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IF THE ANC and the government want to redeem themselves from their negative image, they should take drastic steps in addressing all the terrible events that took place this week.
They should fire the high-ranking officials at Madibeng Municipality and sack the school principal at Mahlodumela Primary School, while giving the deputy a final warning.
And they should adopt Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s war talk when it comes to non-performance in all issues affecting this country.
Madibeng Municipality was this week the scene of violence and police brutality as residents protested against water shortages.
Four people were killed during the skirmishes, allegedly shot and killed by members of the South African Police Service.
Municipal manager Monde Juta and two other officials have been accused of spending hundreds of thousands of rands on two funerals, ignoring the ageing water systems that are supposed to service the local communities.
It is believed that other service delivery problems in the area have also been ignored by the municipality.
North West Premier Thandi Modise admitted that they have been aware of these issues for a while now.
I find it baffling that Modise and her cohorts waited until problems in the area got worse before they decided to intervene.
Therein lies the rub. It seems the ANC and the government are well aware of many problems that are afflicting communities around the country, but prefer to keep them under wraps until things get out of hand.
Had they fired these local government functionaries as soon as they learnt about these problems, I am sure the Madibeng community would not have had to face the problem of lack of water.
If they dismiss these people publicly and stop asking them to resign in private, I am sure this would send a serious message to the others who are planning to be corrupt or are already dishonest.
This week, a six-year-old was killed after falling into a makeshift toilet at the Mahlodumela Primary School in Limpopo because kids are not allowed to use the proper, clean and safe toilets, which are reserved for the use of teachers.
Look, South Africans pay taxes and this money should not be disbursed to people who will use it for their own selfish needs.
The school principal should be fired summarily so that others who are practising the same discrimination should know what will befall them if they do the same.
The deputy should be presented with a final warning for not cautioning the principal against this practice.
This will go a long way to fixing others too.
I am sure that Bafana Bafana will be a powerful national team henceforth, thanks to Mbalula’s ranting this week after the national squad lost 3-1 to Nigeria.
He labelled the team "a bunch of losers. What I saw was not a problem of coaching, it was a bunch of losers," Fikile Mbalula told a news conference during the week. "That mediocrity that was displayed… we must never wake up to that again."
From now on, the next crop of Bafana players will break a leg, afraid to be reprimanded by a high-ranking official if they underperform. Well done, Mbalula.
Additionally, all government ministers should adopt Mbalula’s war talk when things go wrong.
The soft-spoken Nathi Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega should - starting this weekend - talk tough with rapists, murderers, drunken drivers and bank robbers. They will see the results.
Mildred Oliphant, the Minister of Labour, does not cut it for me either. Her behaviour means the labour strikes will continue, and companies will continue to disregard the government’s employment equity policies.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
They should fire the high-ranking officials at Madibeng Municipality and sack the school principal at Mahlodumela Primary School, while giving the deputy a final warning.
And they should adopt Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula’s war talk when it comes to non-performance in all issues affecting this country.
Madibeng Municipality was this week the scene of violence and police brutality as residents protested against water shortages.
Four people were killed during the skirmishes, allegedly shot and killed by members of the South African Police Service.
Municipal manager Monde Juta and two other officials have been accused of spending hundreds of thousands of rands on two funerals, ignoring the ageing water systems that are supposed to service the local communities.
It is believed that other service delivery problems in the area have also been ignored by the municipality.
North West Premier Thandi Modise admitted that they have been aware of these issues for a while now.
I find it baffling that Modise and her cohorts waited until problems in the area got worse before they decided to intervene.
Therein lies the rub. It seems the ANC and the government are well aware of many problems that are afflicting communities around the country, but prefer to keep them under wraps until things get out of hand.
Had they fired these local government functionaries as soon as they learnt about these problems, I am sure the Madibeng community would not have had to face the problem of lack of water.
If they dismiss these people publicly and stop asking them to resign in private, I am sure this would send a serious message to the others who are planning to be corrupt or are already dishonest.
This week, a six-year-old was killed after falling into a makeshift toilet at the Mahlodumela Primary School in Limpopo because kids are not allowed to use the proper, clean and safe toilets, which are reserved for the use of teachers.
Look, South Africans pay taxes and this money should not be disbursed to people who will use it for their own selfish needs.
The school principal should be fired summarily so that others who are practising the same discrimination should know what will befall them if they do the same.
The deputy should be presented with a final warning for not cautioning the principal against this practice.
This will go a long way to fixing others too.
I am sure that Bafana Bafana will be a powerful national team henceforth, thanks to Mbalula’s ranting this week after the national squad lost 3-1 to Nigeria.
He labelled the team "a bunch of losers. What I saw was not a problem of coaching, it was a bunch of losers," Fikile Mbalula told a news conference during the week. "That mediocrity that was displayed… we must never wake up to that again."
From now on, the next crop of Bafana players will break a leg, afraid to be reprimanded by a high-ranking official if they underperform. Well done, Mbalula.
Additionally, all government ministers should adopt Mbalula’s war talk when things go wrong.
The soft-spoken Nathi Mthethwa and National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega should - starting this weekend - talk tough with rapists, murderers, drunken drivers and bank robbers. They will see the results.
Mildred Oliphant, the Minister of Labour, does not cut it for me either. Her behaviour means the labour strikes will continue, and companies will continue to disregard the government’s employment equity policies.
- Fin24
*Mzwandile Jacks is a freelance journalist. Opinions expressed are his own.
