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Reflections on South Africa’s Insurrection – 27 years post apartheid

South Africans have experienced a well orchestrated insurrection attempted/failed or still work in progress – Coup d’état.

This comes on the back of the devastating third wave of the delta variant coronavirus pandemic and Governments’ health and public safety response.

Certainly, further lockdowns and protracted curtailment of public freedoms are a source of frustration and restlessness.

Until there is proper law enforcement and warrants of arrests issued with perpetrators in custody, we are still ignorant of the magnitude of the insurrection in terms of its planning and execution by these conspirators and co-accomplices behind this sinister plot.

They were clearly well planned to organise and attack strategic infrastructure, distribution networks, and supply chains in order to cause the severest destruction, social division, racial tension and economic sabotage.

The situation is perilous with Kwa Zulu Natal and parts of Gauteng province economically decimated.

The most vulnerable communities left even more vulnerable with their prospects of food, energy and safety security emaciated.

We need to call these treacherous acts for what it is: Acts of criminality, terrorism and high treason against the State.

The direct economic and consequential damages, together with the social cost to the fabric of society where livelihoods and businesses are completely obliterated or irrecoverable is the gravest social injustice perpetrated.

We must differentiate this abhorrent criminality from protests over legitimate socio-economic demands protected in law and the constitution.

The plundered coffers of the State by politicians over the last many years who have completely broken their oath of office in serving the public good, have a great deal to account for and if found guilty should be convicted with direct imprisonment.

In this instance, the establishment of the Zondo commission have made significant strides in the first step towards accountability.

Morally reprehensible politicians are equally responsible for the current state of affairs and breakdown in service deliverable municipal structures, curtailing social upliftment and stagnation of socio-economic programmes desperately required for economic emancipation.

What is clear, the internal factionalism within the ANC has spilled over into the State at the peril of effacing our new democratic and constitutional order.

Our lauded constitution the par excellence of contemporary global human rights protection, is a beacon of hope and inspiration to the world. Our democratic social order was hard fought for and earned by the selfless sacrifices of so many South Africans and global solidarity in defeating the crime of apartheid and breaking the shackles of colonialism.

Our continuation by government on the same trajectory, ‘business as usual’ and we are most certainly a failed state, further civil unrest and the uncertainty of state security, which will have devastating consequences.

The fate of fellow countryman stranded in another land as refugees, left stateless with even less economic emancipation and opportunity for a better life for future generations.

South Africans are at a fork road to choose their destiny and take heed of the lessons of failed African states and war striven regions.

We have no one else to blame but ourselves, if we ignore the greater public good and instead fall for contemptible politicians pronouncing on failed historic economic and state policies with nefarious agendas in their crusade which shall lead to further anarchy and self destruction, which we have witnessed over the last week and more in our beloved country.

By: Attorney Ziyaad Ebrahim Patel