Mzansi will maak ’n plan

Of course I realise we’re in deep trouble – you’d have to be a lunatic to think otherwise. Our economy, which was held together with a few paperclips and a piece of insulation tape before Covid-19, is now undeniably up that notorious creek. And the recent IMF loan isn’t the paddle we need – it’s merely a Christmas bonus for a few people who wear masks for a different reason than most of us do.

Millions of us have lost our jobs. Businesses are closing down. Nine million children are either under- or malnourished. And the situation is likely to become worse. At face value, the situation seems almost impossible. But deep down I know South Africans have always been at their best when confronted by impossible situations.

Take the early ’90s, for instance. A civil war seemed almost inevitable. And then that man Nelson Mandela stepped up and, together with some of the greatest men and women the ANC has ever produced, pulled the miracle of 1994 out of the hat.

South Africans stood together during the Rugby World Cup of 1995, the dark days of the 2009 economic recession, the wonderful 2010 Fifa World Cup here in Mzansi…We, as a nation, are standing together against gender-based violence, against racism, against the coronavirus…

Now we are facing our biggest challenge yet – the scourge of corruption that is stealing the food from the mouths of our children, the roofs that cover the heads of our families. But I’m sure there are better days ahead. People are beginning to stand together. I see it in the streets, in the shops, on social media. We are beginning to realise the economic challenge we are facing is far too big to leave to politicians to handle. We have to take responsibility. And, as always, we will be up to it.

Yes, we need money to rebuild the ruins. The good news is that we have it. The bad news is that it is still in the pockets of corrupt politicians and civil servants. And we as the taxpayers of this country have to insist that Cyril & co retrieve it.

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