I woke this morning thinking: It would be nice to wake up and have someone bringing me coffee in bed and magically have a big-screen TV in my bedroom and already on my favourite channel – which by the way is HGTV or SS2. Then, while enjoying my coffee, the smell of pancakes, bacon and eggs would waft into my bedroom. That would really be an absolute dream start to my Sunday. Obviously, it ain’t happening. I woke up with no big-screen TV turned into my favourite channels, and nobody making coffee or breakfast for me. But, just before the almighty morning number one forced me out of bed, I lay thinking: Yes, I would love to have the luxury of all of the above, but at least I woke up in a bed that had dry sheets and a comforter. How many were still trying to mop up after this weekend’s rain?
I can also almost guarantee you that they couldn’t have walked to the kitchen and made themselves a cup of coffee or tea. I did feel a little bit embarrassed for wanting all those nice things. We are living in the “because I want, someone has to give!” I flirted a bit with economics in my brief foray into the academic world, and one thing I do remember – the only thing in fact – is that there is a difference between needs and wants.
I may want all of the above, but I don’t need it. But many of our residents have plenty of needs, and it is a shame that many can climb into their beds after a nice hot bath and delicious supper when thousands are doing without. We all know what a sorry state our towns are in. We are barely hanging on by a threat. After the rains, did the mayors or councillors go and see how they could assist residents? Or, like an incident last year after heavy rains, the councillors only pitched after a “political training session”?. By then, it was too late. After the heavy rains, a lot of residents had just about lost everything, while some were trapped in their shanties and couldn’t get out. (Namibian Sun, 14 February 2022).
This is just one example. When we go to the polls, we are quick to come around with t-shirts and food parcels, and make the same sweeping promises of 32 years ago. We fire up the people, promising this time it will be different, and that all the promises will be fulfilled. Having no other recourse, the people go and stand in the queue and make their mark, only to once again be disappointed and having to fight the fight alone. Then, we want to get all up in arms when the residents protest. There will be no need for service delivery protests or to get our knickers in a knot if we do what we were mandated to do. We have been through enough turmoil, and it is really time to attend to the very basic needs of our residents, instead of just wanting the luxuries in life. We do have all the potential for greatness we always had. Maybe we can regain it if we ever get back our national pride.
I would love to quote and leave you with the words of Theodore Roosevelt who said: “Do what you can with what you have where you are”.