A winning nation – with warts and all

Confucius famously noted that “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home – for every empire ever built or destroyed began not in the palace of kings but in the quiet character of ordinary families.” Watching the Madlanga commission unravel the criminal mysteries that have almost gobbled the whole nation, you would think we are very lucky to be this strong as a nation. The questions that remain unanswered are how did we get here, and how shall we rescue ourselves from this horrendously meticulously planned quagmire? Yes we can. One has just to look at all the assassination attempts since the formation of this new nation and the successes thus far achieved. We tend to easily forget that we are a nation formed out of a crucible of apartheid. No one gave us a chance, but we are still here. Small wonder that we receive such an avalanche of not just bad press but criticism that refuses to see what the country has achieved over the years. Here we are talking about country not political party. Even if we did ascribe this to one or two political parties, have got to remember that this is all tax payers money not their money.

The unifying power of sport

This past week we witnessed the triumph of our national rugby team. The indefatigable Springboks. Yes, it was no walk in the park but they won convincingly. Captain Siya Kolisi, in his interview before the match, stated that this game in Soweto was dedicated to all the fallen heroes who fought and died during the liberation struggle. Amazingly, South Africans from all corners of our country came out in large numbers to support the Springboks, screamed at the top of their voices and we won. This is the impetus that never fails any of our national teams. It always inspires them to do their damndest best. Although there’s now little emphasis on what Madiba coined as a “Rainbow Nation”, this is still alive and strong.

The unfinished business of justice

For example, the Truth and reconciliation cases (debacle) are still like an albatross around our necks. It was a very exciting relief to see the Nokuthula Simelane Foundation in collaboration with the University of Mpumalanga host the Inaugural memorial lecture for a daughter of the soil who was allegedly brutally murdered in 1983 and still missing to date. Here we are talking about Nokuthula Simelane – a stunning beauty whose life was brutally flushed out by the apartheid regime. Nokuthula was a liberation cadre who hailed from Bethal, Mzinoni in Mpumalanga. She was snatched from the then University of Swaziland (Eswatini), where she was pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in education, the day before graduation. She never graduated; her chair was empty and she’s still missing. To see her mom light that candle and younger sister, Thembisile Simelane delivering a moving eulogy, and reliving all the pain they have had to go through was touching.

Remembering Nokuthula Simelane

Nokuthula was a very quiet but focused student. Her disappearance at the Kwaluseni campus came as a shock to us all on graduation day. I recall that Nodumo was a shell/shadow of herself on that day. Matsapha Hleta, one of their classmates, was so devastated that he chose to get stoned (inebriated) and only showed up after the ceremony was over. The inaugural memorial lecture hosted by the University of Mpumalanga was very befitting of Nokuthula’s stature. The family has no closure. If the apartheid regime killed her, where did they bury her? Where is the grave? Where is the body or bones? No memorial, no burial no answers since 1983! Even more honourable was HE President Matamela Ramaphosa’s presence. Although his platitudes were more political, he tried to couch his political campaign in a more discrete and diplomatic speech.

Celebrating South Africa’s achievements

Talking about things diplomatic and worth our serious attention. One has to remember the coup de grace we pulled off when South Africa joined Brics. Today we seem to think that this was an easy feat. Another unforgettable achievement is none other than the hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The list of achievements in these past thirty years is as long as my arm, if not longer. Who can still remember our first membership of the UN non-permanent membership of the Security Council? Not even one goat was slaughtered to celebrate this. We seem to downplay all the good things we have notched up since 1994.

A nation defined by resilience

We are more consumed by the negativity we are fed every day. It blinds all that we, as a nation, have achieved globally. South Africans, now I know, were cut from a total different stock. We are not only resilient but are a nation of fighters. Ask the Poms. They will not only point to our successes on a sports field but also in war battles where King Sekhukhune and His Majesty, King Dingane, respectively, taught them a lesson or two about fighting for things we believe in. Personally, I have no doubts about how good we can be even in the face of adversity. Listening to some economic analysts comment about the slump we have just gone through or still going through, you would think we are finished. We shall bounce back. We just need to hunker-down and pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. South Africa’s future is exceedingly bright. We have so much that needs fixing. We can not throw out the baby with the bath water. We just need to do some very serious winnowing, separate the chaff from the so many good things we have – including the 1 000 political parties that waste so much of our time and taxpayers money. We also need to fix our society, especially starting from our homes and our families, for us to be a better nation. Let’s keep hope alive, as the late Rev Jesse Jackson used to say.

• Vika Khumalo is is a seasoned diplomat who has served South Africa in major international postings for over two decades..

Subscribe To Our Newsletter