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As a social scientist who has a passion for social discourse and engages in it, it is painful to realise how we, as South Africans have become a stagnant, lingering nation with no proactive participation in the democracy of this country.
The black people, as history has transparently captured have fought tooth and nail to attain this democracy. Many a man have died and forfeited everything they could have possibly had because they decided to believe in the idea of liberation. These men and women fought the previous regime of apartheid because they believed, it afforded them way less than what they deserved as human beings. They didn’t want to be under a system that didn’t recognise their voice.
As one of the greatest philosophers, Charles de Gaulle stated, Politics is too great a matter to be left in the hands of politicians. However, that’s exactly what we have done as South Africans. We have left the discourse of politics to the politicians. And needless to say, they have dismally failed to handle it in a delicate manner.
The politics of South Africa have become a scramble for personal growth and power. They have become a platform for those that seek fame. Where have you ever heard in the universe of a politician who is a celebrity? Back in the day, they were referred to as revolutionaries. Since when has politics become entertainment?
We have watched and laughed and celebrated all the live performances that we have been afforded in parliament sessions. They are so raw, one realises that they were never rehearsed indeed! The biggest question that arises from this which is also very worrying, is why do we find this sort of behaviour exciting? Have we lost track of the essence of what is to occur in parliament? Do we know that parliament congregates to make decisions about our lives? So when they are busy wasting time, do we know whose time they are actually wasting? And more importantly, do we know whose tax money they are wasting!
There is so much disorder and disorganisation and unfortunate instances that happen at the expense of us enjoying the fruits of freedom of which a heavy price was paid for. Yet instead of directly raising our voices and taking social action against such, we choose to laugh about it! We choose to sweep these matters under the carpet. We choose to be silent. We choose to be stagnant. We choose to linger, to become the lingering nation.
How long and how far are we going to embark on the lingering notion while we watch our country go into decay? What is it going to take for us to realise we need to stand up for our rights? At least, if not for us, for the people who sacrificed their lives for a democratic South Africa.
We have willingly consciously or unconsciously disempowered ourselves. Ours is not the battle of the weapons and guns. Ours is the battle of the mind. We need to conceptualise and comprehend of the situation. This is the only way we shall realise, we need to free our minds from mediocrity in this country. We need to know we deserve better than what is being offered on the table. We need to fight for the restoration of democracy. We need to discard of this mentality of being a stagnant lingering nation, watching our country from a distance. We need to raise our voices. Let us not wait for a non-existent invisible hand to bring solution to the recipe of chaos that is currently brewing in the politics of South Africa.
