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Through My Eyes

Through My Eyes

Author: Kasia Yoko
Date: 2014-05-02
Nelson Mandela, famously wrote: "There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires."

As the elections are nearing, people from all walks of life unite to voice their disappointments and gripes with the government, political parties and various officials. It does not stop the politicians from politicking though, but I guess that is a part of their job.

There is so much that is good with our country, really.

Having just returned from Cape Town, I witnessed first hand how good it really is. Restaurants and cafés are filled to the brim with enthusiastic Capetownians.

Foreign languages are being heard wherever you go and the abundance of resources is visible on every corner. The Mother City is clean and on top of the top ten cities to visit in 2014.

So how come so many of us are feeling vulnerable at the time we should all be rejoicing? Well personally, I have a bone to pick with this government, or whoever is making decisions about our future.

As a mother I fear that due to lack of opportunities my sons will have to leave this country in search of career prospects and as we travel further and further into our democracy most of us are sobering up to the fact that we are just so excluded from this country's future.

Immigration is a swear word in my vocabulary. Having gone through it once before it would really break my heart to see my own children settle on another continent because this one could not offer them equal opportunities.

While the legacy of apartheid is deplorable, and there is certainly room for affirmative action-type programs, the pendulum appears to have swung too far to the other side.

Its no wonder that the minority has shrunk in the last 20 years since the end of apartheid. The question is - can South Africa truly live up to Nelson Mandela's dream of a rainbow nation? Or will it turn into just a much bigger Zimbabwe?

I love my country, South Africa. I love all the various cultural groups and all we need to do is to understand each other, support each other and work together.

Economic growth needs to be more inclusive of those in micro-enterprises, rural areas, and, perhaps most important, the young and jobless. If managed appropriately, with good governance and smart investments, the "brain drain" can become the "brain gain" for developing economies. One of our biggest enemies is complacency, another is separatism.