It is really sad that the world is being dominated by Trump's toxic individualism and the relegation of the welfare of everybody. The election posturing to build a wall on America’s border with Mexico may have been interpreted by many as cheap politicking but it has now come to haunt Americans. The ruinous financial misery inflicted upon those affected by the government shutdown is undetermined.
Yet Trump is unrelenting in his pursuit to fulfil an election promise. Some people like Trump just lack empathy and their narcissistic individual gratification dominates. We seem to despise Trump but fail to acknowledge that we too are selfish when it comes to sharing our love and wealth.
In most cultures and religions, as well as through benefits of tax breaks, the concept of benevolence is espoused. Ubuntu, that literally means that a person is a person through other people, is one African example. But why is it that we seem to ignore this and pursue self-enrichment in the face of such colossal suffering?
In South Africa, post 1994 there was a massive project to develop communities that were neglected by the apartheid government. Yet the ANC despite winning every election on the promise to improve the lives of the marginalized and to be a government for all that lived in South Africa, its politicians and government officials and by extension the party itself (by failing to reign in the rampant corruption) failed miserably due to the relegation of benevolence in their daily activities.
The shenanigans of the officials during the Zuma era would not have been so extensive had they valued benevolence over individual greed. There is no doubt that corruption, exploitation and daylight robbery would have occurred but the scale of it would not have been so disparate. The gorging at tenders as witnessed at Transnet, Eskom, SAA and numerous national, provincial and local governments would have been just been gobbling. VBS Bank and Steinhoff are other examples where greed was rampant. Parastatals and municipalities have been decimated, yet the people they were supposed to benefit were simply ignored. The failure of a sense of guilt in those such as revealed in the Gupta-gate emails upon taking it all and leaving nothing for the next person (or generation) shows that we have lost empathy.
Election manifestos are screaming all kinds of promises to the electorate, from free education and healthcare to land expropriation without compensation but when it comes to budgetary allowances for redress the politicians have repeatedly omitted to correctly allocate resources as they felt more pressing issues such as purchasing unnecessary arms (the arms deal fiasco), a bloated parliament and cabinet, Nkandla and tenders for friends in every government department was more important than the health, education and welfare of its citizens.
The inappropriate benefits to ANC's company Chancellor House as the empowerment partner in the Medupi and Kusile projects should not have been allowed to proceed by the legal and banking fraternity during the contract phase. The cost overruns and shoddy workmanship would never have occurred if all involved were diligent in their responsibilities. The steadfastness of individuals like Pravin Gordhan is what was lacking in the face of the easy temptations of the massive wealth that became possible in taking nefarious slices off the costs.
Besides the ANC and the contractors, the lawyers and corporate bankers are just as responsible for the daily suffering we are enduring with power cuts, trains that don't work and poor service delivery. Each and every contract would have been drafted by legal experts, yet none have been made to account for their lack of moral oversight. Let them be exposed so that they can be referred for Ubuntu rehabilitation.
On an individual basis are we a benevolent society? Yes and no. We are selective. We donate blood, organs and give charity and then completely forget to share an advantage that we happen upon. Let’s be honest, how often have we not come across an advantage or a dangerous situation and failed to share it with family, friends and society by being silent? The benefit the other would have gained by an action or inaction by our forewarning is what ubuntu is. Similarly, turning a blind eye or not reporting a transgression is just as bad as capital crimes such as murder, rape and mayhem.
It seems to be the norm nowadays when an individual excels in the workplace, gets a good job, a nice car and smart home to then go on to live in a cocoon indulging in leisure activities such as the gym and binge watching TV shows, but be oblivious that his education was sponsored by the state with taxpayer funds. Apart from our compulsory taxes such as V.A.T and P.A.Y.E, how much are we giving back to society? Volunteerism is relegated to corporate brouhahas. We should be more selfless and open to helping each other at every turn. Let us develop a culture of sharing.
Let us share with others when we become aware of a benefit, such as a computer or cellphone app, or devices that may make our lives easier. For example, to be contend that you have a powerbank or a generator that can be used during a power outage but not telling others that such are on the market is purely selfish. When diagnosed with cancer we tend to keep the information private yet close family members should be made aware of it so that they too can be screened, or use that information to make informed decisions regarding their health. Genetic predisposition to illness and cancer is now proven fact, so not disclosing your cancer to your child, sibling or close relative is no longer your right to privacy but selfish and morally wrong. We need to share such information as well.
In our everyday activities we really need to be more aware as to how we can make the world a better place. It starts with simple actions and obeying traffic rules, being courteous on the roads, keeping the lift door open so that a person approaching can take the same lift.
Trump's posturing on the wall, or favouring a particular leader in Venezuela is nothing more than selfish opportunism. If we do not want to become like him, then we need to once again foster generosity, compassion and humanity
