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It is chilling to think that, unbeknownst to us, a group of people coldly plotted the destruction of a country - a country already weakened by their own misrule and hobbled by a pandemic.
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It is extraordinary to think that, while we were transfixed by the revelations of looting from the Zondo Commission, the architects of that looting were planning to finish the job, knowing full well that their stolen funds would cushion them from the consequences of their actions. It would be the ordinary people of South Africa: the shopkeepers, the truck drivers, the shelf-packers.. who would suffer the most. And this in a country that has been running on empty for years.
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This was not a coup. There was no attempt to strike at government. This was the lashing out of a wounded beast, hitting easy targets, using the fault lines in our society that they had created themselves. The irony is that the ordinary people who were manipulated into the looting and vandalism are most likely the ones who will suffer most from the long-term effects of their own actions.
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The crippling of the economic infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal - Gauteng's umbilical cord - will ripple out across the country in the following months. There are going to be shortages, price rises, food queues, inconvenience for some and desperate hardship for others. It will hit us in the middle of the third wave of the pandemic and in the middle of winter.
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But there is reason for optimism.
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This was not another Marikana, which is possibly what the instigators hoped to achieve. Attempts to racialise this insurrection failed miserably. Once the storm of looting had passed, ordinary people came out with buckets and brooms to clean up the mess. There are citizen social-media drives to expose the looters and discourage the buying of stolen goods. Humanitarian organisations have stepped in with donations.
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We have stared into the abyss before, and every time we have stepped back. We will not follow the trajectory of a failed state. Let us hope that our government takes this opportunity to clean house, round up the perpetrators as fast as possible, and abandon their disastrous policies of cadre deployment and centralist protectionism that have brought us to this point.
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And so we start to build again. As an example, here is a Whatsapp note from a Pick and Pay staff member:
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Pick'nPay update:
Friday 15:00.
185 Pick'nPay trucks left in a 3.4 km convoy from JHB today to take emergency food supplies down to PMB and DBN. Staff have worked through the entire Thursday night packing these additional trucks that were routed for elsewhere in the country.
Saturday update:
Trucks arrived 23:00 last night and we opened store 06:00. It normally takes 3 days to pack a hyper. With help from the community, we did it in 7 hours.
When the 185 trucks left JHB at 15:00 we sent our drone up and all the drivers came to work dressed in the colours of the SA flag and stood in a circle together praying for each another and their safety on the road tonight. First time ever. Was quite moving.
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There is a video that has been widely shared on social media, it is likely you have seen it. It features South Africans sweeping up after our cataclysmic week: workers in wheelchairs, chain-gangs of cleaners, groups of volunteers, ending with an exhausted but exultant soldier. It encapsulates the spirit of our country: the moppers and the sweepers; the okes and the chinas; the gogos and the mammas,
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In our newsletter this week, we take a look at some of the aspects of our recent insurrection, but we also acknowledge that life must go on. Enjoy.
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Timeline of an Insurrection
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As we count the cost of our week of hell, the bigger picture shows a planned insurrection
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Let us loot, vandalise and eat because tomorrow we shall die (from covid-19)
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A hopeless nation is a dangerous nation. But a nation that strives on instant gratification at any cost is even deadlier. It’s like deliberately drinking from a poisoned chalice and continuing to live in oblivion, expecting to go unscathed.
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Amidst the ruins, a piano stands
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A song of a nation that will rise from the ruins.
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Life assurers bust myths about policies, payouts and the Covid-19 vaccine
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Getting a vaccine will not impact your life insurance now, but not getting one may affect your life insurance in future.
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Landlords on securing business
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Landlords are becoming increasingly flexible in negotiations with potential tenants and their advisors in order to secure deals on vacant space.
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Effective cross-cultural communication - do not make assumptions
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Author: Delilah Nosworthy
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By Michael Wood (edited by Delilah Nosworthy)
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Most of us are aware that effective communication is important. Yet, there is still so much misinterpretation and confusion in our world today, resulting in brand damage. Michael Wood, an accomplished, results-driven marketing executive with >25 years’ c-level experience shares his insights on this subject.
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Cusk's latest novel, Second Place, explores the value of artistic lives
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Arja Salafranca reviews Rachel Cusk's Second Place, a thought-provoking but difficult read
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Cocktail Corner - No 1... Gin and Bear It
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The Ugly Negroni gin recipe is a different take on the classic negroni gin cocktail, substituting orange with grapefruit, shaken not stirred and using Ugly Gin.
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The allure of trout and flyfishing
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Flyfishing is an art – certainly a skill. Those doing it well are impervious to the cold and discomfort of venturing out on a chilly morning in Dullstroom to outwit the trout. This they do using a lure to resemble a real insect and calling them strange names like Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear and Red Eyed Damsel.
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Five-times Comrades winner Jackie Mekler defines 'hard' in training hard for t
he 90km race.
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Religion Runs Rampant with Rape
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What does one expect from a religious leader? Would it be to take immediate action to stop abuse? What if nothing is done in the face of huge atrocities? Read about the state of affairs and some awful realities of child abuse and a ‘peaceful’ leader who does nothing to stop it.
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