Umar 2nd Caliph of Islam said, do not allow the prayers or fasting of a person deceive you.
Look at the truthfulness of speech and honesty when entrusted and behaviour when given wealth and power. Across this beautiful nation, millions struggle in horrific poverty.
Oddly, South Africa has vast mineral wealth such as diamonds, gold and platinum. Our main problem is that we have been governed for centuries and currently by leaders who disregard criminality like theft, murder and corruption.
As a nation, we struggle to contextualise crime since many criminals enjoy legal and other protection.
What am I talking about? During apartheid, whites organised the murder of Chris Hani and Imam Haron, among others. Ironically, some whites regard the killer of Chris Hani as a hero, but most blacks disagree.
Annually, 20 000 people are murdered in South Africa, meaning that 50 to 70 people are murdered daily.
It is possible that about 400 000 to 500 000 people could have been murdered since 1994.
Why is this murder statistic relevant? When a government cannot protect citizens from murder or supply cheap water and electricity, what benefit is that government?
We agree, apartheid and its supporters were evil and must be held liable in this life and in the next, but what about those currently employed in government? Why do some easily talk about apartheid but say little about the wickedness we witness today? Those who take credit for fighting apartheid must explain the massive corruption, the high crime rate and the lack of affordable water and electricity.
It is 27 years later and we know that we had a 350-year history of slavery, colonialism and apartheid.
The question is, will those in government ever accept responsibility and liability for their decisions?
Must we wait another 50 years? What stops the governing political party from appointing qualified and competent people to actually do the work and get clean audits in governance, like Cape Town?
Furthermore, does a victim care if he or she is robbed by a white, brown or black criminal? Rates and tax payers do not want their money stolen or wasted and it does not matter if the guilty person is black, brown or white.
Those who pay hate wastage and theft of their money. Also, racists during apartheid enjoyed black suffering.
What excuse do black leaders have when they witness blacks suffering or are black leaders exempted from the suffering of other blacks?
Similarly, why do some march to restaurants etc when racism is suspected but are quiet when black officials and black politicians create chaos and steal and waste billions in taxpayers’ money?
* Cllr Yagyah Adams, Cape Muslim Congress.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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