Common sense is not so common at all.

Since my last entry here there have been many events and changes, and yet the more things change the more they remain the same as the saying goes.

This is very true in many aspects of life, and in South Africa it is no different. So what has happened and what did it change? Just to pick a few momentous events in South Africa:

1) The municipal elections have come and gone, the opposition winning a few more municipalities but not the breakthrough that was hoped for in other major metropolitan area's. Yes there is widespread discontent about the service delivery by the ANC, about the corruption at all levels and about the rampant nepotism. Yet still many of our fellow citizens choose not to trust the Democratic Alliance, simply because the leader is a white woman and still many of the leadership is white. The fact that the party is slowly increasing its black leaders on many levels and that they seem to run the city of Cape Town and the Western Province quite efficiently and cleanly has not been able to persuade the majority to put aside their mistrust. Given the history of the nation it is understandable, yet the inroads made are too little to start cleaning up the mess in many places. Common sense would be to vote out the ruling party and give new blood a chance, but the emotions are clearly overruling common sense here. Lets hope that come 2014 and the national elections the trend will hold and the opposition will be an even more powerful force to be reckoned with. A healthy democracy needs dissent in parliament to keep whomever is in charge on their toes.

2) Finally the ANC has started to take steps against its firebrand leader of their youth wing. Yet it will be a long drawn out process and the outcome is far from certain. Here too common sense and their own rules would see the man expelled, but political dealing could still see him get away with a slap on the wrist again. This maybe a short term gain for the president going into internal party elections, but in the long run the ANC would benefit from enforcing the discipline it used to command. Common sense dictates to go for the long term benefits for the party and the nations economy (which suffers from Malema's ridiculous speeches, even if he is not a policymaker, he scares off investors), yet it is quite possible that the president will opt to serve his own interests first. To the detriment of the nation he has sworn to protect. Again, common sense could well be a victim.

3) In an unrelated case Malema was brought to trial about a 'struggle' song. A song that was sung in the Apartheid days, as a resistance against the oppressing National Party (which has seized to exist). The words of the song seem to instill fear in South African whites, especially a large segment of the Afrikaans speaking community. Malema was convicted of hate speech and the song was banned by the Equality Court.

Now common sense is a victim here on several levels.
First of all freedom of speech is far to valuable to sacrifice it on the altar of irrational fears, yet that is exactly the consequence of this ruling. Common sense would not have a court decide on the song, rather the ANC leadership should discourage its members from singing it because it has no real value or meaning in today's situation. The ANC has been in power for 17 years and the ailments of the nation can no longer just be put on the old regime, evil as it was.
Secondly how can a court expect its ruling to be enforced? Common sense would dictate that the court would shy away from making rulings that it knows cannot be enforced. If you make a ruling knowing it will be ignored, broken and not enforced you make a mockery of the justice system.
Thirdly how can people today still believe societies ills are to be blamed on a small percentage of the population, knowing they haven't had any political power for the last 17 years? And how can that small portion of society be so blinded by the words of the song that they become afraid? This is not Zimbabwe, no matter how much Malema would like it to be. South Africa still has the rule of law, a solid constitution and the ruling party does not have the seats in parliament to change that constitution. And indications are that they will lose more seats in the next national election. So why the fear?

4) Several high level political appointees have been either caught with the hand in the cookie jar or have been seen to be incompetent. Common sense would dictate that these people would be removed from their position, or even better, show judgement and resign. Yet they remain in their cushy jobs, sometimes on 'sick leave' or without any consequences at all. Some get suspended with full pay if the corruption or incompetence was too blatant to ignore. Why? The nation is not the wealthiest in the world yet it has wasted 100 million rand on these people since 2009 according to a report. Common sense would say that this money is better spend on the really poor segment of the population, on service delivery and other very worthy causes this government has to deal with.

And the worst of all: still people retreat to their racial trenches in case of a conflict of ideas and ideology. Where common sense shows that ideas and ideologies have no racial traits that is exactly what is attributed to them by a large majority on all sides. It is disheartening at times, but then suddenly you see a flash of common sense in the public debate by citizens. I have learned to love twitter. People truly debate and discuss things there. Yes, there too you will find those who are still in the racial trenches, but there are many who dare to come out and actually take a fresh look at things, verbally shake hands with the perceived opponents and find that in the end we are not so different after all. Those moments are precious, and when I see it happen it brings me hope again. In the end we are all human beings, sharing a nation, sharing its problems and adversities, but also its beauty and its potential. We all want the same things, security, safety, prosperity, good education for the children, a healthcare that works, jobs. All those very common things can be achieved if we nurture common sense.