Africa-Press – South-Africa. Community leaders and ordinary citizens are the spine of this country, often stepping in with sheer grit and determination to uplift where government and elected leaders have failed dismally. it is time civil society took its power back, writes Mbali Ntuli.
In the midst of all of our hardships however, is relenting optimism and hope shown by South Africans every day who, despite the odds, work hard to sustain themselves and their communities. Not enough is said about these ordinary individuals who are not only always resilient in the face of the most crippling challenges and feelings of despair, but who are innovative in finding solutions to uplift not only themselves, but those around them as well.
The failure of our government to meet the reasonable expectations that citizens have for support in self-actualisation is no longer in dispute – we have seen time and time again leaders placing self-interest above the mandate given by citizens to govern, and government coffers run dry through corruption and theft. This while communities remain in despair, and we have seen more and more young people join the ranks of the unemployed and indigent. Circumstances that, in other parts of the world, would have led to revolution as citizens demand better in return for their borrowed votes. But despite all of this, pockets of exemplary community leaders are everywhere in the country, innovating, organising, and uplifting their communities and injecting hope and possibility where there had previously been none.
Unlocking opportunities for themselves
These community leaders and ordinary individuals are the spine of this country, often stepping in with sheer grit and determination to uplift where government and elected leaders have failed dismally – people who continue to unlock opportunity for themselves and those around them as well. There are individuals and groups like Abahlali baseMjondolo, Youth in Action, Harambe and Hand in Hand.
While the work that these extraordinary individuals and groups (and many others I cannot name) is exemplary and not only provides employment opportunities, catalyses development in their communities, and also provides essential social services that uplift communities and keep them safe, these efforts are however, often fragmented and disjointed, diminishing the levels of impact that are possible if interventions were scaled for wider reach. So many changemakers and community leaders are working in silos, doing amazing work but not connecting with catalysers, opportunities and each other to make a macro difference that can transform the lives of South Africans.
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I often think about the impact that could be made if key community change makers and leaders throughout South Africa were identified, connected to opportunities to assist them in making a difference in their communities and brought them together to forge a dynamic network that combines skills, energy and assets to collaborate and organise.
I often think about how we can tap deeper into the innate South African ability, albeit grown from decades of limited opportunities, to survive and be self-sufficient for the betterment of communities as a whole. This is not something that must still be invented as it occurs every day in every corner of this country, but it is something that can be scaled by the right type of support and pooling of resources and skills.
While the government continues to fail its citizens, and with no vision or end in sight for the continued decline, the burden of upliftment continues to be held by ordinary South Africans who continue to bring light and achieve the unimaginable amid perpetual darkness and unthinkable odds.
Take the power back
It is my belief that real progress can be unlocked at community level, as more and more people achieve for themselves the levels of development that the government has continually failed to facilitate. South Africans have always felt this urgency and know that the time to act is now.
I am convinced that meaningful change in our country is going to emerge from community organisations rather than simply waiting for political parties to do it.
Our history is one of organising for change in this country from the UDF to mass democratic movement and others. Civil society and faith-based organisations were organising long before political parties were even allowed to do so. It is time people took that power back. That is why I am looking forward to working with communities to unlock this potential and to realise real progress.
– Mbali Ntuli Community Activist and former member of the KZN Legislature.
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