Punish the guilty and the nation will be able to move on

A recent survey revealed the majority of South Africans believe the country won’t be able to reconcile: if corruption continues to exist and goes unpunished we will not move forward as a nation.

On the Day of Reconciliation yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged SA to find a way to move forward.

“Racism and bigotry no longer define our nation. Where they do occur, they are isolated. Where there have been manifestations of intolerance, we have been able to unite behind the values of tolerance and respect for diversity that define our Bill of Rights,” Ramaphosa said.

According to the survey, most respondents agree that reconciliation is impossible as political parties sow division, those who were affected by apartheid continue to be poor, gender-based violence remains, we continue to use racial categories to measure transformation, and racism in our society remains unaddressed.

“Let us reach out to each other on this day, during this Reconciliation Month, and throughout the year,” Ramaphosa said.

Talk is cheap. Examples need to be made of those that are corrupt. A nation is growing restless. Only decisive action will give the South African people hope our country can change for the better.

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