Januarie 2023 het my weer eens nie teleurgestel nie. Soos altyd het die instellings wat nog wiele het sukkelend aan die gang probeer kom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belangrik en onbelangrik het lank n\u00e1 Januarie se begin steeds via die media aan die w\u00eareld hul nuwe Nuwejaarsvoornemens uitbasuin, waarvan soos altyd nul 31 Desember sal haal. Nuwejaarsdag, waarna miljoene uitsien n\u00e1 \u2019n oorwegend oppervlakkige bling-bling<\/span>-Kersdagviering, het weer eens Oujaarsaand plastiekerig begin met afgesaagde, ou opgediepte elektroniese mooi wense vir almal op hul kontaklys. Grotendeels is die dag en sommer nog die ekstra vakansiedag agterna deurgebring met brassery en was daar soos gewoonlik gruwelike motorongelukke \u00f3f op pad Nuwejaar toe \u00f3f terug daarvandaan \u2013 alles maar \u2019n voortsetting van \u2019n hele jaar se daaglikse gebeure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dit was nie altyd so nie; nie eens tientalle jare gelede toe die aanloop tot Nuwejaarsvieringe, in die destyds reeds berugte Hillbrow, hoofnuus was met die polisie op bystand en negatiewe koerantberigte nie. Daar was \u2019n tyd in hierdie land toe dit anders was. Di\u00e9 het ek met my kinders en hul gaste gedeel waar ons vanjaar \u2013 relatief veilig agter ho\u00eb heinings en ander veiligheidsmeganismes \u2013 \u2019n aangename Nuwejaarsaand deurgebring het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My herinnering gaan baie, baie jare terug. Dit was toe Namibi\u00eb nog Suidwes was en vir Dries \u201cGod\u2019s own Country\u201d; toe alles hier en in Suidwes perfek gewerk het en Suid-Afrika op die voorpunt met die bou van wapentuig was, en ons onderwysstelsel en tersi\u00eare opleiding van w\u00eareldgehalte was; toe daar oral die beste mediese behandeling en versorging vir almal was; die tyd toe ons die meeste goud gedelf het en Yskor, Sasol, Eskom asook die poswese hulself in doeltreffendheid oortref het. Toe was Nuwejaar \u2019n lekker vooruitsig vir my \u2013 veral in Suidwes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Saam met ons vriende het ons altyd \u2019n aand uit die boeke gehad in die Sch\u00fctzenhaus op Keetmanshoop met Teddy Gr\u00fchn se orkes, wat in Dries se terminologie \u201cons deur die paces<\/span> gevat het\u201d. Mans ge-pak en ge-das en vrouens paslik uitgevat, het ons die Oujaar behoorlik uit gedans en dans-dans afgesluit en die Nuwejaar verwelkom met \u2019n plesierigheid wat dae daarna nog vir baie staaltjies gesorg het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tensy Nuwejaar op \u2019n Sondag was, is \u2019n kaartjie gekoop vir twee aande se dansparty, naamlik Oujaarsaand, en vir die waaghalsiges Nuwejaarsaand ook. Oujaar is tradisioneel afgesluit om middernag met almal in \u2019n groot kring om \u201cAuld Lang Syne\u201d te sing. Bekend en onbekend het mekaar \u2019n voorspoedige Nuwejaar toegewens. Die Suidwesters, soos hulle alleen dit kan doen, het \u201cDas S\u00fcdwesterlied\u201d gesing om daarna te dans tot ver verby ligdag \u2013 maklik tot sewe-uur op Nuwejaar en daai aand van agtuur af tot wanneer die orkes lank n\u00e1 middernag halt roep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Die orkeslede het nie drank gebruik terwyl hulle gespeel het nie, maar het wel pouses gevat vir versterking om die marathon-spelery te kon volhou. Die musiek was nie oorverdowend nie en die dansvloer ook nie in \u2019n rokerige duisternis gehul nie, maar die vrolikheid was hoorbaar buite waar geen karwagte was nie en motors ongesluit geparkeer is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Daar was nie polisiepatrollering of verbyry-skietery nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dis nie engeltjies wat daar was nie, maar niemand het hul eie drank en wapens saamgebring nie. Natuurlik is te veel \u201cKleine, Kleine\u201d by die kroeg gekoop en onnodig baie glase Suidwes-bier ook. Of die vrouens gedrink het, weet ek nie. \u00d3ns het nie, en die Januarie-hitte in \u2019n gebou sonder lugre\u00ebling het skynbaar die bier vinniger laat uitsweet as wat die manne dit ingeneem het. Die mans het met ander mans se vrouens gedans, maar nie by die deur uit verdwyn nie, en daar was nie vuisgevegte, messtekery of vloekery nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nuwejaar was toe nie maar net nog \u2019n dag waar die son opkom en neerbrand op \u2019n afgebrande land en sy inwoners, waarvan baie moedeloos is van swaar dra aan die onreg waaronder hulle ly en die ver-ontmensliking van mense in \u2019n land waar oor menseregte hoog opgegee word nie; \u2019n land waar mense hul verworwe vryheid gebruik as paspoort vir misdadigheid en barbaarse optrede \u2013 selfs in skole en kerke, terwyl politici wie se o\u00eb, in Bybelse terminologie, uitpeul van vettigheid, steeds net praat en niks doen nie en hulle baai in hul meestal gesteelde weelde.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ek het gewis nie my uitspanplek gemaak en permanent afgesaal om net terug te kyk na die goeie tye en te dink alles was vir almal reg en goed nie, maar net die ultra-dommes, waarvan daar te veel in Suid-Afrika is, weet nie dat dit nou slegter gaan as toe nie. Ek kan nie help om die slegte raak te sien nie. En die skokkende waarheid is Einstein se gesegde: \u201cWe cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them<\/i>.\u201d Hoe dan? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dit kan net bonatuurlik wees, en dit gaan nie vanself gebeur nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Daarvoor moet ons vra.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Post 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