I cannot help but wonder what the late Nelson Mandela would say if he was around to witness the current state of absolute turmoil that his beloved South Africa is in.
The last week has brought upon a whirlwind of emotions for everyone.
People have lost their livelihoods, property and some have even lost loved ones.
Most people in our town have not slept for days, as they have been braving the cold to keep their communities and families safe – to those people, I extend absolute gratefulness.
Others have gone to sleep in fear, unsure of what destruction might hit during the night, while others have been awoken by the sound of gunshots.
Add to this the fact that are we still trying to avoid contracting Covid-19, it really has been a lot to deal with.
But, if life has taught me anything, it’s that we can only take things a day at a time, putting our best efforts forward.
Never in my wildest dreams did I see this coming. I’ve heard stories from similar times that my family have lived through but never did I imagine that I’d catch a glimpse of it in this generation.
The irony of today being Mandela Day is saddening, as most seem so divided during a time when we should be most united.
How did one man’s incarceration manage to bring two whole provinces to its knees?
How is looting, rioting and destroying the lives of innocent people the answer?
How did something that began as political become this twisted and nasty?
Why should one man be placed above the law in a country that fought so hard for its current constitutional democracy?
As most of us are aware, Mandela Day is internationally recognised annually, to honour past president Nelson Mandela for the crucial role he played in South Africa’s democracy.
Today is meant to mark a call to action, a reminder that each one of us has the potential to make an impact and as a result, change the world for the better.
Having said that, while the current tensions leave me with a few doubts, my hope outweighs them all.
Admittedly, there were times this week where I was left with zero hope, but I am generally a positive person and do my best to push through.
The fact is that if we do not do anything or take the steps to rebuild our towns and provinces, nobody else is going to do it.
After all (and this is something I’ve learnt from personal experience) if we do not have hope for the future, then we do not have anything.
Most times, no matter how grim the situation, there is always a way out – but it is a personal and conscious choice that we all have to make.
As the saying goes, “united we stand, divided we fall”.
Having said that, I know I am not alone when I say that this is not the kind of world I want to be living in for the days and years to come, neither is it the kind of world I would want to bring children into.
The only way to turn things around is for all of us to work together to rebuild what was lost over the past week.
As draining and emotionally taxing this has been on all of us, the best we can do is heed the call of this special day.
It is essentially up to us to be proactive and while it is discouraging knowing that it can all be destroyed by our own, we have to start educating one another as it seems these groups of protestors are only shooting themselves in the foot in the long run.
Remember, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how dark and scary that tunnel may seem.
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