A 'good story' for the ruling elite; a tragedy for millions

19 February 2014 - 02:19 By The Times Editorial
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Should we be content with the state of affairs in our nation? The answer should be a resounding "No". A nation that is quite satisfied with how it is administered might just as well outsource its responsibilities.

Last week, in his State of the Nation speech, President Jacob Zuma told us he had a good story to tell.

Indeed, we have overcome many obstacles and changed the face of our country. But, despite what the president would have us believe, the story is far from being rosy.

The changes we have seen in this country were not favours bestowed by the government. We voted the politiciansinto power to do exactly what they are now bragging about.

The ANC accepted the responsibility to govern this nation and take it to a better tomorrow. But what we have experienced is a story that is painful to tell.

What is clear is that ours is a nation that deserves more.

Zuma and the ANC want to narrate a good story based on past achievements. But w hat our people see and experience daily shapes their perceptions and how they feel about their government.

Our people are aware of the past and the difficulties we face. But what many of them cannot accept is the high life that those in power are enjoying. We hear every day of the wastefulness and spectacularly extravagant self-indulgences of our elected officials - paid for with our taxes.

How do we explain to the poor that ours is a good story when billions of rands just vanish under our politicians' watch? It is a betrayal of the struggle when elected public representatives enrich themselves at the expense of the poor.

The story we should all be telling is how we are going to improve the lives of the poor.

It will not help this country if we boast about our proud struggle history and past achievements but are unable to deal with today's issues.

The ANC runs the risk of making its rich legacy irrelevant to the masses.

Our story would be a good one if we were to serve this nation with integrity.

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