ANC must grow up, take responsibility for SA’s future and stop blaming the past

Life is not fair. Not by a long shot. Some kids are driven to school by chauffeur, dressed in clothes that cost enough to feed a small village for a week.

Others have to walk miles, barefoot, crossing rivers where they sit under a tree while a teacher tries his or her best to unlock the world of reading and writing. It’s called life.

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But if you think that’s unfair, imagine your first day at school: the teacher asks all the children to introduce themselves and you have to state that you are called “Tau” Techno Mechanicus. Don’t blame the teacher if he or she asks whether you come from Brakpan.

Really… Next to little Tau is Jackson. The “boys vs girls” class quiz has Jackson confused. Although he has a ding-a-ling, he’s been raised as a ding-dong-dairybelle.

Now, somewhere along the line of time, all these kids will hopefully grow up. And trust me, the whole lot of them will blame their parents. Some because their parents are poor, some because they were given funny names and some because they were dressed oddly. And as adults, they will have to deal with it.

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They will have to consciously decide whether they want to play the blame game for life, or whether they are prepared to put some effort into getting over their childhood and take responsibility for their own life path.

At the age of 18, it’s easy to blame one’s parents. However, by the time one reaches 50, that kite doesn’t fly any more. The question asked then, is what have you done to excel, despite your past.

The same applies to the ANC. Somewhere along the line, the ANC will have to grow up, take responsibility for the country’s future and stop blaming the past. I understand that the ANC took over a dysfunctional society. And I agree the ANC had good cause and reason to blame the past.

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But we are now at the point where blaming apartheid for everything is like blaming grandparents. At 18, a crap childhood deserves sympathy. But at 50, blaming your upbringing is just pathetic.