Is there one person who can rise and save us?
The lessons we learn when we're younger, leave us all too soon. I am reminded of that often metaphorical, sometimes literal, key that many of us get given at the age of 21 as a way of signalling that we have come of age.
We are often told that South Africa is a young democracy, which is odd, considering we are now beyond those 21 years into democracy. As a nation, our coming of age needs to bear fruit as we walk towards our future.
One may argue, rightfully so, that equating a nation as great as ours to the 21rite of passage is little more than a simplistic ploy. However, we need to look at the expectations on a 21-year-old adult. Many of us upon arriving at that age have sat and listened to elders who fashioned us with advice, and lamented that we are the ones who will set an example for tomorrow's youth.
In South Africa, one must ask who are these elders that need to guide us at this critical age? Which voices can help us heal as a nation? Let me borrow from one of my favourite African proverbs, "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled". If we all concede that we are one nation, then all spheres of society need to take up the challenge of service to their nation.
It is so easy to pass the buck: "No, it's government; no, it is the national government; no, it is the local government; no, it is business". The citizens of this nation need to rise at all levels and take back their power. We the people of South Africa need to ensure that we hold each other accountable – the rot which is now at the top started off at the grassroots.
It is when ordinary men and women came together that apartheid was dismantled. The recent revelation of corruption at all spheres indicates that we have a systemic ethical problem. The hands of our leaders are stretched so far that they cannot feel the pulse of this nation.
Let us become active citizens beyond hashtag movements, and move our actions towards implementation. Let us start movements that challenge us to make a difference to our nation.
If our leaders do not lead us, we need to remember the African proverb that so rightly reminds us of our duty as citizens of this beautiful land – "If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent the night with a mosquito".
My call is to my fellow South Africans: do not feel disempowered by the headlines, but rise and be the change that we want to see. Let us become active citizens beyond hashtag movements, and move our actions towards implementation. Let us start movements that challenge us to make a difference to our nation.
Making a difference involves making decisions in our everyday lives that will contribute to a better South Africa. Self-leadership can take us further as a nation. If something bothers you, you have the power to make it better. As citizens of this country, we need to understand that we are the custodians now; we need to continuously look back and see how we can lift others up.
We are all the elders now. How do we ensure we raise leaders that will contribute not only to South Africa but to our entire continent of Africa? The road ahead may be long, but I am hopeful that as we move away from the noise and find our own purpose, a great nation awaits.
There is no knight in a white horse coming. In your day-to-day life, you are that knight to someone. You have the power – make it count!