The Post

Government involvement a kiss of death for honest enterprise

ON HERITAGE Day, two big sporting events took place in our country – in Durban the Springboks took on Argentina in the final leg of the Rugby Championship, while in Johannesburg Bafana Bafana played Sierra Leone in an international friendly.

Both teams won – and they did so convincingly. However, there has been much talk on social media about the number of South Africans who bought tickets for the respective games.

Durban was a sold-out affair, with about 52 000 people attending. Soccer City, although boasting a seating capacity of about 95000, was deserted.

It reflected the success SA Rugby has had in making a game once synonymous with apartheid popular among all South Africans. It also proved that those who display the ability to achieve become popular.

Rugby fans in all hues of the Rainbow Nation gathered at Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium. They were of different races and religions, young and old, men and women, but united in their support for the men in green and gold.

They belted out the opening lines of our national anthem with the same gusto as they did the part that incorporates “Die Stem”.

It was reflective of the love so many South Africans have for their anthem and, by extension, their country.

Despite their many differences, South Africans want the same thing: a country that is peaceful and prosperous.

A few hours before the rugby match kicked off, a small group of people gathered on the lawns of the Union Buildings in our nation’s capital to listen to President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver the keynote address at the official Heritage Day event.

The turnout and atmosphere were in stark contrast to that at the rugby, and reflected how isolated our president and our government have become from ordinary South Africans.

Those who opted to watch the proceedings on the national broadcaster would have seen the ever-present message, all in capital letters, alerting South Africans to Stage 4 rolling blackouts. It was a reminder of the darkness, figuratively and literally, that our government has allowed to continue.

Ramphosa said a few things, but, like so much he and his ministers preach these days, the words have become meaningless because they lack the action needed to become a reality.

There was muted applause when he ended his speech. Most of those present probably applauded out of politeness and not because our president had said something unforgettable or had inspired them.

Hopefully our president found some time to watch the Springbok game and reflect on how ordinary South Africans got behind the Springboks.

Hopefully, he also noticed the effortless ease that characterised the interaction between those in the stadium.

Perhaps, with a bit more introspection, he would realise that these days things seem to work best when the government is not involved.

Opinion

en-za

2022-09-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thepostza.pressreader.com/article/281651078981052

African News Agency