Today the Christian world celebrates the Easter Sunday feast to mark the metaphorical resurrection event. For the faithful throughout the world where Christianity is practised, the constant refrain will be: “Christ is risen”, to which the response will be, “Indeed, he is risen”.
Many South Africans of all faiths or none will be travelling to visit friends and families throughout the length and breadth of the country. The roads will overflow – and we pray we all safely reach our various destinations.
But more profoundly, the day also known as Resurrection Sunday has about it deeper significance of symbolism; it represents new life after the setback of death and darkness, represented by Good Friday’s crucifixion, whose interpretation should not always be confined to physical or biological death, but more about our own failings as society.
Society is under strain: the violence, including gender-based violence, is having a negative effect on communities.
The effect of corruption impacts on good governance. Poor governance, which appears to be entrenched, remains a concern. Spiking unemployment and poverty engulf communities, especially black people, whose suffering continues to be extended nearly 30 years after their successful struggles against apartheid.
Let there be light, so said the sage of the ancient world. And the government has a duty to bring light to communities.
We remember vividly what our president promised when he was installed to run the affairs of the country. He went to great lengths to promise good tidings, a well-oiled administration geared to making South Africa a great nation.
This is not happening.
Excitedly, South Africans were filled with expectations, “a messiah had come”, so we thought. Factories would be built; unemployment would be reduced and corruption would be ended. We believed him not because we were naïve but because we trusted the president. Nearly five years in power, life has become harder for many; suffering and poverty have worsened, state utilities fail; and more significantly, Eskom has become a complete disaster, unable for long hours of each day to provide electricity to power economic growth.
While this happens, many South Africans have been retrenched because factories’ capacity to employ more workers has been drastically reduced. Many will not find a job because the economy shrinks, and the number of the unemployed, particularly the youth, is increasing.
The economic bloodbath represents death and great suffering experienced by the country’s citizenry – an act that contradicts today’s Easter moment or message of new life, light, hope and resurrection.
The country is in darkness; a feeling of hopelessness among communities abounds and a sense of alienation or estrangement has gripped the nation.
As we today celebrate the Easter moment, let us pray that there will be a change of heart in the higher echelons of our government – that our leaders will focus more on redoubling their efforts to bring hope among South Africans.
We wish our readers a happy Easter weekend.
