a milestone that has purged away all injustices and brought attitudinal and perceptional reforms, this piece of paper enshrined a bill of rights.

A bill which has empowered people to have formations of religious and traditional groups, an entitlement that was substantially deprived from my people’s land, it was by this drastic change that my people’s land attained enormously a peace of mind. A peace of mind from tribulation of discrimination, a peace of mind from inequality, today, because of this anecdote, we are pride to proclaim victory from a freedom of choice.

A choice of enrolling your child to any educational institution, a choice of affiliating and conforming to certain values, principles, traditional practices and norms, yesterday it was not a choice a man’s child can undertook by licking his lips. All because of injustices brought by apartheid regime, however, these biting flies of regime vanished into a thin air like a vapour. All because of democratic government, although it is beyond reproach to deny the fact that changes are still emerging, and changes are still in motion.

It is actually within our rights to appraise changes which came into the land to give its people a peace of mind.

Indeed it is a change in motion, a change which we have harmoniously engaged ourselves into its resilient armpit. Democratic government liberated my people’s land from socio-economic stress, having to endure odd jobs for long time. My people’s land treasured the pleasure of digging their hands into sustainable jobs brought by factories, manufactures and enterprises. Shopping centres were built to create job opportunities, labour acts were amended from the rigid status quo to flexible swing of a ride.

As this transition made it possible for farmers to register their employees for all benefits which are due to them. Although my land cannot give birth to sustainable jobs, it has actually empowered its people to venture into these factories and enterprises to earn a living wage. An outcome we the people of the land embrace, simply because exploitation was minimized and eliminated to inculcate the culture of justice, equality and humanity.

The wet of our tongues cannot grow dry from reciting edible changes which were brought by democratic government. Our teary eyes cannot cease from dropping weary tears when we reminiscent the past. However, we are a proud nation; we are contented generations that draw its fulfillment from all countless changes which were brought by new dispensation. Contrary, with confidence and conscious mind we do consider gaps which need to be bridged. We are mindful of a track of time that has transcended its pace on delivering services to our people. The workload is still immense but very auspicious, as we are confident that our democratic government will still make provision of sustainable, solid jobs for our land.

Make provisions of proper sanitation and sewage systems; revive the falling nation from the fierce of poverty by creating auspice systems of support for youth development and empowerment. My land was affectionately known as a land where a thief’s feet is not seen; today because of excessive changes of freedom that notion is no longer popular as crime has doubled its toll. However, we are still confident that our land will be released from a high rate of crime by bringing sustainable opportunities which will totally eliminate elements of crime.

It is not only crime that institutes the element of concern but we are also anxious about the state of tourism in our land. Our land geographically characterizes beautiful landscapes, valleys, mountains, dams and attractive forests. However, tourism centers are greatly required to revamp the socio-economic activities which will benefit people’s land. These centres will enlighten the struggle of getting jobs and maintaining subsistence within our communities.

It is not only tourism centres that are required; we also need hotels and hospitality monuments, natural conservation centers, and railways. These centers will contribute significantly into growth domestic product as they will generate income for the land and its people.

It is a call uproariously made from my people’s land to the democratic government, for it to centralize rural development on its agenda. Expedite the service delivery to our people from health to justice systems effectively without perverted officials.

It shall be granted in due course as we are proudly patient South Africans, the Rome was not built in two days because of the temperament its people had. A change in motion shall indeed be a motion of a change, as my homeland has spread its wings to navigate the altitude that determines A CHANGE IN MOTION. VIVA QWA-QWA VIVA!