Saturday 5 May 2012

Do we have the government that we deserve? by Malaika wa Azania

by Malaika Wa Azania on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 1:18pm ·
There are very few instances in history where a minority has been able to oppress a majority for too long without the latter finally breaking free from the chains of that oppression.The tsarist regime in Russia was one such case,but it was not too long that the people revolted.The French monarchy suffered the same fate when,for the poor,bread became of such great importance that in 1789,the masses had to destroy the Bastille to make the King realise that they wanted it and they wanted it NOW! This should tell us something: although legally,the government is the representative of the people,in actually fact,it is the people who are a representative of themselves and it is them who can choose their path and determine their destination.

Millions of South Afrikans have a common problem: they hate the status quo and more than that,they are disgruntled with the ANC's continued inability to provide services that are of fundamental importance to the unemployed and destitute masses.This common problem is echoed everyday on opinion pieces in newspapers,in taxis,on the streets,in resturants as people share miseries of life over their genetically modified lunches and imported alcholol bottles.It is echoed my millions who converge on social networks and most importantly,by those brave enough to inhale tear-gas and confront a sea of trigger-happy law enforcers during service delivery protests.Its clear: the people have had enough.

The argument,more than about lack of service delivery,is about the incompetency of the government.It's about the inability of a few hundred men and women in parliament,provincial legislatures et al,to see past their stuffed faces to the immediate needs of the masses.
However,there's something very wrong about this picture that begs for critical analysis.

WHO IS THE GOVERNMENT?
The government of SA is democratically elected every 5 years,by the sane people of the country.When people cast a vote in favour of a particular party,it's because people believe that party to have the ability and potential to deliver to them.To believe this,people must've seen the results prior,or to have been dogmatised enough to believe that there are any results worth seeing.So,when,for 17 years,people have been ticking the same spot on the ballot paper and nothing significant happens,it means that:
>people are robots that are incapable of thinking for themselves
>people truly believe that the party will deliver (eventually)
>people see no strong alternative and so,would rather stick with the devil they know best
Nomatter what the reason may be,the fact that remains is that people decide whom they want in power,and they use the power of the ballot to make their voices heard.
The power that the people yield is stronger than that yielded by anyone and any political party.So if people are powerful enough to place or keep a party in power,then it's clear: the people are bigger and more powerful that the government itself.

CAPITAL vs THE PEOPLE
South Afrika's population currently stands at a staggering 52million.More than half of these people are unemployed.5,3 million are infected with the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic.Over 2million have dropped out of school and more than 25million rely on social welfare for survival.This is a lot of people who should be angry!

Another angle to be considered is the socio-economic demographics.The wealth of the country is concentrated amongst a minority but sustained by a majority.The minority have complete control over factors of production (land,capital,labour and enterprise) but it is the majority that a)supplies the labour b)generates the capital by managing the resources,from machinery to infrastructure c)have just as much ability to access natural resources by virtue of occupying land and d)determine the effectiveness of enterprise.
This clearly shows us that infact,it is the majority that can create an economic standstill if it wants to,and it is them who can render this country ungovernable by challenging the powers that be-capitalists.

South Afrikans are,historically,a very radical people.Centuries of being oppressed have created of us,fearless people.Like the people of Palestine,who have been victims of zionism for centuries and are now prepared to strap themselves up to bomb the Israelites who have taken away their land,the people of SA too have been victims of capitalism,of racism for too long that they ought to be prepared to stand before those in power who have taken away their humanness.So why is this not transpiring?

The reasons are not as simple as they seem,perhaps because the magnitude of the systematic soporification and level of defeatism that was accelerated by the failure of the armed struggle that should've sparked a revolution,is underestimated.Our people have lost so much in so many ways.
Nevertheless,the questions must be asked: have we become complacent and content with the status quo? Are we not angry enough?

Or do we have the government that we deserve?

No comments:

Post a Comment