January is already rolling along, and some might already be struggling to keep up with their New Year’s resolutions.
Resolutions, after all, are all about change. We live in a world of constant change, but how much will change in South Africa in 2020 is yet to be seen.
Over the festive period it was reported that Eskom struggled to keep the Christmas lights flickering, and I’m sure someone was dying to implement load-shedding.
Yet, of course, President Cyril Ramaphosa promised South Africa there would be no such thing, come hell or high water.
So do not expect much to change at Eskom this year, or that any other state-owned enterprise will magically make a profit.
Talking about change, an interesting story that made headlines for good reason was the New Year’s celebrations in Singapore.
While fireworks are synonymous with New Year’s Eve, noise and air pollution are leading some cities to experiment with drone light shows instead of the traditional display.
Singapore stole the show on New Year’s Eve as 500 drones performed in unison, forming a clock, a planet, a diamond and a mythical Merlion, Singapore’s official mascot, which has a lion’s head and a fish’s body. Go and watch the video, it is worth it.
Back home it was, however, business as usual when it came to fireworks. On New Year’s Eve it sounded like World War III as crackers and fireworks exploded for more than an hour.
Before the celebrations, the Ekurhuleni metro warned residents and businesses about the legal implications of selling and setting off fireworks.
They issued a reminder that no person is allowed to discharge fireworks without the prior written consent of the council.
How many people got such permits is the million-dollar question, because it seemed 2019 was the year in which people decided to end the decade with a bang.
While fireworks are fun for some, still people ignore the reality that it is not pleasant at all for animals.
When the craziness rocked into action just before the clock struck midnight, the cat back home was found leopard crawling through the house, absolutely terrified.
Thankfully, the blind Pekingese managed to withdraw deeper into his own darkness, snoring as someone somewhere in the neighbourhood yelled in excitement when another firework exploded, as if he was reliving the Springboks’ World Cup win.
Disturbingly, it was not just the cat and the Maltese that desperately sought shelter from the madness, but my soon-to-be-six-year-old son woke up screaming. For him, nightmares ensued throughout the rest of the morning, all because people did not take into consideration the impact of fireworks.
The next day, Facebook pages were littered with photos and messages of pets that were found roaming the streets following the fireworks nightmare.
The seriousness of such celebrations became a stark reality when a fire at a zoo in western Germany in the first minutes of 2020 killed more than 30 animals, including apes, monkeys, bats and birds, authorities said.
Police said the fire may have been caused by sky lanterns launched to celebrate the new year.
So, yes, personally I welcome change, especially for drones to replace fireworks. And maybe such drones can also replace the ministers in Cabinet – we might have better governance.
And isn’t it funny how midnight on December 31 (or is that January 1?) holds for many an almost magical moment when apparently all their troubles are forgotten and suddenly all is well again?
It is the Cinderella story in reverse, where the pumpkin now turns into a luxurious stagecoach when the clock strikes 12 times. But sadly, such hopes remain but wishful thinking, for nothing magical happens.
It is just an adjustment of attitude that vanishes as soon as you hit the first pothole of 2020, or the power goes off or the refuse bin is again not emptied.
What is certain is that change is inevitable, and such change will most likely be our paying more taxes this year.
For the matrics starting out on their last year at school, enjoy it. Life is great at this stage of your life. So learn, develop yourself and dream big.
To all our readers, we can only hope that things change for the good, but until then, let us buckle up and hold on for another potentially bumpy ride.
