Africa
Education
Joburg
South Africa
Greatest AfricansAfricaEducationJoburgSouth AfricaGreatest AfricansOne of man’s greatest discoveries is reported to be that of fire. The year seems to have been around 6000 B.C. when, by matter of pure chance, fire ‘happened’. Ever since this discovery, nothing has been the same.
When fire was discovered, the ability to cook food as well as boil dirty water, allowed for better health. It also allowed those who discovered its ability to shift and shape different materials as it interacted with them, to make new inventions. And lastly, among many other things, fire brought with it, the ability to make petrol bombs and to burn tyres and buildings once man discovered its ability to consume.
Last week in my opinion piece, I discussed a little bit of the #FeesMustFall issue, this was a detour that I felt had to be made as the time seemed fitting. But this week I am back to the issue that has been consuming much of my talk lately, which is what it is like to be a young citizen in a DA run Johannesburg.
Once again, what a week it has been, such a week that the DA had a post-election reunion protest/party at the SABC offices to demand for Hlaudi Motsoeneng to step down. Even Mayor Mashaba found some time in his busy schedule to make a turn and show face at the protest. This week has also seen violent clashes at Wits University, where a policeman even got what must have been the hiding of his life. Police in turn, fired rubber bullets and tear gas at students. Down in Cape Town a petrol bomb was set off near the main hall.
This brings me to the power of fire, and how it is often used by the working class within our society. What was once a basic necessity for life, has now become a sort of luxury for most middle class people. Often the middle class may find themselves only interacting with fire during the winter if they have a fire place, or perhaps on a Saturday evening over the Braai stand as they flip over some meat. But in contrast, one must think of how the working class’ interact with fire.
For many, fire in its primitive nature, is still one of the most basic tools for survival. Consider that when one has no electricity in one of Johannesburg’s squatter camps, a candle becomes the only source of light in the dark. Cooking with a fire becomes the only way in which food can and is prepared. And never to forget Joburg’s cold, cold winters, fire is often the only source of warmth.
Why the burning tires in the middle of the road as a means to ‘legitimize’ disgruntlement during a protest?
Could the unfortunate relationship with fire that results from poverty and the need for basic services such as electricity, be the very catalyst for its use in destroying property during protests? Could it be that by not improving the lives of our people and giving them access to the very privileges we enjoy everyday when we switch on the light or boil the cattle, we have created a relationship that has come back to haunt us?
For the sake of Mayor Herman Mashaba, I hope that this is not true. Because if his plan to ‘Take back the inner city’ goes ahead, he may find himself with some fires to put out. We are looking at a situation where some of these buildings have become so depleted through the lack of maintenance that they are better off being collapsed rather than reclaimed. Many of the buildings in question have no electricity due to non-payments to the municipality, and as stated above, when there is no electricity, people resort to fire. Now I am no engineer, but I can strongly say that these fires that are used within these buildings are not good for the buildings longevity.
I believe it was the late author, Terry Pratchett who said: “Build a man a fire, and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life”. And how true this is, because if Mayor Mashaba is not careful, he may find himself with his tenure as mayor on fire (figuratively of course). It will need intelligence to achieve his goals for Johannesburg without starting any fires that he cannot put out.
I often listen to the man and his plans for the inner city. They sound promising, but as Pam Golding discovered once upon a time, one does not simply ‘reclaim’ a hijacked building. Mr Mashaba sir, I hear you talk about how you plan on cleaning up downtown CBD. I agree with you, the place is quite dirty to say the least, but what I would suggest is for you to stop with the one-sided approach that makes you seem as if you are so pro a free market business environment, that you could care less about the reason why people hijack buildings. You need to engage with those who dwell in these buildings and have made them home, you need to hear their side of the story and decide how you plan on putting out this fire. Your plan needs to be made clear as to how you plan on finding them alternative accommodation that won’t put them too far from work, just as you have promised. If this is not done, then I can assure you that you might find yourself having to handle people who have a burning desire.
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