To build a better South Africa, we need to temper our cynicism

As the fallout from this month’s municipal elections crystallises into a series of coalitions so brittle they resemble glazed, dry-ice versions of Mount Rushmore, it’s easy to develop a morbid fascination with our fragile democracy. 

Coalitions that combine parties on the far right and the far left of the political spectrum would seem to be built for volatility, if not outright failure.

Often these “movements” are united by nothing beyond a shared dislike for the corrupt, incompetent ruling party.

They are also staffed by politicians, whose guiding ethos is often personal enrichment as looters of the public purse while posing as public servants.

This may not always be the case, but it’s evident that most voters feel similarly, as only 28,6% of those eligible to vote bothered to do so.

Clearly, we are a nation riven with cynicism. And with good reason.

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We have been betrayed by our public representatives, our political parties, the private sector, NGOs and by each other.

We are the home of “You’ve gotta laugh, cos otherwise you’d never stop crying”!

Hardly any of us take seriously any public pronouncements by our compatriots, let alone our so-called leaders.

Their content is consumed only so that it can immediately be processed into memes, cynical quote tweets and hot takes and other kinds of punchlines, all based on the shared understanding that these people are failing massively.

The only real currency is: how funny can you be about the people piloting the South African Rubber Duck of State down the Plughole of Doom?

It’s all fun and games and makes for some hilarious exchanges of dark humour as we all joke about how utterly fucked we are.

Useless government, non-existent services, corrupt politicians, exploitive businesses, idiotic countrymen and women, rampant pandemic, and a planet that is five-to catching fire before our eyes.

I mean, things are so bad, you can’t blame us for using cynical humour as a coping mechanism. 

Also, we do it so well.

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The problem is, we’re better at joking about crap government than we are at governing. We display greater humour about public service chaos, than at providing public services.

We prefer satirising national failure to working for national success.

We’re all guilty of this kind of cynicism, and it’s understandable. But that is not how a country is built. 

I remember once joking with a man who was a student leader of the cadet detachment at school. “I guess leadership is a good way to get out of all that marching, ha!”

Deadpan, he responded, “No, I actually believed in building a better cadet programme.”

I felt instant shame, amplified by the fact that the guy had subsequently gone on to the world’s greatest military academy and fought in actual wars to preserve freedom. 

Of course, it’s easy to be cynical about military actions too. But the point is, this gentleman was not. He believed in something and he committed it. He literally fought for what he believed in. He didn’t just sit back and joke about other people. 

One can’t help thinking that we need a bit more of that in South Africa.

Somewhere between 1994, when Mr Mandela led us into a free, democratic, non-racist and non-sexist South Africa, and today, many of us seem to have lost our capacity for sincere belief and optimism. 

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We battle to believe a better life is possible. We lack hope. 

This is a cop-out. It is cowardice. Giving up has no trace of courage, or bravery. It’s also selfish.

Cynicism says, “There’s no hope of building anything together. It’s every person for themselves.”

Despite our present challenges, the truth is that we have much to be hopeful about.

We have a large, $300 billion economy, abundant mineral and renewable resources. We have talented, inspirational people. We have functional, if imperfect institutions.

All of these things just need to be managed better, allocated more efficiently – by people with the best interests of their fellow South Africans at heart. 

Contrarian cynicism is lazy, selfish and defeatist. It does not build communities, let alone entire societies.

We must leave it behind. Let us start to live with the optimism of children. 

Yes, that’s a bit naïve. But naïve children grow into the leaders of tomorrow.

And leaders are what we need today – to ignite optimism and hope, for a better life. For all.