"Many people in this country celebrate excess, not success."
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has put his finger on the nub of the problem of spiralling criminality in South Africa: This country loves gangsters and judges success not by hard work, but by wealth, even if that wealth is illegally obtained.
Zibi slammed uMkhonto weSizwe party MP Vusi Shongwe for appearing “sympathetic” towards controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
In a meeting of the ad hoc committee investigating claims made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Shongwe referred to Matlala as “grootman”, a term loosely translated as “big brother” in Afrikaans, but used in most townships to show respect to an elder associate or an older man respected in the community.
“It is sad to see a black man like you dragging chains like you are my brother, it is very painful to see you dragging chains being so well dressed,” he said.
“I would have wished that all black people become successful as you are. I hope that your fight ends and if you are being falsely accused, then we should deal with those that are falsely accusing you.”
Zibi was furious: “This man is suspected of murder and you call him grootman? Is that the kind of leadership that we now have in South Africa?” he said.
Sadly, that question is largely rhetorical.
Many people in this country celebrate excess, not success… and many of those living large – with mansions and Lamborghinis – have got there through looting.
It doesn’t seem to concern many of those cheering on the crooks that the money they steal to fund their lavish lifestyles may have been intended to build a rural bridge so kids don’t drown on their way to school in the summer rains… or for a young child who needed special medical treatment and died because there was no money available for it.
These people are not heroes. They are hyenas.
