Cry for our beloved country

Forget the The Real Housewives of Durban and Living the Dream with Somizi, if you haven’t yet noticed, we are now going through the season finale of The South Africa Show, which definitely needs a Netflix special and Oscars for our main characters.

The events across SA these past few years have rattled many of us, especially those who have been caught up in this turf war, from the Zondo commission, to the R22 million flag and now President Cyril Ramaphosa’s alleged scandal.

Trying to wrap my head around everything that is going on in this country is similar to watching Game of Thrones. One minute I’m following this story line and then next I’m lost in the mess that is our country.

SA has finally come to its knees at the hands of politics, no matter the party, faction or leader; we as a country have been poorly served by our politics which has been reflected by corruption, tribalism, greed and, sadly, the self-indulgent political agendas which have come out to play.

People usually say politics is a dirty game, only now have I learned that it is not a cliché.

The betrayal and backstabbing which I’ve seen just on the outside in politics and political campaigns, the level of lies, dishonesty and fake promises is enough to last me, my kids and my grandkids a lifetime.

What’s happening in South Africa today is bound to destroy an entire generation if it’s not fixed; the killings, the vigilante uproars, looting, unemployment, homelessness, collapsing public healthcare, rampant corruption, gender-based violence, lack of accountability and deep mistrust in the government.

Every bit of crisis is contributing to the ultimate doom of our country – all thanks to politics.

ALSO READ: Unemployment rise: We are a country under siege from those we have put into power

It’s a long list of fails for the majority of South Africans – the lack of access to clean drinking water, an ineffective police force, a stuck land redistribution programme, the lack of access to decent education and healthcare, rampant racism and lack of jobs has sparked fury and anger among South Africans and brewing violence.

The South African democratic journey has shown nothing but poverty, inequality, unfair and unjust political heritage, which has continued to benefit those in power and take away from those who have always lacked.

The reality of our constitutional democracy doesn’t touch sides with people’s everyday realities.

Our government is just not hearing its people, no matter the party, and whether it’s those in charge or those who want to be in charge – everybody is just missing the plot.

The politics of our nation is a perfect source for good television, Mzansi Magic’s The Republic perfectly mirrored present-day South Africa, the political battles that happen at the top with the hungry and greedy and frustrated citizens feeling ignored and betrayed.

Although many wish The Republic’s storyline was not inspired by the crisis that is our country, I just hope that the true cost of allowing leaders in this country to defend the indefensible and fail to hold each other accountable does not end up destroying and undermining our democracy and future.

So, in the coming years as we celebrate Freedom Day and any other holiday which marks our democracy, remember that disorder and dysfunction are still the order of the day, because much of the great legacies of the “iconic struggle” are tarnished beyond recovery.