A shaky house heads for the pigs

We are referring to the unexpected 5.5 earthquake that hit Orkney, causing damage in the town while aftershocks were felt, according to reports, across the country.

The earthquake in itself caused aftershocks of debates, with the DA questioning Gauteng’s ability to deal with real emergencies and the Freedom Front Plus calling for an immediate investigation (the jury is still out who needs to be questioned for such a travesty of justice).

Whatever caused the earthquake, be it systemic or mining activity, I would rather venture to say the earthquake is symbolic of the ever-increasing tremors in magnitude rippling throughout the government when it comes to providing efficient governance.

Sure, we do not have tsunamis in this part of the world, but our growing domestic problems (unemployment) threatens to sweep the country like a tidal wave, laying waste to our economy and livelihood.

Neither do we have natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes (thank goodness because then no shack is safe), but the inability of the government to keep the raging winds of discontent, disunity and despair at bay poses serious questions to the country’s ability to stay on course for prosper and growth.

For those who missed it, our president was in America, addressing the National Press Club.

Lo’ and behold, Zuma pointed fingers at US President Obama for not doing enough for Africa, while he ventured to help solve the Gaza conundrum, citing how SA had dealt with Apartheid so now it has the means to address this international conflict.

Has Zuma of late paid attention to what is going on and how his own “house” is falling apart? This same President who still has to properly deal with the Nkandla debacle and the arms deal corruption case, is now giving advice to America and Gaza. Really?

While it must be fun to enjoy the high life and travel to the land of the brave, Zuma it seems has turned a blind eye to how destructive members of trade unions run riot through streets causing systemic tremors to our already cripple economy, while the ever deepening crisis of SA’s ability to produce food hardly receives much attention.

Farm murders after all remain rife, while political parties like the EFF, when they are not storming the Gauteng legislature to eat the food, calls for land repossession to aid the previous-disadvantaged.

Sadly, it will not take too long before we sit with the same fiasco as found on the farm of National Council of Provinces chairwoman Thandi Modise, where animals were living under cruel conditions. Many of the animals died of hunger and thirst.

Is this what the EFF envisions? People with no farming skills taking over land and then causing large-scale decay and death, leading to mass starvation?

But despite the turmoil back home, with Eskom calling for another tariff hike, the rand weakening and the price of fuel a natural disaster on its one, our President is more concerned with blaming Obama for Africa’s woes instead of dealing directly with the domestic crisis.

And since when does America, even Obama, owe anything to Africa anymore? Colonial countries who were once involved in Africa, guilty or not for exploitation, have already ploughed back billions in the continent, while also leaving behind valuable infrastructure.

Africa’s problems is not to be blamed on Obama’s apparent apathy as a partly African; it is to be blamed on poor leadership, corruption, maladministration, greed, and disunity caused by the relentless hunger for power and self-enrichment.

And really Mr President, or even the EFF, what does the Gaza crisis have to do with SA? And why valuable insight does SA think it has to offer, while its own house is falling apart?

The Apartheid dilemma that was in existence for a mere five decades, is nothing it comparison to the age old conflict in the Middle East that dates back thousands of years. There is a vast difference when it comes to the complexity of the Gaza issue compared to our days of rule before 1994.

America also learned the lesson countless of times that it is dangerous to stick your nose continuously in foreign affairs at the determinant of one’s domestic stability.

The conflict in Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan has given America a reality shock that one needs to tread very carefully.

But then again, America has this god-like image of itself as the defender of the free world, so such action is expected. What is SA’s excuse? The Madiba honeymoon is long gone, and all is left is for SA to try keeping afloat, feasting on scraps on a local stage, nevermind globally.

As long as the government does not get his own house in order and very quickly, then this country will go to the pigs, no matter what happens in Gaza or the good intentional interventions of Obama.