11/05/2020
DEAR PRIVILEGED FEW
While you've been safely locked-down in the comfort of your big houses , built somewhere in wealthy areas on big plots with breath-taking views, the poor and the needy's been out on the street battling to stay alive.
Before the lock-down you rushed to the shops, cleared the shelves, stocked - up on food and essentials for Africa, while your workers were still busy cleaning your toilets, scrubbing your floors, working your factories and selling your company's services.
Many of you even had the audacity to pay your workers their low earning wage after the twelfth hour of lock-down, leaving them to stand in long lines at the entrances of supermarkets to get the bare necessities, this after you already cleared the shelves.
To crown it all, a lot of you sent out notifications informing your workers that they will not be paid, on the no work, no pay basis.
As a result, many families are suffering and are left to depend on government grants or charity feeding schemes.
Point is that since lock-down the poor and the normal man in the street's been the ones suffering, not you!
If you think that by you not being allowed to run on the beach, walk your dog, cycle your bike, visit the beauty spa, have coffee at your favorite coffee shop, eat your favorite dish at a fine dining restaurant or go on your overseas holiday is suffering, then it's time you catch a rude awakening, because you are clearly living in some messed up, arrogant bubble!
BECAUSE,
While you were enjoying your breath-taking views, living behind high walls and fences.
While you were watching your big bank accounts, your investments and working on securing your assets.
While your children were safely playing on your big property, enjoying the swimming pool, ordering their favourite gadgets online, being tutored online by their private tutors and having fun in their lovely environment,
While you and your family are complaining about the lockdown criteria, because it's affecting your business and affecting the economy negatively.
THE POOR'S BEEN :
Standing in long lines just for a loaf of bread.
Going without food most of the day.
Living in one bedroom homes, Wendy houses and shacks, finding it difficult to apply social distancing.
Working at supermarkets and essential service businesses, exposing themselves to the virus.
Man handled and murdered by saps and military officials.
Robbed by corrupt councilors and government officials of food parcels.
Standing in long lines at clinics for medical help.
Dying everyday due to crime and now, this virus.
Mostly affected by the virus, because their areas have become hot spots for the virus.
Evicted, because they already could not afford their rent before lock-down.
SO DEAR PRIVILEGED FEW,
Your struggle is not our struggle and our struggle are clearly not yours.
It became evident that we are living in TWO different WORLDS, the world of the HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS!
We understand the fact that the economy is under pressure.
We also understand the need for freedom and being able to move around.
WE, the poor actually understand your cry for help and that you feel trapped in your big houses, because guess what?... We have been prisoners in our areas for years now.
During the apartheid years we walked around with the "dom-pass",
We were not allowed to enter white-only areas and businesses.
We were not allowed to go to most of the beautiful beaches, even though we longed for our feet just to touch the waters.
We were deprived of careers that would pay us high earning salaries.
We ran from the police and military all our life.
We got used to being shoved into the back of a police van for just walking on the wrong side of the road.
We adapted to this lifestyle of struggling and isolation and maybe, just maybe we became so used to struggling, that we are not so worried about the rippling effects of this pandemic on the economy.
The above-mentioned is not about us living in the past or not moving forward,
its just a reminder to you of what we've been through while you were living your best life.
We know what it is like to feed our families on as little as R1500 a month.
We know what is like to hear our children crying for another meal.
We know what it is like in this day and age to live without running water or electricity.
We know what it is like to have 2 to 3 families living in a 1 to 2 bedroom house.
As parents we know what it's like to go without a meal just so that our children can eat.
We got used to the sound of water dripping through the roof and our bedding being soaked the next morning, because the roof is leaking and we don't have the means to fix it.
To some of us, the cement floors in informal structures are our resting place for our heads after a day's work, yet before we close our eyes at night, we still have time to pray.
We have been burying our parents for years now without being left an inheritance, in fact, most of them leave us with debt after their burial.
We know what it's like to have, to lose everything and start over, because we experienced this during the group areas act and have been going through many recession experiences in our lives
SO DEAR PRIVILEGED FEW,
WHILE YOU ARE WATCHING THE STOCK MARKET AND GETTING ANXIETY ATTACKS, BECAUSE YOU ARE SCARED TO TOUCH YOUR SAVINGS,.
WHILE YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE ECONOMY AND WORRIED ABOUT YOUR BUSINESSES.
WHILE YOU ARE STILL SHOPPING AT WOOLWORTHS AND EVEN NOW ORDERING IN,
WHILE YOU ARE CRYING AND COMPLAINING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO RUN OR WALK YOUR DOG,...
The POOR is "mingespin", because their biggest worry now is making sure that their families are fed during this very challenging time.
THE LIVES OF THE POOR'S BEEN:
PRAY, EAT, SURVIVE AND LIVE.... PRAY, EAT, SURVIVE AND LIVE.. PRAY, EAT, SURVIVE AND LIVE...
WE NEVER REALLY HAD TIME TO THINK ABOUT SAVING AND INVESTING, SINCE OUR PAY CHEQUES EVERY MONTH BARELY COVERED OUR LIVING EXPENSES...
RIGHT NOW THE ECONOMY IS THE LEAST OF OUR WORRIES, SIMPLY BECAUSE THE PRIVILEGED NEVER REALLY GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMICS.
NOW IS NOT A TIME TO THROW TANTRUMS, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT GETTING YOUR OWN WAY.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO GO OVER OUR PRESIDENTS HEAD AND MAKE SELFISH DEMANDS.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BURST YOUR ARROGANT BUBBLE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING IN, COME DOWN TO EARTH AND REALIZE THAT YOU HAVE MUCH, MUCH MORE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR.
NOW IS THE TIME THAT YOU REALIZE THAT THIS PANDEMIC AFFECTED ALL OF US AND THAT NO MONEY IN THIS WORLD WILL BE ABLE TO SAVE YOU OR YOUR FAMILY'S LIVES FROM THS VIRUS.
NOW IS THE TIME TO STOP BEING ARROGANT, STOP BEING SELFISH AND STOP ACTING IN AN ADULT WORLD, ACTING LIKE SPOILED LITTLE BRATS.
NOW IS THE TIME TO STOP FEEDING YOUR OWN FACE AND REACH OUT TO THE POOR AND NEEDY AND LEND A HELPING HAND.
NOW IS THE TIME TO SHOW YOUR STRUGGLING EMPLOYEES THAT YOU CARE, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE REASON THAT YOU ARE THERE LIVING YOUR HIGH LIFE.
NOW IS THE TIME TO STEP DOWN, PAUSE AND PRAY..
NOW IS THE TIME TO REALIZE THAT IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT YOU......
