Embracing the promise of a dream

Do South African political parties not get it that it is their empty promises that lead to this unrest?

Residents earmark their preferred plots. Photo: Facebook

The issue of land grabs in townships across South Africa should leave one hot and cold at the same time.

Hot, because the blatant and obvious action without permission will one day leave this country ungovernable. Cold, because it really is a sad state of affairs that people can be so desperate for a place of their own that they resort to criminal activity – just to have a place to call home.

What happened to housing being a basic human right? Do South African political parties not get it that it is their empty promises that lead to this unrest?

We cannot really say it is unexpected as people get tired of waiting on promises whose foundations were set in the Freedom Charter of 1955. The same old lie is rolled out every five years in anticipation of elections and the homeless and jobless are promised housing and employment. What is the expected outcome when the promises go unfulfilled year in and year out?

Attaching real human emotion to the situation should have the government, political figures and political strategists digging deep to understand the effect their empty and baseless promises have on people.

The notion of owning a home carries with it the dream of independence, of shelter, of families safely tucked away. It is more than just a form of proof of residence that comes in handy in time for electioneering.

There are whispers and even jests about how the Motsumis will own prime land in Boschendal, that the Nakelis will own everything in the eastern Free State.

But the reality of the situation from 2018 and beyond is that all legislation must first pass through an assortment of checks and balances. The opposition will have arguments and civil society organisations are going to jump up and down in protest.

Changing legislation will take time, a lot of it, but in the meantime, there are thousands and thousands of homeless people in the country holding on to the promise of a dream.