Tisha

The “State of the Nation” address is coming up soon and I kind of feel like a summary ahead of time will be a great sense check for where we are. It might also give us some insight into how “in touch” that guy is who “hides money in his couch”. This is going to be a long one but I hope you stay to the end. Around 61 million people now live in South Africa. It’s estimated that approximately 55.5% (30.8 million people) of the population is living in poverty at the national upper poverty line (because the government now has 3 stages of poverty) which means this group earn less than R1,558 per month. While a total of 13.8 million people (25%) are living in extreme poverty... meaning they don’t eat every day. But in 2019 - the last time I could find these stats - it was said that over 90% of the South African population live WITHOUT dignity. NINETY PERCENT. And I guess that ties back to the shocking unemployment in our country. Over 60% of our school leavers can’t find jobs, while 39.8% of our degreed adults can’t find work either. Eish would be a great word to use here. Our murder rate in 2023 was sitting at 75 people a day. The highest it’s ever been. And somehow, I say that number without thinking about the humans no longer here. 27,494 people were murdered in South Africa last year. I just went cold. We started 2023 with a mass killing in a club and then the headlines continued daily with horrible murders, rape, sadness and tragedy. But the reality is that most crimes go unreported. And there were countless South Africans who faced hijackings, home invasions, gender-based violence, and other tragedies. I think I need a hug now. And even though the Minister of Police rattles off the stats with pride (like he's done something right), because so many crimes go unreported... it’s far, far worse. Well done Shuuuurup. Our infrastructure is falling apart. Loadshedding has never been worse. Our water is being turned off every other week (ours went off at midnight last night). If you don’t drive a 4x4 in Joburg by now, then you must be at level 100 in avoiding potholes. And everything around us is just getting more expensive. Food. Petrol. Housing. Those damn Woolworths Bags. EVERYTHING is more expensive! Oh, and South Africa has just achieved its lowest score EVER on the corruption index. Ever. Go us! So that’s a VERY top-level summary of what the government have done. Or haven't done? But in my area (and many parts of the country), South Africans are doing everything to just get on with it. To make it better. To do the things the government don’t (or won't). We have charities who keep feeding, clothing and homing the nation. We have businesses that have the most incredible "corporate social investment" strategies. We have private companies up-skilling our youth to try to find them work. We have private citizens and companies doing everything in their power to keep us safe. We even have people at the robots (who probably don’t have homes) directing the traffic. Friends, I saw a traffic officer being "shown the way" the other day and was like, what in the Twilight Zone is going on here?!?! I digress. We have people fixing the roads, the potholes, the beaches, the verges, the street lights and even building toilets at schools… literally “ doing the everything” because if we don’t, who will?! We have companies that have opened that have become all the things that the government used to do... our postal services, our airlines, our fire stations, our hospitals, our schools, and even our radio and TV stations are all now privatised, profitable and performing better than ever. And then there are those who are lucky enough to have done something to ensure that loadshedding and watershedding are mitigated so that they can continue living (or doing business) without being totally impacted by that mess. We have the people of South Africa!!! So when the President stands up on the 8th of February to tell us about all the “good work” his inflated cabinet thinks they have done over the last year, please remember the fire pools, the expensive cars, the blue-light brigades, the really expensive (and really tacky) Dolce and Gabbana tracksuits, the poverty, the crime, the corruption and all the money in the couches. Remember - even when the Bokke remind us how strong we are together - the government try to divide us with their rhetoric. And then remember your community. Think about the incredible people in our country doing so much good. The kindness. The Ubuntu. And the way we are able to get things done despite the government. The Stronger Together! And then remember to register to vote. And then please - for the love of our country - go and vote. Imagine the “State of our Nation” with a government that actually just did its job? Ja, now that would be something else. Okay. Love you. Bye.