10 wishes for 2018

PEOPLE say it every year: it was a hard year. And let’s face it, life is never going to be plain sailing, but 2017 was, in retrospect rather grimmer than usual.

It had to do with a sense of hopelessness many people experienced while watching the president ride roughshod over so many things South Africans hold dear: our autonomy, our Constitution, our judicial processes, our financial ratings and our democratic institutions. Not to speak of the state coffers.

I, for one, was overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness. On top of all of that, I had to listen to the constant chuckling of Number One whenever there was a real crisis – which was just about every second day.

I am not naïve enough to think that a change in president will be like waving a magic wand. On the contrary, one of the most depressing things of 2017 was the increasing realisation of just how deep the rot ran, and how many of our elected representatives put their own interests above those of the people who elected them.

This grim situation did not arise overnight – and it is not going to disappear overnight. But we have to start somewhere.

It’s so difficult to choose (think crime reduction, gender violence, revamping state-owned enterprises, general corruption, poverty, campus disruptions, food prices, a lack of accountability), but I know I cannot have it all. So I have decided to be quite specific, in the hope that The Universe is listening.

This is what I would love for the New Year.

A new president. When it comes to Jacob Zuma, the best I can say is ‘Enough, already’. We know he doesn’t care what others (inside and outside the ANC) think of him, which is what has made it possible for him to rule this country like his personal fiefdom for the last 10 years. Please, let’s call it a day now, and make way for Cyril  Ramaphosa. It is time to go; in fact, it has been time to go for years. (And take Duduzane with you.)

An exit visa for the Gupta trio. Recouping all the cash ‘diverted’ to this reprehensible trio by Number One will lead to endless court cases and more money wasted on endless court cases for which the taxpayer will be footing a large part of the bill. These guys are slippery. I say confiscate/freeze their assets and show them the door. (I know there are legal processes we have to adhere to, but this is a wish list – a girl can dream.)

No more junk status. It would be great if Standard and Poor's as well as Fitch could overturn their credit rating of SA from full junk status to even one rung higher on the scale. This is a long process, though, and just like you don’t get rated at junk status overnight, the reversal is also a long process. I think a good step in the right direction would be to get Pravin Gordhan back as finance minister.

Reopening of colleges and training centres. Our country needs artisans, mechanics, nurses and teachers. Not more and more unemployable graduates (I know nurses and teachers can be graduates, too, but at least they are trained to do something extremely useful). The current obsession with tertiary education does not serve our economy.

A stronger currency. A weak rand simply pushes up the price of all imports (I know it’s good for exports) and adds to the general upward spiral in the cost of living – often of the most basic goods. It also makes travelling anywhere just about impossible for the vast majority of South Africans.

Zuma’s 783 corruption charges reinstated. I think this number is going to grow substantially. He has been ducking and diving these for the last 10 years with every slimy trick in the book (at our expense, might I add). I want every single one of these to come home to roost.

Rain in drought-stricken areas. It’s not just Cape Town – large areas of the country are bone dry. I would love some rain, and lots of it. On a purely selfish note, I am tired of feeling guilty for spending a minute under the shower.

The disappearance of Bathabile Dlamini. Of all the public figures we see on TV (and that includes Zuma and the dreadful former SABC boss, the deluded Hlaudi Motsoeneng) this particular one irks me the most. I think it’s the attitude of bored disinterest and a lack of any feeling of empathy or responsibility for those affected by the enormous maladministration of her portfolio.

Justice for Markus Jooste. What he has allegedly done, has presumably caused the crash of Steinhoff Holdings. Not only does Steinhoff employ 130 000 people, but many pension funds in SA were heavily invested with them. People at the top always have enough squirrelled away to never experience the deprivation they cause to those who already have so little. To me, there is no difference between cooking the books of a large corporation and stealing money from the state coffers. Theft is theft.

A winning lottery ticket for Thuli Madonsela. She was a beacon of light in this country in the darkest of days. She has received many accolades and praises, but I would like to see her rewarded in a tangible way for never giving up on the truth – and being strong enough to withstand the enormous pressure. Let’s hope the new president follows her example.

* Susan Erasmus is a freelance writer. Views expressed are her own.