Johan van Zyl, Gordon’s Bay
How long is our country’s embattled economy going to be able to absorb the damage done by the escalating service delivery protests that have become fashion on our streets? With alarming regularity the media reports: another school burnt down, more cars or trucks set ablaze in a frenzy of self-rightuous fervour.
It will not be long till Standard & Poor’s and other companies like them will once again lose confidence and the slide into despicable depths will resume. How junky do we deserve to become before our leaders actually put on their thinking caps?
How is it that cash-in-transit robbers successfully attack armoured cars guarded by armed security personnel? It has been said the robbers watch crime movies and learn the ropes. Why cannot the security companies at least do likewise?
Why does it seem the guards are not trained to anticipate attacks and be ready to retaliate forcefully? These are some of the questions that make me wonder.
Our new president’s first 100 days has been met with general satisfaction, but how resilient will he be when the going gets tougher in time? He has a number of confidence-boosting reforms up his sleeve, but the political playing field being what it is, he cannot run straight towards his goal.
His regular walks will help him stay healthy enough, but constant emotional stresses are bound to affect him in the end. He’s human, after all. We should all wish him daily strength in his high office and pray that he may strive forward unflaggingly in his leadership role, for all our benefit.
But human ambition and ability can only go so far. I truly believe the real succour of our land lies with God. As with Israel and Palestine, there’s no foreseeable solution in sight unless a change can be effected to the hearts and minds of people on both ends of the political spectrum.
Even Jacob Zuma, in an enlightened moment, acknowledged that we (read: the people) should pray for the government, but I believe the president and the cabinet
should pray at least as hard, and earnestly, for inner strength and wisdom.
I was just wondering: Too long have we barred God from our government meeting places, from our conference halls and from our schools, and dare I say it here, from our homes and hearts, and now we have the temerity to blame Him because things are going bad.
We are suffering the dissatisfaction of God. To me, that’s an unnerving thought, to say the least.