Anarchy is defined in the Collins English Dictionary as: "General lawlessness and disorder, especially when thought to result from an absence or failure of government ... the absence of any guiding or uniting principle; disorder; chaos."
That could be our destination if we're not careful.
The attainment of democracy 24 years ago this week raised expectations that people's lives would improve. Democracy did not merely mean having the vote, but that the economy, free from sanctions and the shackles of apartheid, would churn out well-paying jobs. Schools, desegregated and with well-qualified teachers, would produce top-notch skills for an economy that would grow. Hospitals would be run by caring staff and there would be adequate medicine. And the soaring crime rate, the country's Achilles heel, would be a thing of the past.
Hopes were high, and they've now been deflated. Many of these things haven't happened. In many cases, the situation has become worse. To the majority, freedom remains a mirage. They have yet to see its dividend. Some even believe that life was better under apartheid, which is an indictment.The ANC returned from exile riding a wave of support, but it has just about messed things up. Government dysfunction is what is holding the country back; it has triggered nationwide discontent. The government is not working for the people who elected it.
The ANC started out with some promise. Those snaking queues of South Africans on April 27 1994 had the hope that, at last, the marginalised would have people in the government who not only looked like them but represented them, spoke for them and indeed would serve them. The ANC did mess up from time to time, but there was a genuine attempt to serve.
That's all history now. The ANC is seen to represent corruption and incompetence. And it's not only its enemies who say so. No better an authority than President Cyril Ramaphosa himself was unsparing in his criticism of his party's missteps during the ANC presidential contest.
But what stokes the disillusionment now is not only the lack of service delivery occasioned by incompetence and corruption; it is a feeling of exclusion. While apartheid excluded people by virtue of colour, the new dispensation unfortunately has its own haves and have-nots. ANC members and those close to them are "deployed" to cushy jobs in the government, get handed state contracts, live in plush suburbs and drive fancy cars.The poor, meanwhile, can only gawk in awe and amazement at the opulence that is at last so close and so visible, but that they can neither experience nor enjoy. While the government has failed to provide basic services for the poor, it has at the same time become a generous cash cow for the rich, the powerful and the connected. The contradiction is both stunning and maddening. It's Animal Farm all over again. The pigs are having a great time.
This has unfortunately led many to believe that democracy is a failed experiment. They have turned to other alternatives to make their voices heard. Wanton destruction of property seems to be the preferred way.
We're witnessing a level of destruction probably not seen in the country's history, save in war. It is as wilful as it is brazen and incautious. People commit crimes in full view of the police.
The 1976 unrest, for instance, was led by young people and the targets were mainly beer halls and township administration offices. By burning beer halls activists were killing two birds with one stone: crippling the township administration's ability to raise revenue and discouraging black people from drinking alcohol.
But these days it's just mindless destruction by adults who loot shops and torch buses, buildings and other facilities that their communities sorely need. What they cannot steal, they set on fire. And they get away with it.
The police, post-Marikana, have almost abdicated responsibility. At Moses Mabhida Stadium last week, for example, soccer fans invaded the pitch, beat up security personnel and caused damage of more than R2-million in the presence of the police. We were later informed that two people had been arrested. Maybe we should celebrate, but what happened to the many other culprits, some of whom brazenly carried stolen equipment out of the ground?The lack of retribution or official condemnation encourages such lawlessness. And the fact that authorities are quick to listen to people involved in riots only encourages copycats.
Official response is key. Ramaphosa, after his meeting in Mahikeng last week, gingerly skirted the issue of violence. Where a firm and unambiguous condemnation of lawlessness was called for, what we got was a mealy-mouthed nothingburger - a missed opportunity.It was a mistake for him to cut short his UK trip. It's not his job to go around putting out fires. There was nothing he could do that could not have been done by people back at home. As it turned out, he held a series of meetings only to decide to hold another meeting. Wasn't David Mabuza supposed to be the acting president?
By curtailing his visit, Ramaphosa not only drew international attention to a localised crisis, he botched up his message at the Commonwealth summit, which was that South Africa was a safe and secure destination for foreign investment.
Granted, people have genuine grievances and the government seems, in most cases, deaf to their pleas. Protest peacefully, yes, but there's no justification whatsoever for violence in a democracy. Those who create mayhem should be dealt with firmly. Failure to do so will only encourage a state of anarchy...