Pataki worried about state of the nation

The seemingly ceaseless torching of both public and private property, including schools and tertiary institutions, the unarrested culture of violence associated with protest mobilisation against poor service delivery are among the many other ills lending hand to a South Africa that already appears unbalanced in the face of its world peers.
This was the message of Mautji Pataki, Chairperson of the Ethical Foundation for Leadership Excellence when he addressed the University of Limpopo’s Faculty of Humanities Spring Lecture Series last Wednesday.
He stated that whereas the Constitution sought to build a cohesive society that embraces democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights as the departure point for the new South Africa, the people have become even more polarised with tendencies of racism, ethnicity and inequality and feeding into the social fabric of a society that could have been otherwise around these noble values.
“We see racism manifesting itself in schools, universities, churches, sports and in many other public spaces. In a sense, as we saw how racist rules and codes of conduct are still used in institutions such as Pretoria High School for Girls to perpetuate a wrong and an illegal act. In essence South Africa has been selective in living up to the dictates of our Constitution failing to advance the cause of the poor, depriving land to the landless, allowing the affluence to ride roughshod over the less advantaged while refusing the majority access to quality education and health facilities,” alluded Pataki.
He also referred to the 2012 incident in Marikana where 34 miners were killed as the worst incident South Africa suffered under the democratic constitution. “The miners were appealing for better wages and working conditions and yet were mauled down. The result of this massacre is that the number of widows and orphans multiplied yet those responsible for raking home huge profits and the expense of the poor miners continue to live with their families in comfort and affluence,” Pataki told the gathering.
The series included speakers from different walks of life who addressed different topics including politics, sport, leadership, technology and education.

Story and photo: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za

Featured photo: Mautji Pataki, Chairperson of the Ethical Foundation for Leadership Excellence during his address at the University of Limpopo.