Is South Africa's future in safe hands?

Most South Africans are very patriotic, they love their country, they defend it and they become very emotional when negative things are said about it. They will tell anyone about the beauty of Table Mountain, Cape point and the City of Cape Town. They will boast about the warm beaches of Kwazulu-Natal, the breath-taking views of the iconic Moses Mabhida stadium. They will tell you about the world class Kruger National park, the magnificent weather, the stable democracy, their well-managed and growing economy. A lot of South Africans are indeed a proud bunch.

However, talk to South Africans about the state of their nation, you start seeing cracks in the facade, the smiles are suddenly interrupted. Probe a little further, you will realise that beneath the shell of optimism, South Africans are worried. They are concerned that their politicians are regularly on the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. From the highest office in the land, there is a consistent innuendo of inconsistency. A scandal breaks after another; apologies come at the same fast rate, at times arrogant denials come at an even greater pace. If the state of political leadership was a sole barometer of the state of this nation, South Africa would be nearing very worrying levels.

It has taken the democratic South Africa 15 years to achieve all it has achieved; history tells us that it will take a much shorter period to wipe out the gains if the concerns are not heeded. If politicians continue to portray an image of invincibility and arrogance at the current rate, soon this country will become yet another African horror story. If the principles of freedom as enshrined in that wonderful constitution are not respected and protected by those in power, this country will barely limp to its 30th birthday. Leaders need to realise that it is not in the big "sins" that the state of this nations will be dealt a visible blow; it is in the small continuous little acts.

It is when leaders make little public statements that divide rather than unite the nation. It when leaders are constantly under suspicion in their personal affairs and financial affairs, especially if taxpayer’s money is involved. It is when leaders seem to get away with little acts of bad judgement, when well-connected law breakers are seen to be using their politician friends to circumvent the law. It is when questionable characters ascend to power, take strategic public positions that the glue that binds a nation weathers away. These little sins gnaw away on the moral fibre of a nation, its hopes and its future.

The leadership of this country has their work cut out. They need to stop the slide into hopelessness. They need to re-invigorate hope and confidence in the public. It is not too late, South Africans have the capacity to turn things around mentally and focus on the positive. I certainly still remain positive. After all, this is the only country I can call home.