Not much comment has been made about the seven traffic cop job applicants who died during a 4km run, part of a fitness test at the Harry Gwala stadium, Pietermaritzburg, in December. Why?
Much has been made of the Marikana massacre.
The Pietermaritzburg incident involved 120000 people applying for 90 jobs: I repeat, 90 positions.
The 120000 were "short-listed" down to 34000. These 34000 had to undergo fitness tests including a 4km run with a cut-off time. Six people died of dehydration and another later committed suicide.
This is a tragedy of epic proportions and exposes much of what is wrong with this land.
Racists and cynics will say that only the fit should have applied but the real issue is the desperation that drove 34000 people to show up for 90 jobs and the desperation that drove six of them to run themselves to death, as well as one to commit suicide for missing the cut-off. For 90 jobs!
This is an indictment of our society. Not just because of the numbers but because of the helplessness of it all.
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