This is a peaceful view of Mary Fitzgerald Square in Johannesburg. This public square is often used for political rallies and marches. As I sit here, reflecting on load shedding as a symptom of decline in South Africa, I can’t help but wonder how many more rallies and marches will have to take place before government gets held to a higher standard. I loathe politics at the best of times, but nothing changes until something changes. And, for something to change, someone has to change.
I have no idea how businesses run without generators. Even then, it’s a challenge to navigate load shedding. Eskom’s schedule is incorrect most of the time, so there’s no way you can plan ahead. Like most industries, we need electricity to be able to work. Charging batteries? We need power. Editing? We need power. Rendering videos? We need power. Lighting a scene? We need power. It’s terribly inconvenient, but I shudder to think of those who need electricity to run ventilators or life-sustaining equipment. And through all of this, government just shrugs its collective shoulders and passes the buck.
I’m sure you’ve experienced the effects of load shedding yourself. Our country is on its knees, but I have to believe that we can bring about the change we so desperately need. We’re complaining about traffic and the effect of load shedding on business. Twitter is abuzz with angry citizens yelling because they feel out of control. The fact of the matter is, we aren’t in control. The government is, and they’re in control because we voted them in. South Africa cannot continue believing the lies that politicians feed us each time an election is around the corner. This year, make your vote count for the love of our beautiful country.
Until next time,
Marinda