Every Day in Gangster's Paradise

"As a general rule, if you believe *everything* your political party says, you are an idiot." - Elon Musk

"The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics." - Thomas Sowell.

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." - Ronald Reagan.

"Everyone has a price, the important thing is to find out what it is." - Pablo Escobar.

Voting is basically an act of deciding who you want to give the power to exercise the government's monopoly on violence. Remember, this violence must be directed at someone, in some cases it might be directed back at you. In a democracy, you vote and regret.

The major party politicians are all of different characters. From communists, capitalists, liberals, social democrats, tribalists, white supremacists, pan-Africanists, etc. A simple question is are we well informed about what the leaders and parties stand for before we can give them power to make or destroy what we see around ourselves? The more I analyse governments and international relations, the more I realise that they are big cartels-like. So it's like choosing which cartel you want to rule your location. Remember that after giving them power, the government owns you. Whether you live in a democracy or dictatorship. To understand what it means when I say the government owns you, Google the definition of conscription. Conscription is not a consensual process, most especially when the war is going to last more than 1 month. You will forced to go and likely die in battle. You don't have to agree or understand the politics of the war.

Okay, looking at MojaLove shows and the plight of blacks living in townships (ghettos), show me a political party that has a solution, a psychological solution to help blacks liberate themselves from the shackles of poverty, backwardness, unemployment, violence, alcoholism, etc. Abo X-repo ends up having to do the government's work after the SAPS and courts have failed to enforce the law.

Over the festive season, did you guys take time to discuss politics with your cousins, nephews, grannies, parents, friends, etc, or it was hangovers every day (No time to think)? I am guilty too but not of hangovers but not discussing politics with family members. I know they vote for the ruling party. I could not convince them otherwise because I'm not going to vote for any party.

Democracies are based on the premise that citizens are literate and well-informed. Let's do a quick litmus test, the red berets have been in parliament for almost a decade now, name 2 laws they participated in and supported that help you today. I will wait. Type in the comments section.

As long as there's government, humans will never reach their full potential. The role of government is to create laws. And the purpose of laws is to restrict human actions, or in other words to take away human freedoms. Remember, the state of emergency during COVID-19 lockdowns. How free were you? Probably got jabs and boosters because of coercion from the government limiting your freedom of movement and sometimes employers firing unvaccinated employees.

I met an old Jewish lady in Cape Town at a hotel just after finishing breakfast. She said she worked for the ANC and was a ward leader in Hydepark in the 90s. She said the new ANC is messing things up. The young lions don't care to listen to adults. They only want money from tenders. What I like about our talk is that she emphasized that people need to talk, anywhere and whenever. Like they used to at hotel lobbies back in the day. This got me thinking, why didn't the struggle parties politically educate garden boys and kitchen girls to eat apartheid power from the inside?

Alright, so voting is part of deciding the future of a country. As citizens, we are caught in a power struggle between politicians and private capital (Controls everything). We are bargaining chips used by politicians when they're trying to extort private capital. I think for us to vote wisely, we must consult the past and the present facts about our politicians. There are no honest politicians but some politicians lie less than others. We must learn from our painful history to avoid repeating it or to avoid repeating it too soon. Unfortunately, South Africa has a huge illiterate population. I will say it, the coalition of the ANC and DA will be the reunification of the former NP members and strengthening of the Afrikaner Broederbond.

South Africa is facing these major challenges: 1 - Crime, 2 - GBV, 3 - Unemployment, 4 - Poverty, and 5 - inequality. What I find sad is that any statistics about South Africa most especially on bad things are black people's statistics. In statistics language, constituting 80%, blacks are statistically very significant. So these aforementioned ills are felt by the black majority. To be honest none of the politicians have a plan to address these challenges. At best they have manifesto items that contradict each other, for example, how will land expropriation without compensation create jobs and end crime and poverty? All blacks are still colonized, that is, slaves just like Paul Kruger said decades ago, " Blacks are slaves and live to work for the white man." What has changed since then? Will any of the 2024 GE rhetoric change this long-lived setting?

Contrary to what I've heard from some politicians and analysts, I don't think the 2024 GE are like the 1994 GE. The Jewish lady I met concurred. We don't seem to need change as much as we did in 1994, and the choices are not so straightforward like ANC (Mandela freedom) or NP De Clerk oppression). Now there's the MK Party, ACT, ARISE, RISE, BOSA, EFF, BLF, the list goes on. They all want to have of piece of us, ha ha ha. Today, one cannot say that it's either ANC or DA or maybe ANC or EFF. The media tries but SA politics will never be like the US politics of the DP or GOP. With the coalition mess at our metros, if we get a national coalition government we are going to find ourselves in more mess than we do with the ANC and their friends at the moment. I live in a DA or VF+ ward which is being used as a battleground through power cuts and water outages. And also big potholes. Trust me, it sucks. So, let's be clear that our politicians don't represent our interests. They only want to get our vote and then see us again in 5 years.

I have come up with a list of 50 things to keep in mind about South Africa as a general voter. Nothing complicated.

50 Something basic facts to ponder about SA as we go to the polls

1. Elite (Wealthier and educated) blacks who owned land had the right to vote in the Cape colony. In today's terms, do you think your vote is worth more than a black billionaire's vote?

2. You don't make politicians rich, why would they listen to you all the time? They will only listen to you when it is voting time.

3. Not so long ago, roughly 360 months ago, we were under the apartheid regime/government (National Party). Yes, it's not that long ago. The wounds are still fresh.

4. Forget politicians, the bankers are the ones in charge. How can a career politician who earns a living wage control a guy who pushing billions around? The rand manipulation and lack of consequences for impoverishing millions is proof.

5. Vote or Money? Which do you think is powerful? A little "X" on a paper or Mandelas in a politician's bank account?

6. Ubuntu! Our politicians have none of it. There's no ubuntu in capitalist society. It's all about money, money, money for me alone.

7. We lack commercial tech innovations and a declining industrial production capacity. Although SEZs are expected to resolve the problem, South Africa is made up of agrarian groups from Bantus to Afrikaners.

8. South Africa seems to be on auto-pilot. Who's really in charge? Who's being held accountable for any of the mess that's costing taxpayers?

9. Whites are not going anywhere. They will go and come back, but most of them aren't moving a meter.

10. South Africa has the largest number of whites than any other African country. I think more white people than all other African countries combined.

11. Afrikaners are Africans. Hence, the "Afrika" in Afrikaner. Can Afrikaner assimilate well in Europe? if they were to pack their bags?

12. South Africa is currently an ineptocracy. Not a democracy, dictatorship, etc. It's on auto-pilot.

13. There is no need for black people's unity to bring about change in South Africa. If black people's unity is so important such that politicians preach it, why do we have new black parties with every general election? Are they supposed to unite while divided?

14. The EFF is a mini ANC created to absorb young blacks. Am I correct? The ANC and EFF will be in coalition if the existence of either is threatened. Keep in mind, that Julius and Floyd didn't resign from the ANC. They were kicked out screaming and kicking, by Ramaphosa. ANC + DA coalition will be a disaster compared to ANC + EFF. ANC + DA will be a reformation of the National Party (NP).

15. Formalisation of the kasi economy is the formalisation of apartheid economic structures. This is a tough one because townships do create jobs. What's the solution for future black living areas? More townships? Currently, it seems like more mkhukhus.

16. Our economy will be 80/20, 20% of the population (Whites) put in 20% of the labour energy (assisted by AI and robotics) and get 80% of the created value. Blacks will contribute 80% of the human effort and get 20% of the benefits.

17. The DA is not interested in solving the black people's problems but in maintaining the status quo. Cape Town is there as proof. The city is so safe, that white girls walk the CBD streets at 9 PM (Not in party clothing but Sunday afternoon clothing).

18. South Africa's freedom was fought hard but was it not won? Did the meaning of the 1992 white referendum have something to do with the "win"?

19. We have one media house. Can freedom and democracy flourish?

20. SA may be at a turning point and have to choose between race-based solutions and unity with crack solutions.

21. Not all white people are racist, but the few that were and are keep on providing race-based benefits to those who are not racist. 

22. "Don't ask what the government can do for you but what you can do for your fellow men." - R. Regan. Would he say this statement today? It's every man for himself like it has always been.

23. Citizenship: We are all on the same ship, planet Earth (A spherical object with an uneven surface and slushing water). On this big ship, we have a section of the ship called South Africa. If things continue to go wrong, we are all going to feel the pain. I think South Africans will give each other justice, the day the other race starts suffering like the previously oppressed one. Let's wait and sing struggle songs, "Senzeni na?, senzeni na?".

24. The ANC is not in power. Their language suggests that someone must do something. All SONA addresses are wish lists of what needs to be done not how things are to be done. Dream Mr president dream.

55. There won't be land expropriation without compensation because South Africa is a Christian country (80% Christians). To get the land back you need to be bad like k*ll your enemies (Like Israel is doing to Palestinians), and use an AK47 to get justice. The people of Palestine are dying for their land and as a black South African you think you can put a little cross on a paper and get land. Jokes on me.

26. Democracy (a.k.a voting) will not bring justice to South Africa regarding apartheid injustices.

27. Black gatekeeping regulators who work for the apartheid boys.

28. No jobs for Tintswalo The economy is not creating jobs. But politicians said they wanted to create jobs so the problem was solved. Vote for the one that screams jobs the most.

29. SABC shows are stifling poor kid's growth. I don't blame parents for buying DSTV subscriptions while living in shacks. At least the kids get to see a different world than the stupid one on SABC channels. But also, that's how the West get to control our future generation. So many edges on these swords, eish!!!

30. Where I come from we have been voting but there's no water at the taps. The last time we had water was during the 1st term of the Mbeki administration.

31. The Boers fought the British Empire multiple times for the land called South Africa. Can I come now with my vote to displace Boers?

32. The vote and regret system, if you don't like Tito Mboweni (And his cooking or shoes), there's nothing you can do about it until the next election. You have to regret your vote for 5 years straight. Even if a million of you sign a petition and march, nothing will happen.

33. Manufacturered endless crisis! A way for politicians to stress test the population against government control. All governments today are dictatorships. Hey, also do you know that companies are not democracies?

34. SA was the largest gold producer for more than 100 years. Huh? Where's the gold? Is it finished or it's still there in "our" ground?

35. SA is a deeply racially divided country. As we got to the polls, the racism will show. To expect that a different race will take care of you is deeply misguided and the 2019 votes showed this.

36. Are you ready to work the land? Or it's all theoretical at this point. Keep in mind, if you get the land, you will work it like it is the pre-20th century in 2024. There won't be tractors, you will have to use a donkey/cow and plough like other people who got their land back from Europeans. This is back-breaking work all day, every day in the South African sun (30 - 40DegC). Where I come from the sun gets to 40DegC in summertime. 

37. Acceleration of the sale of state assets. I guess the assets are going back to their "legal owners". SAA was R51. Eskom is going too. Then Transnet. etc. The sale goes hand in hand with the infrastructure damage we see, a manufactured crisis. For example, the electrified rail along the N1 between Pretoria and PLK is no more.

38. Things don't happen automatically. We must act as a united nation with intention towards a common goal. Currently, South Africa does not have a vision. There's no propaganda to keep us going, hence as South Africans, we really are a resilient people. Suggest in the comments, a politician with a realistic vision for the national vision of unity, then I will vote for him/her.

39. The name South Africa is meaningless. Unlike Burfina Faso which means "The land of upright men". This lack of meaning makes just difficult for people to identify with the state of South Africa but only identify with their race and ethnic grouping. Zero nationalism!?

40. When you wake up in the morning and go to your workplace, do you think what you do makes a difference to South Africa? If not, let's vote for someone who will give us a purpose and meaning in the bigger scheme of things. For example, ACL closure, why is the government not starting new mega projects to create local steel demand and create meaning for ACL workers? Another one, why is Denel dying? Don't we need national security?

41. The rich guys are coming to politics to protect their rich friends. Politics in this case includes NPOs, NGOs, lobby organizations, etc. Someone will do the unthinkable just to get paid and feed their family. How have we as humans survived to this point without self-destruction?

42. SA always have new parties a few months before elections? All of them are chopping the ANC and DA into pieces. I guess this will happen this year as well. EFF might get reduced numbers as well.

43. Afrikaners are not going anywhere. Remember, Afrikaners is an African language. Made up of Dutch, Malay, Khoikhoi, etc. You can't just ask Afrikaners to leave like Idi asked the Indians in Uganda. With this history, we must all share South Africa.

44. The colour of the cat does not matter, as long as it catches mice. What mice do we want to catch collectively as South Africans?

45. Does it matter who's cooking the cat when the chefs got the same training, in the same kitchen, and the same recipe? It does not matter who you vote for, the policies are just bad. The policies are paid for by donors not dictated by voters. Votes are only used to shift power from the citizens to the politicians.

46. When the Dutch came to South Africa, they were not rich. They were poor in the Cape colony of the British Empire. When they were granted permission to leave the Cape colony and go inside South Africa in what is known as the Voertreker, the preachers said God was giving them land like the Zionists. South Africa is their Israel. They are not going anywhere.

47. South Africa is an 80% Christian country and 20% other. Christians are good people who will never do wrong like taking someone's property. Christians are not violent, they turn the other cheek.

48. The communist manifesto stipulates that religion and family must take a back seat. I wonder how EFF Christians reconcile this fact about communism. OR is communism with Malema's characteristics?

49. ANC is a social democratic party that advocates and is funded by capitalism. How do the SACP and COSATU reconcile this fact?

50. Corruption is the reason why infrastructure built by Bantustan leaders is now dilapidated. Bantu colleges, irrigation and drinking water supply systems, factories, buildings, etc.

51. Why our general public infrastructure is not being maintained? Don't we have enough funds? Or do we have a leaking bank account?

52. Corruption is the reason why we have a high unemployment rate. Misdirected funds to feed the materialist monster.

53. The current black people's politics have no goal. It's just rhetoric. Even if they state the goals, they have no method or means to achieve the goals.

54. Black South Africans are deluded and think black political leaders listen and take them seriously.

55. With more than 2000 political parties that register for the GE, how are we failing to solve all our basic problems? There is a party called the "Land Party", why did people fight for and vote for it in 2019 if they want land? I know people will vote for the Referendum Party this year.

56. The issue of immigration is uncontrollable at our borders. Is it going to be addressed by any prominent political parties?

57. Who's really really thinking about the youth?

In summary, South Africa needs a politician who can unite all races of South Africa; Push for social relations to change; Hold people accountable and prosecute the corrupt; Get the economy working for everyone; Build a strong and competent state; Create fertile ground for business and entrepreneurship; and Genuinely manage/lead the state and be accountable to the people, that is say what he/she is going to do and comeback every 6 months to give citizens point-by-point progress update. So far, I see Xiluva as that party. We will see how it goes. 

My prediction (Excluding new parties) is that the ANC will win. EFF won't see a slight decline. DA will see a major decline including in Western cape. PA will grow. ActionSA will grow. IFP will stay the same. VF+ will grow. Xiluva will grow. Cope will die. ACDP will die. I don't know, just what I think will happen.

If we truly had a choice on the ballot paper, there would be a textbox written "None of the above". That's the box I'd cross. The best thing you can do for yourself is to forget the government.

*Gangsta's Paradise* by Coolio