Build or break?
South Africa currently has several problems. Financial woes must rank as the worst: infrastructure problems, service delivery, strikes, investment ratings etc are all related to one factor: too little economic activity to service all.
The solution every politician should be thinking about is how to counter the cause of the problem: be it political problems, world economy or even a new virus. The problem should be identified, neutralized or countered, and the economy stimulated in an accepted fashion. But, as is often the case, those who are tasked with managing the situation are seperated into men or boys when pressure rises.
It is actually interesting to watch the men at work: some lose sleep over possible solutions; some develop ulcers without solving anything; some believe that doing nothing is best, and some lose their heads while blaming everyone but themselves. I know men who hit their women when they find themselves impotent!
I have been watching Orania for some time now and have never seen them blaming anybody for what they do not have or cannot do. I DO however see regular reports of them trying to build, improve or protect their vulnerable. But then I also see reports of people unable to improve their own situation and blaming Orania for their incompetence! But I am endlessly impressed by one recent tweet by a citizen opposed to Orania. TheRogue123 has the following solution:
“Black people must buy land around Orania and start a Private town. Then orania and it can compete. Let’s demonstrate black excellence.”
I do not agree with his (her?) aim, but I fully appreciate the absolute absence of wanting to break anything. The primary aim is to build and thus compete and thereby being in line with what we do on a daily basis in sport (which I believe all people in South Africa have no issue with). We never aim to kill our soccer opponents or athletic competition but will do our best to outrun or trick them and thus give pleasure to spectators. Win or lose, the nett effect is good for everybody, if not the loser’s ego.
If you have to kill, break or eliminate the opposition, you have already lost respect even if you eventually succeed in being the winner and possibly the only survivor. In that case, it is war and not sport.
Gabriel Gunther is a free enterprise protagonist and lay commentator.
Die menings van onafhanklike skrywers is nie noodwendig die van die Orania Beweging nie.
