My beef about bossy people

I’m a champion for personal rights, which causes an uncomfortable itch when it comes to authority. Some people are born with a high-handed approach to others, and in the most severe cases they become politicians. Which explains government’s stance since lockdown started.

It’s not Covid-19 that turned Uncle Cyril’s New Dawn into the New Dusk. It’s his government’s irrational love of meddling. Take the smoking ban, for example.

But I have mixed feelings about the alcohol ban, thanks to the hooligans next door. They have been boozing it up for months now, indulged in gender-based violence and foul language, beat up some of the teenagers in the complex and made an overall nuisance of themselves.

Complaints to the managing agents fell on deaf ears. We have to speak to the police, they said. Which several neighbours did. Eventually the owners of the unit gave their boozing tenants their marching orders.

Someone else, however, took matters into their own hands. When we woke up on Saturday morning, a collection of extremely harsh accusations were written in permanent marker on the neighbours’ booze-stained white car. Most of them labelled the offensive neighbours as women abusers and bullies.

The managing agents suddenly changed their view on criminal behaviour and launched an investigation, which, of course, is no surprise. Bossy people who can’t get elected often become sectional title managing agents. I don’t condone the automobile art – it’s libel and vandalism. Not to mention bad spelling. But the sooner the end of the month arrives and the nasty neighbours pack their vandalised vehicle for good, the better.

Meanwhile, I will remain quiet about the liquor ban. As long as some people can’t accept that personal liberty comes with responsibility, the millions of mature South Africans who enjoy the odd drink responsibly have to suffer. If we can now only find a way to accommodate the tax shortfall. And the needs of restaurateurs. And the thousands who work in the booze industry. Sigh.

There’s a difficult road ahead. If only politicians could put their meddling on lockdown and concentrate on our limping economy.

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