By Mosibudi Mangena
The public mood in South Africa is sombre these days, with many citizens getting that sinking feeling.
On many fronts, be it economic growth, investment, employment, electricity supply or security of the person or business, the mood is not particularly sanguine.
Young people are not in a good space. Their unemployment rate is higher than most groups and those among them with good skills are actively looking abroad for opportunities to advance their careers, rear and educate their children.
So, we educate young people at great expense only to donate them to other countries.
We all need to nudge and plead with the powers-that-be in our country to ensure that there is security, law, and order, if we want to improve the mood in the country and ensure we solve all these problems.
In the absence of security, all other endeavours are stymied. Education, health, construction, tourism, and other business activities are stifled by lack of security.
The appearance of the government security cluster, followed by that of the Eskom board and management before the parliamentary standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) recently must have left most of us unimpressed.
The erstwhile CEO had made startling allegations about the extent of criminality at the power utility that involves syndicates, thieving, corruption, and outright sabotage at this crucial state-owned enterprise.
Most of us had hoped that the criminal justice system representatives would tell Scopa that they had routed the crooks out of that company and cleansed it of malfeasance.
Much as we might have quibbles with the way Andre de Ruyter might have gone about executing his duties as CEO of this all-important company and his handling of the said shenanigans, we expected those in charge to show us they are on top of the situation.
But no, they are not.
They were either passing the buck or declaring ignorance of events floating in the public domain. If they don’t know, who should?
We know as citizens of this country that unless and until there is security of persons, goods, and infrastructure at Eskom, we would never have a company that would give us enough electricity to do business, run hospitals and schools properly, and fight crime.
Telecommunication companies are under a huge strain as their infrastructure is under attack as crooks steal batteries, cables, and other items at their masts. It is reported that part of the stolen goods turns up in other countries.
Trains to carry goods and passengers are crippled by the theft and vandalism of cables and tracks.
People are reluctant to invest in construction because the so-called construction mafia invades building sites with impunity, demanding protection fees or 30% of the profits. Standing buildings are being highjacked by syndicates who drive the owners away.
We can go on and on. You cannot build a country without security.
Very few things work within countries such as Somalia and Libya, where a state of lawlessness has taken root.
To have a properly secured country, you need a Home Affairs Department that has citizens, visitors and asylum seekers documented and managed, so that the state knows who are in the country and how they can be identified.
You need a well-trained and managed intelligence outfit that would detect crime and criminals of all stripes and help law-enforcement agencies.
You need the police and their specialised units to enforce the law and bring wrongdoers to book. You need a well-coordinated criminal justice system to ensure that citizens are safe.
Security is everything. Without it, you cannot have a thriving economy to sustain society.
• Mangena is a former cabinet minister and former Azapo president
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