If one were to describe SA as being a disaster state, that would be a language injustice of canonical magnitude, and a form of lexical disrespect to the word “disaster”.
This former “miracle of the world”, so-called because of its “peaceful” transition to democratic rule just two years short of three decades ago, has degraded into a post-apocalyptic state that is just waiting for a mad man to take reign and declare himself the lord of all that walks this land.
Wait, I think the claim to the stake has been made. Didn’t one ANC deployee tell us that his movement “will rule until Jesus comes back”?
Excuse me for watching too many flicks with stories of lawlessness and power-hungry madmen. Judging by the developments in “our land”, you cannot fault me. The past 13 years have been hell. I am not discounting the first 15 years under the incompetent ANC rule. However, the events of the past 13 years have indicated that this is a land with no hope and just ready for the taking by any power-hungry despot – he will have to wait his turn though. We ain’t seen nothing yet – pun intended.
Several notable events have led to my gnashing of teeth and asking why not just scorch this country off the face of the earth. How does a country’s legislative house burn down, and no sound intelligence update is given other than the tale of a lone man seen in the one building that is supposed to have stringent access control measures?
Last year we watched in disbelief as hundreds of pro-Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill. In case you missed it, it was hundreds – not one.
We have ourselves to blame. We have let the government easily believe that it can just give us a dumb story and serve us with a distraction while avoiding accountability – open up drinking holes until midnight and take attention away from the report of the commission on state capture and who receives it. Geez, we are so gullible it’s not funny.
How many people have dared ask questions about how the State Security Agency (SSA) had six men walking into its headquarters on Boxing Day in 2016 and waltzing off with R50m in foreign exchange. Last year documents and cash “mysteriously” disappeared again at the same SSA headquarters. This is the SSA, which is supposed to be the guardian of the country through its intelligence work.
While on the subject of dead-of-night robberies, in which country does the office of the chief justice get broken into and computers stolen, and the matter just evaporates? South Africa, you guessed correctly ... and strange how all the “robbers” have a penchant for computers.
The rail infrastructure has been stripped and our power utility is suffering major breakdowns, one after the other. Petroleum is being siphoned off the transportation pipeline and shipped to neighbouring countries and sold locally on the black market. Kidnappings and ransom demands are on the rise.
SA is a post-apocalyptic state of ANC henchmen, marauding gangs, power-hungry madmen and us, the gullible citizenry.
Unlike political factionalists, who will use the events in the country to bay for President Cyril Ramaphosa's blood, I put the blame on Luthuli House. The ANC and its factionalism, cadre deployment, careerism, greed and all other ills has broken down the government and turned this country into a land where people are walking around without bare necessities.
Oh well, I guess the perception of what our country is or is heading to depends on where you sit and how close you are to the ruling lawless posse and bandits.
Our country is at the mercy of a movement of power-hungry cliques who do not care about the destruction in their wake. God save us all.
• Malinga is a writer, columnist and author of Blame Me on Apartheid
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