Things we can appreciate about post 1994 South Africa
Although it may not always seem that way, there are a lot of things we can be grateful for about living in post democratic South Africa. Here are a few.
The Oxford dictionary describes the word freedom as: “The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants.” In the modern world, freedom is always relative; one person’s freedom could be another person’s prison. With food, electricity and petrol prices soaring, our politics in a questionable state and our president in disrepute, it may seem like there isn’t a lot of hope in South Africa today, but there is.
There are many things people living in South Africa can be grateful for. Here are a few:
Our protest power is still alive
South Africa has more strikes and protests than any country in the world and most have been resolved with less bloodshed and death than in the days of apartheid. The efforts by political movements such as the Treatment Action Campaign, Fees Must Fall and strikes by workers in general, were not in vain. Many of the protests contributed to the eventual break down of oppressive governmental, corporate structures and changes in legislation to protect future South Africans.
Love across the board is celebrated
South Africa is the only country in Africa that recognises same-sex unions and legally protects love across colour and gender lines. The Constitution of South Africa guarantees equal protection before the law to all citizens regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender and age. Statistics South Africa reports that a total of 3327 same-sex marriages and civil partnerships were registered under the Civil Union Act up to the end of 2011. Love is always something great to celebrate.
There are more transport systems than ever before
In big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town, traditional methods of transport such as taxis, buses and trains have been supplemented by the Gautrain, Riya Vaya and MyCiti Bus. Expansion plans for Gautrain were announced this year with 48 coaches set to be added to its fleet, equivalent to 12 new trains as well as a new depot. This R3.5 billion investment will mean more access to transport for people living in the East, South and West of Gauteng. The City of Ekurhuleni is expected to launch Harambee buses this year as well.
Local business is still booming
While the current state of our economy can be quite depressing, it’s great to know that South Africans always make a plan to survive on their own. According to the Absa SME Index for South Africa in 2013, self-employment was at the highest level since 2009 with 1.2 million self-employed business people in SA. The informal sector contribution to GDP has stayed at five percent from 2001 to 2013. Some researchers have estimated that, in South Africa, small and medium-sized enterprises make up 91% of formalised businesses.
The Arts shine internationally
In ten years, South Africa has won two Oscars, 4 Grammys and international acclaim for film, dance, puppetry and music. The casts of international theatre hits like The Lion King are mainly South African and there are also many local shows like Dada Masilo’s Carmen touring internationally. South Africa has become a filming destination for international movies due to the excellent local technical crews and magnificent scenery. Films such as Oscar winning Mad Max: Fury Road, Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio; and Clint Eastwood’s Invictus were shot here. This is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the success we have achieved internationally.
Quality of life has improved for South Africans
A Department of Trade and Industry survey in 2015 showed that poverty among black South Africans, has declined since 2001. Although not nearly as many people’s lives have changed as many had hoped, it’s not a bad start. A Statistics SA report on the quality of life of ordinary South Africans shows that millions more people today have access to water and electricity, are living in formal dwellings and have telephones and cellphones. More are using public healthcare facilities; and more children are going to school and people have more access to medical facilities.
The next time you feel down about the state of affairs in SA, just remember we have come a long way.
