By Wanyera Simon
THE UNREST IN SOUTH AFRICA SHOULD BE AN EYE OPENER TO THE COMMON UGANDAN
South Africa, Africa’s epicenter of civilization and nationalism continues to draw a picture of modern unrest in the world. The Zulu land was one of the earliest nations in Africa to achieve it’s independence from the British as early as 1910. South Africa suffered the worst apartheid that saw blacks being slaughtered like chicken, Africans being rendered homeless as their land was grabbed, blacks couldn’t access formal education, blacks were not supposed to access various services which were all a privilege of the white man. One hundred years later, the South African leadership save for a few such as Nelson Mandela have taken a similar path or even a worse one compared to what they used to go through. The current generation of leadership in SA whose chief priest Ramaphosa has taken the worst direction. The current unrest in the Kwazulu Natal land has been triggered by the arrest of former President, Jacob Zuma who’s being accused of having engaged in a number of corruption scandals.
These riots are so far the worst in modern times of any African country. South Africans having fought so hard for their independence have not benefited quite a lot from this “independence”. There are a number of them who cannot afford two meals a day, those who cannot afford modern education, they cannot pride in the nation they so much fought for. National coffers have been emptied by greedy leaders and it is for such reasons that we are going to wait a little longer to see a stable SA. I believe that as much as the bigger picture has been created to show that the riots have erupted due to the arrest of former President Zuma but rather a number of other factors. I do not justify the riots in SA but when citizens rights are infringed for a long time, they have no other option but to raise up to the occasion.
Nelson Mandela said that, “When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
The situation in SA is not any different from Uganda..
The silence of Ugandans should never be taken for granted. Well, Ugandans have tried to raise to the occasion but have been met with untold harasment from the Military. However it is never too late, even Rome was never built in a single day. We as a people of Uganda must unite for a common cause.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY