Let common sense prevail

We are only a couple of weeks into the New Year and we are bombarded by the weird, by the bizarre and by the unbelievable.

Heard about the church leader who has come under fire after reports that he made members of his congregation eat grass?

The pastor, who is based in Garankuwa, north of Pretoria, told dozens of followers to eat grass because “it will bring them closer to God”.

The pastor has made headlines globally after images were shown of his followers laying down in a field and furiously munching grass. It has been reported that eating the grass also resulted in miraculous healings.

I am sure some people will want to crucify me for calling this matter bizarre, and judging by all the social media comment, it seems a lot of “believers” are defending the divine qualities of grass.

It also gives a new meaning to the grass being greener on the other side of the fence.

But really? To what levels of weirdness have we stooped where we force people to eat grass. It is called brainwashing, spiritual manipulation and emotional torture.

Sadly, this story has made headline overseas, and jokes are already circulating on social media about congregation members being invited to peoples’ houses because the lawn needs mowing, and that they need to stop smoking the grass.

These jokes may be tongue-in-cheek, but again underlines how our Rainbow Nation, void of the strength of Madiba, keeps playing its crazy card in the poker game of life.

And then, our president keeps making headlines, after he reportedly told a crowd at a pre-election rally he practiced witchcraft against the white people and that the ANC will rule forever.

One has to wonder if Nkandla’s grass needs mowing, then we can bring our President and the pastor together for lunch. One thinks they will enjoy each other’s company.

Let us hope this is what but a rumour, because which President will make a statement regarding practicing witchcraft. Imagine Barack Obama telling America he dances around naked under the moonlight and slaughters chickens for ethnic superiority?

Is this but a sign of the times of how far this country has fallen on the barometer of sanity and civilised behaviour?

It has been reported that 14 pupils scored 100 per cent in mathematics in Gauteng, with the province also recording the top overall mathematic pass rate of 73.6 per cent.

There was also an improvement of maths distinction in the province to 2 177, while there was a rise in the physical science pass rate to 76 per cent.

Keeping this in mind, is it then any wonder that the value of a matric certificate is being questioned, even regarded worthless?

In all honesty, somewhat two decades ago it was one of the greatest achievements in this country to get a distinction in maths and physical science. You had to be like Albert Einstein.

But not anymore. Maybe it is has to do with the fact that there is no more distinction before higher grade and standard grade subjects, or maybe the government keeps buying into the illusion of SA’s greatness.

Take for example the introduction of maths literacy, which is commonly assumed to be the “easy” version of maths, but it has also been hailed as being worthless for science and mathematics careers. Who are we fooling? One had to wonder what grass is the government eating?

And who is duped about the recent achievement of the matric class?

Late last year Basic Education minister Angie Motshekga considered raising the controversial 30 per cent matric pass requirement. No wonder, because if you pass by the skin of your teeth it means you are about 70 per cent incompetent!

How can we send our matrics into the world with applause that that they were only 30 per cent good enough? Madness I cry, and so all the statistics of the rising pass rate is worth about the same as the grass the pastor’s congregation is chewing on.

Have we then settled for the mediocre to the point that we don’t care about being the laughing stock of the world?

These are indeed our weird times we are living in, and despite our opinions, perspectives and comments, please, let some kind of common sense prevail.