Bellashia Thangathini Mama Africa Vilakazi, Abraham Mbandeni Spokes Vilakazi, Mandla Nichodemus Castro Mababaso, Meshack Msongelwa Corporal Motha and Zwelibanzi Wilson Maseko were commemorated on Saturday for having sacrificed their lives for the country’s freedom.
They are the “Diepdale Five”, who were mowed down with AK-47 assault rifles on September 30, 1993 by IFP members.
This was a wise move by the executive mayor of Gert Sibande District Municipality, Cllr Muzi Chirwa, who used the platform to appeal for unity from the deep rural community of Diepdale, situated near the Swaziland border.
For me, it was a good gesture for the mayor to remember the families and comfort them. What was more appealing was when he also made a promise to the families of the deceased that next year’s commemoration would include visiting the respective families to find out how the municipality could assist them.
It did not end there. He also appealed for a concerted effort from the entire community to ensure that all schoolgoing children in the community took education seriously. He said through education, their lives would be better and they could access all opportunities available.
He also told residents to register their companies and ensure they complied with supply chain prescriptions in order to access the many tenders at the municipality instead of them granting tenders to people outside their region.
I’d dub him Mr Right for his honesty to his subjects. How I wish the country had many more people of his calibre.
This country would be a better place to live in.
This is a wake-up call for the ruling party to take communities’ concerns seriously instead of putting themselves before the people. If I take a look at the unified action taken by coloured communities in Westbury and Eldorado Park against crime and drugs in their communities, it is encouraging to rise up against these social ills.
If all communities could take a stand against these social ills and report drug lords and criminals to the police, our children would grow up in conducive environments and have better role models to look up to.
Let us cease this tendency of glorifying criminals and rise up against them. The police should also play their role in arresting criminals instead of some of them colluding with them.
The powers that be should crack the whip on corrupt cops, because they don’t belong in the force.
