so, I have not written anything for a while as I have been thinking about some serious matters and their possible solutions.
The truth is that any “serious matter” depends greatly on point of view.
For a person living in a squatter camp, a serious problem, most of the time, involves survival.
For me, a low income, borderline middle class individual: I have shelter where I can sleep semi safely. I have food. I have access to electricity and good quality drinking water. So, I have the luxury of having time to think about things I consider important, from my point of view.
South Africa is a great country. Yes, we have a lot of problems but we also have so much to be truly thankful and very grateful for.
Many of my South African brothers and sisters struggled and died for decades to give all South Africans freedom.
Truth is, right now, South Africa is probably the most free society on planet earth.
We also have many problems.
Like the United States of America and many other countries, South Africa is unstable.
Instability in South Africa is caused by social factors, simple things, like blankets in winter, food to eat, electricity and water. a place to call home, with hard walls and not a box or a mkuku.
Instability in South Africa is caused by a broken Justice system, a predjudiced system of Justice where Justice serves the rich and maybe up to the 5% of the people. Supreme Court cases is rotten with something called: The Stalin Defences, where some Supreme Court Cases last DECADES and tie up the high courts forever. Simply reading press reports on the activities of the all powerful and elite group of lifetime appointed Judges, it seems that some Judges are controlled by wealthy groups. Why are Judges appointed for life? Why are there so many white skinned judges and why does it seem that some of the recently appointed judges lack simple knowledge, depth and insight? We have a sometimes dysfunctional court system, where one person is able to destroy another person, with the help of an aggressive prosecutor. justice in our great country is broken.
To start fixing the Judicial system:
Judges should no longer be appointed for life but for a fixed period of time. Like 5 years or maybe 10 years. Judges should be ELECTED by voting from ALL attorneys and advocates in South Africa. LEGAL DEMOCRACY. Candidate attorneys MUST spend two to four years, assisted by their principals, to provide FREE legal service to the 95% of South Africans with no access to the courts.
There are other reforms URGENTLY required by the Judicial system, but the two above has to happen first.
To start fixing the Administrative system:
The most important and SINGULAR thing that the South African Government, the Commisioner of the Revenue Service, Edward Kieswetter, our beloved State President Ramaphosa and other Ministers and Directors MUST focus on first is: Our Government is captured by American Tech Companies. – South Africa MUST urgently start using Open Source Software and place a very heavy emphasis on LOCAL, SOUTH AFRICAN developed technology. SARS is captured by Adobe, Microsoft and we are EXPORTING BILLIONS OF RANDS EACH YEAR and we are not investing in our own technology, instead we are investing in companies that offer, resell and develop code ONTOP of the American Tech. We are ensalving future generations of South Africans and we are doing this willingly, sometimes by accepting BRIBES in the form of free conferences, free hotels and free gifts. Nothing is free and the South African Government is NOT FREE. If I, as a South African send email communication to my government, half of the time it goes through America and even Europe, before it ends up in an inbox in South Africa. Why? And WHY does SARS force tax paying citizens to buy Microsoft Windows Operating System and not support Linux? or BSD? – simple: South Africa and the South African Government is digitally colonised.
Power in South Africa is divided between three structures. Government/Administrative, Political and Judicial, so I have left the Political.
We have a sometimes unstable political system, for example when the great President Mbeki felt forced to resign. I honestly and tuly wish and hope that our President Ramaphosa knows in his heart that we love him and that he must please fight for us and never resign.
South African Parliament is actually not broken administratively and it mostly functions as it should. Laws are made, Laws are changed and the process works. Where there were ethical and even uprisings, Parliament has dealt with it effectively. Where a deficient public protector was accused it is dealt with.
Where Parliamentarians are failing is:
Iin POLITICS. Basic economic justice. Providing food, basic security, water and the basic needs of the South African people. I am not advocating any shift in terms of Capitalism, Socialism or Communism. And, as regards a nanny state or expansion of the balance in the current mix of capitalism and socialism, I am not advocating greater socialism or greater capitalism. What I am saying is that we are pissing away BILLIONS which we could simply save and then simply build and allocate, on a family first, basis, to tens of thousands of families. If we have enough accommodation for families, mom, dad and child(ren), we will build a stronger society. And, I am not saying discriminate against mom, mom and kids or dad, dad and kids, I am simply saying that if we did not have so many mkuku’s, we would be building a better society, a better South Africa and an even greater and stronger economy will sprout from having good foundations.
To start fixing this, Politicians need to take URGENT action.
Maybe take the Billions of Rands South Africa is exporting to the USA to pay for software, force the Government/Administrative to use Open Source Software ONLY. Then build houses, develop neighborhoods, build more families. Cut budgets dramatically and then build houses, develop neighborhoods, build more families.
Oh, yes, before I neglect to mention: Parliament, together with the Constituional Court, will have to also FIX THE BROKEN JUDICIAL SYSTEM…
and, as a closing thought: If South Africa does not start building more families we will fail and we will self destruct.
