A VIEW OF THE WEEK: SA’s problems are being ‘solved’ by nursery school games – and here’s proof

I recently attended my toddler’s “Show My Parents What I Can Do” event. The day was to give parents a glimpse of what lessons and activities their little ones do during their time at school.

As I was glowing in the aura of how clever my child was, it suddenly hit me: government and those providing crucial services have been trying to solve our problems with playground games.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Rand Water‘s decision to implement “water shifting”.

The head-scratching water-saving method became the latest entry to the government’s dictionary of confusion. A dictionary that strangely often doesn’t contain the word “competence”.

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For those baffled at the terminology, water shifting is basically moving water from one reservoir to another that needs it more, without completely emptying either.

If that sounds familiar, it may be because you did the same thing with little cups in nursery school.

It is not the only activity government has drawn inspiration from the playground for.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s cabinet often plays hide-and-seek with the nation when accountability is needed, preferring to only speak on issues weeks deep into a crisis.

While Pass the Parcel finds new life under “pass the blame” when the nation demands answers.

Many of us spent our formative years playing Hopscotch or Umgusha. It tested your balance and ability to jump from one place to another, sometimes skipping obstacles.

Government and state-owned enterprises have mastered the art of skipping necessary maintenance, due diligence and competent hiring; leaving the country with failing infrastructure on the verge of collapse.

Load shedding and failures in policing have left South Africans playing the grown-up version of the popular game Red Light.

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In school, children would often take turns watching as you drove your plastic motorbike or ran on an empty paved area, occasionally telling you to stop or go.

It was fun then but less so when in real life the guy who was begging for money a few minutes ago decides it is his turn to direct traffic because the traffic lights are out.

We often hear that politicians behave like toddlers, immature and prone to tantrums, but maybe we are all just living in a bigger version of the playground.

Maybe one day those in power will finally learn to tie their shoes.