Political analyst Dr Somadoda Fikeni made his findings and suggestions public on national television in December 2010 about service delivery protests in 2009 and 2010 in the Dipaleseng Municipality and Lekwa Municipality.
Another television programme focused on the the reality of Sakhile and its people.
It is now five years since the uprising in 2009 and 2010 and authorities concerned did not attend to the grievances leading to anger in 2014 and 2015.
The residents of Balfour North, Grootvlei and Greylingstad asked questions since 1994 about their environment, but were told to wait.
Some residents implicated the councillors in wrongdoing such as fraud and corruption.
Change is inevitable and its effects frequently radical, which must be predicted and monitored.
Owing to the growth in the importance of public opinion, the man in the street feels distanced from decision-making by government and organisations.
This is frequently because of rigid, inflexible lines of communication.
When the message from the consumer does not get through to the institution, resentment rises and unrest is likely.
Basic trends leading to change are population explosion, urbanisation and social revolution to name but a few.
It was estimated in 1980 that the world’s population would double by 2000 and that this massive increase would largely take place in third world countries.
Population growth thus far has led to famine, epidemics, wars, death and wide-scale destruction.
It has further implications such as rapid urbanisation, a greater demand for goods and increased pollution, that lead to an increase in the greenhouse effect, water pollution, depopulation of rural areas, big increase in unemployment and greater demand on government and business for public funds.
All this had impacted severely on the economy of Lekwa and Dipaleseng.
We take solace from the words said by Dag Hammerskjöld, former United Nations Secretary:
“Do not look back and do not dream about the future either, it will neither give you back the past, nor satisfy your other daydreams.
“Your duty, your reward, your destiny are here and now.”
Absalon Maseko, PAC, Standerton.
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