Don`t you wish.....

                                                                                         

Don’t you just wish that Nelson Mandela lived another ninety one years, don’t you just wish South Africa won the 2010 FIFA Soccer World cup, don’t you just wish that the millions of visitors on holiday in South Africa got comfortable beds, good service, found great accommodation in our Hotels and other accommodation establishments, and that Tom Watson had won the 2009 Open Championship.

Where do wishes end and where does reality start, don’t we also wish every civil servant, (yes, a euphemism for city and government employees) being elected and employed servants of society, employed by those tax and ratepayers who fund the budgets, used for expenses incurred, salaries and other perks, actually did their job. That roads; lighting; sewerage and refuse services all worked efficiently, on time and in a professional manner. Don’t you wish that you felt a sense of confidence when contacting the police in an emergency situation, that you had a reasonable chance of them having a response vehicle and sufficient staff to respond to your need.

One could go on ad infinitum to the point of boredom, delve into all the hidden costs facing the few tax payers we have, as I recall, some five percent of the population fund approximately 80% of all tax collected. When studying my bank statement recently, I was horrified to see the charges imposed on any cash deposits, the so-called “arrangement fees” and other administration and hidden charges imposed by my bank, they would argue that banking in Africa is different, another excuse for passing on their huge security overheads resulting from the need for armed guard activities almost comparable to the security in the back streets of Baghdad. To the bankers, we do not accept this lying down, sooner or later, when the economy turns we will vote with our feet, perhaps merely hopping to the sister ship if the Titanic, but hop we will. The day will come again when you have money to lend and want our mortgage or home loan business, security costs aside, remember that we remain your customer and good service is our right.

Back to the police, the civil servants and the like, service delivery remains your absolute commitment to the entire population and also our absolute right, constitutionally and morally, it is after all, precisely what you are paid for. Watch this space going forward, Governments mightier than you have fallen for less than this, your electorate are showing signs of impatience, as suggested by the old adage, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. We are faced daily with stories about corruption and mismanagement, sewerage polluting our natural resources, unfulfilled promise upon promise on housing delivery, improved hospital services and others.

Civil authorities are continually imposing direct and hidden charges on the tax payers, additional taxes on the rich via the municipal rates, on the poor where taxes are still imposed on some basic foodstuffs essential for the poor, new transport systems designed to assist the poor are literally hi-jacked for political and personal benefit. Every citizen is being failed at some level, security; job creation, basic services, education, medical services; housing. The holding of office will ultimately not be measured by what you say the week leading to elections, it will be measured your ability to fulfil the wishes of the population.

Don’t you wish this was possible, don’t you wish we could make every visitor to this country and every citizen happy, that they would continue visiting South Africa, creating jobs and that the Government in power would remain purely because they are fulfilling their promises and commitments. There must surely be a limit, a time span, where the appreciation toward those leaders instrumental in the demise of the hateful apartheid era, runs its course, where power is given to those leaders who supply our countries children with education rather than empty promises.

As we go forward, to 2010 and beyond, the elected and paid officials, while admittedly trying in some areas, simply have to move beyond empty election promises and press releases about the plans in place, or under development simply. This carries no confidence anymore, now is the time to stand up and deliver, don’t you wish?

For holiday and accommodation requirements during and after 2010 visit www.staysa.co.za.

Alan Hawkins – CEO
Staysa.co.za

About the author:
Alan Hawkins is the CEO of StaySA. StaySA is a leading South African Accommodationportal. Visit StaySA the next time you are looking for a kind of Accommodation in South Africa

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