The first quarter-light at the end of the tunnel
THE FIRST QUARTER-LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
As we enter the final month of the first quarter of 2017, it is clear evidence that there are still many politicians, government officials and ordinary citizens who care more about South Africa’s future than their own pockets.
The Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, Leseja Kganyago is a shining example. As the true custodian of our currency, guardian of our banks and banker to the Government, the SARB has never been swayed by the politics of day. Steadfast in their commitment to inflation targeting, a politically neutral instrument of economic policy, the SARB have kept an even keel through troubled times.
Another example of this commitment to protecting our economy is the former Public Protector. Exposing the state capture scandal was possibly the most difficult of her tasks and she undertook it amidst enormous personal pressure.
Then there are those individuals who are never talked about in the media. The men and women who work in the Budget Office of the Treasury who prepared a robust budget in February earlier this year amidst turmoil and conflict within their own Department and many of those they oversee.
Finally the men and women of our judiciary deserve a special mention. Whilst politically appointed, members of our judiciary have done us all proud by making rational decisions and holding the executive to account. We have a justice system that mirrors the values and principles of a considered and honest person acting without fear of their own pockets being compromised.
The scenario that I wish to paint is captured in a film called “Enemy at the Gate”. This movie depicted the bitter end of the Nazi invasion of Russia which ended in St Petersburg. The Russians held their city and sacrificed both life and limb to ultimately defeat the morally bankrupt Nazis’s. The commitment to ending the advancement of the Nazi’s invasion took every last Russian man and women’s selflessness.
As a South Africa citizen you need to ask yourself, what are you prepared to do to keep the enemy at the gate? Stand up and be counted as a person who keeps a cool head, rises above conflict and scandal and keeps doing the right thing to protect our collective investment, namely our country’s economy.
Pay your debits, don’t offer or accept bribes, be law abiding whether or not someone is watching, vote in the elections, help out at your children’s school, do charity work, refuse to accept anything from the proceeds of crime, speak out when you see others doing wrong, lend a selfless hand when you see someone in need, stop thinking in black and white terms and give the politicians less air time. Turn off social media and start talking to each other.
The enemy will always be lurking at our gate, but will never be able to morally bankrupt the guards if the guards are you and I - financially disciplined, law abiding and selfless citizens of our great Rainbow Nation.
In summary, there is a little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. I like many fellow South African’s cannot just get up and go. I have to make it work and therefore am committed in doing so.
Ryan Berry