Though many who remain caught in established patterns still find it hard to apply, it is known that applying the same failed approaches to solving a problem and expecting different outcomes is not just the beginning of madness. It is a sure sign of it.
While many would arguably jump on an opportunity for a job abroad if it were presented to them, many would not openly admit to hoping for or looking for one. For many, this still seems like a betrayal or abandonment. But the truth is that the deteriorating state of SA as a functioning country places those who live in it in a serious conundrum and difficult mental distress as families are torn apart by increasing numbers of departures by economically active loved ones.
The power balance seems to be gradually changing, but not fast enough. Against this backdrop, the opposition political parties that recently announced a pact of sorts to underpin their campaign preparations ahead of the much-anticipated 2024 general elections should be given a chance. Most political party leaders, established and new, have long acknowledged the near impossibility of their respective parties unseating the ANC by themselves.
Previously, some opposition parties refused to heed the call because of who made it and how it was made. Considering the bigger picture and issues at stake, this is arguably a childish response, driven by political ego. But all that is now, hopefully, in the past and it should remain there. There is work to be done to get South Africa to recover from decades of systemic abuses and to give it a chance of recovery and, for this to happen, all hands must be on deck, rowing in the same direction.