The collapse of South Africa’s infrastructure over the past 31 years is heartbreaking for all of us who grew up in a country where everything worked like clockwork. We had the privilege of living in a country before 1994 where building, maintaining, and looking after what we had was normal — not destroying or stealing from it. The countryside was clean, towns were well-maintained, and the roads were properly built and kept in good condition. We never imagined we would one day be talking about potholes and roads that are barely usable.Instead of maintaining infrastructure, the government has pocketed the money through corruption. They have destroyed almost every single state-owned enterprise.
For the past 20 years they have been talking about “rebuilding South Africa,” yet very little has actually been rebuilt. Farmers can no longer reliably use the roads to get their produce to market. Most ANC-run municipalities are bankrupt, yet citizens are still expected to pay their rates and taxes every month. Now the government is asking for R250 billion for so-called climate change projects, while in my lifetime they will never be able to repair what they have destroyed.
For those who remember a functioning South Africa, the last 31 years have been a story of steady decline. Infrastructure that once worked — clean towns, well-maintained roads, reliable state enterprises — has been allowed to collapse through neglect, corruption and mismanagement. Billions meant for maintenance have disappeared, leaving farmers struggling to reach markets, municipalities bankrupt, and ordinary citizens paying for services they no longer receive. Despite repeated promises to “rebuild,” the reality is that much of what was broken over three decades will not be fixed in one lifetime, while new demands like R250 billion for climate projects continue.
It is very important that you tell your children and grandchildren the truth: South Africa did not look like this 30 years ago.Thirty years ago we had:
- Reliable electricity with almost no power failures and no load-shedding.
- Clean, running tap water in almost every town and on most farms.
- Dams and rivers that were not polluted.
- A post office that actually delivered mail on time.
- State departments that mostly worked and much
- Thousands of people living on the streets and under bridges begging on the street corners.
- Record levels of murder and violent crime.
- Taxis that operate with total disregard for the law.
- A government that is openly corrupt and steals from the people.
- Farm murders- and certain groups singing :"kill the Boer:.
We need a State President who creates unity and moves South Africa forward — not one who constantly goes back to the past and blames apartheid or history for his own failures.
After 31 years of democracy, it is no longer acceptable to keep blaming what happened before 1994 for the collapse of infrastructure, the destruction of state-owned enterprises, the corruption, the failing municipalities, load-shedding, potholed roads, and the breakdown in basic services.
A real leader takes responsibility for the present and builds a better future for all South Africans. He unites people instead of dividing them. He focuses on fixing what is broken today rather than using yesterday as an excuse for not delivering today.We desperately need leadership that says: “This is our country now. Let’s stop the blame game and start working together to make it functional again.”
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