N\u00e1 meer as drie dekades van demokrasie in ons land moet ons eerlik wees met mekaar dat ons nog nie die Vryheid geniet wat ons verdien nie. Ons kan en mag nie proklameer dat ons ‘n vrye demokrasie is as . . .\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ons gemeenskappe in vrees leef vir die volgende bendeverwante skietvoorval wat iewers in ons land homself kan of gaan afspeel nie. En as ons deesdae die hulp van die weermag moet bekom om reg en orde te help toepas, dan moet daar iewers groot fout wees. Ons weet van daardie foute. Ons weet wat die oorsprong daarvan is. \r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die skeidslyn tussen dit wat reg en verkeerd is het al so erg verwater en vervaag dat dit bitterlik moeilik geword het om reg en orde na behore toe te pas. En as almal en bykans alles geraak word deur die bose kring-loop van magsvergrype en die najaag van geld ten koste van ‘n gesonde gemeenskap, dan laat dit my wonder of ons werklik vry is. \r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dan laat dit my wonder wat van ons kinders gaan word.\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As armoede in ons gemeenskappe al meer van ‘n algemene verskynsel begin word en die finansi\u00eble druk net al erger raak vir jou deursnee gesinne, dan maak dit ‘n mens diep bekommerd. As ons mense nog in agterplaas-hokkies moet woon en nie eens die voorreg het om die gerief van ‘n badkamer te geniet nie. As die sewe of tien mense in daardie hokkie elke aand moet skarrel vir ‘n l\u00eaplekkie iewers in daardie hokkie, dan kan ek dit nie vryheid noem nie. En as ‘n ma nog ‘n aand voor etenstyd God moet smeek om tog ‘n uitweg te bied sodat daar net vir die tien van hulle iets te ete sal wees. Is ons dan werklik vry as ‘n nasie? As ons mense elke maand bakhand moet staan vir ‘n staatstoelaag wat vir nie eens ‘n week hou nie, want die skuld wat gemaak is gedurende die maand moet eers afbetaal word. Is ons dan werklik vry of eerder deel van ‘n bose kringloop wat hom oor en oor herhaal?\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
En as ons politieke partye die situasie uitbuit om ons mense in daardie bakhand- posisie te hou \u2026 is ons dan werklik vry? Die bakhandstaan-kultuur wat oor dekades gevestig is in ons gemeenskappe is na my mening nie ‘n werkbare plan om ons mense uit armoede te lig nie. Dit skep eerder slawe van ‘n stelsel waar hulle in magsposisies hulself verryk en die armstes van die armes laat krepeer in ‘n staat van kroniese armoede. \r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As die gaping tussen die “haves and have nots” al groter raak in ons land, dan is ons mos nie werklik vry nie. As al ons mooi politieke beleidstukke n\u00e1 meer as drie dekades nog nie daarin kon slaag om daardie gaping te vernou nie, dan laat dit ‘n mens wonder of daar werklik die politieke wilskrag is om die lot van miljoene Suid Afrikaners wat in armoede vasgevang is, te verlig.\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Een van die dae is dit weer stemtyd. ‘n Mens begin reeds wonder watter slim slagspreuke hierdie keer uitgedink gaan word en watter wortel voor die neus van ons mense gehou gaan word. Daar gaan seker weer kospakkies en T-hemde uitgedeel word. So asof ‘n kospakkie of ‘n T-hemp die armoede wat bestaan in ‘n oogwink gaan uitwis. En as daar soveel van ons sodanige politieke leiers en ander prominente figure met magsposisies verdink word van bedrog en ander magsvergrype. En as die bewyse teen sodaniges wel bestaan, maar niks daaraan gedoen word nie. Is ons dan werklik vry? Party van ons is seker dan maar verhewe bo die reg. Ons is al so moeg van alles wat in die naam van demokrasie gedoen word dat dit ‘n mens laat wonder of ons die voorreg sal h\u00ea om ware demokrasie in aksie in ons leeftyd te ervaar.\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ons teen die agtergrond van ons apartheidsgeskiedenis met soveel ywer daardie monster kon verslaan, en nou ‘n andersom apartheid beleef, dan laat dit ‘n mens wonder of ons werklik vry is. Daar is al soveel skades en skandes aangerig dat ons huidige vorm van demokrasie geheel en al bloedbevlek is. Die honger na mag, invloed, ho\u00eb poste en selfsugtige selfverryking is aan die orde van die dag. En ons mense ly stilweg. Politieke beloftes is al holrug gery en ons bly maar hoopvol dat daar lig aan die einde van die tonnel sal kom.\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ons natuurlike hulpbronne ten duurste mee gesmous word, maar slegs die buitelander die grootste voordeel daaruit trek \u2026 is ons dan werklik vry? Ons eie mense moet maar tevrede wees met die krummel-\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
tjies wat na hul kant toe gegooi word. En as die ekonomiese mag in die hande van ‘n paar individue gevestig is en ons maar ons lot so aanvaar, dan is ons mos nie werklik vry nie.\r<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mag ons land ernstig hieroor besin.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
N\u00e1 meer as drie dekades van demokrasie in ons land moet ons eerlik wees met mekaar dat ons nog nie die Vryheid geniet wat ons verdien nie. Ons kan en 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