Under your watch Mr President, government has failed the people

Dear Mr President, being a patriotic South African who enjoys entertaining.

I hosted a braai at my place on Saturday and invited a mate and his wife around to watch the rugby Test between the Springboks and the All Blacks.

We enjoyed a fantastic day, with good food and a good result, and everyone was in a good mood as they prepared to head off home.

My guests got into their car in my driveway and I used my remote to open our gate for them.

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While we were saying our final farewells, four armed men stormed into the driveway and assaulted and robbed us.

My mate was hit in the face with the butt of a pistol and sustained a nasty cut on his lip and severe bruising, and I was struck on the head, which resulted in a wound and subsequent infection that manifested in the gland under my left ear.

They stole wallets with cash and cards, including ID cards and driving licences, the gate remote and car keys.

Their intentions were obviously to steal the cars. My wife managed to escape and run into the house, where she immediately alerted our blockwatch.

Unfortunately, our assailants obviously realised the game was up and they managed to escape before the first patrol car got there.

I outline the above for context and all the finer details are unimportant.

What is important is this: my question to you, Mr President, is why this happened and why it is becoming an everyday occurrence in our once beautiful country.

And I think I know the answer. Our government, currently under your watch, has failed the people.

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It has failed in terms of delivering basic services; it has failed in terms of provided the promised jobs; it has failed in curtailing corruption among those in positions of authority; it has failed in terms of providing decent housing to a vast sector of the population; it has failed in protecting the innocent citizens of this land and it has failed in taking measures to curb the rampant rise in the cost of living.

In short, it has failed in every aspect of good governance.

Interestingly, on being alerted by my wife, our blockwatch patrollers immediately called the police station, which is about a kilometre from our house.

About an hour after the dust had settled, a police van drove slowly up, parked in the street and, after a brief conversation between one of the officers and one of the blockwatch patrollers, went on its merry way.

Apparently they had a “more pressing emergency” to attend to.

Now to my point: I don’t condone what those four drugged-up, wild-eyed youngsters did to us on Saturday night.

But I fully understand why they did it. People are desperate, Mr President. They are desperate for a decent education.

If they are fortunate enough to get a decent education, they are desperate for jobs that pay a living wage (I know of university graduates who cannot get work despite trying, sometimes for years).

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They are desperate for decent housing. They are desperate to provide the basics for and to feed their starving families.

Our assailants used one of my credit cards for a R100 tap-and-go transaction before I had the opportunity to block it.

I wasn’t surprised to see that the transaction was for “groceries”. Not alcohol. Not cigarettes. Groceries. Does that surprise you, Mr President?

I implore you to show some backbone and take a firm stand to turn things around (if it is not already too late).

I had such faith in you when you were appointed to the highest office in the land.

Please prove to me that my faith wasn’t misplaced and display those leadership characteristics you so obviously have, as illustrated by your successes in the business world.

Please, Mr President, while we still have something worth repairing.

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