Glass half full

By Kabelo Mollo

Someone told me this week, he gathers from columns I’m growing ever more despondent with the country of my ancestry. They told me, they too were starting to feel pangs of displeasure, I quickly moved to reassure him that those were momentary lapses in confidence and that on the whole the glass remains half full. The weather is still peachy, the people friendly and resilient and the beer tasty.

I was reminded of how good we have it here in the Kingdom by a number of news reports I’ve read and listened to over the last week or so. The world, it struck me, is in dire straits. It’s tough times for many across the length and breadth of the globe.

The Russia Ukraine tussle continues unabated, constantly threatening to spill out in to full blown world war. Other European countries try to continue life as normal yet that situation has made it nigh on impossible.

Post-Brexit United Kingdom has still not figured out whether it’s coming or going and try as he might Rishi Sunak has yet to prove to be the knight in shining armour he might have purported to be. Though in fairness, just about anybody would have been better than his predecessor. In America, Silicon Valley Bank’s demise has sent tremors through their banking network.

Between the head of “the fed” and Joe Biden both have done their best to assure investors and the world at large that their banking system and economy at large are not facing imminent collapse. Credit Suisse however seems to be doing its best to prove otherwise but we’ll see how that story develops.

Closer to home on the mother continent the tropical cyclone Freddy has brought with it heavy rains, flooding and untold trauma to the citizens of Malawi and Mozambique. The reports of the damage in places like Blantyre and Inhambane are heart-breaking, and as ever in this glorious continent of ours the worst affected were already most vulnerable.

A most heart wrenching reality. In neighbouring South Africa, the load-shedding or “Load sharing” crisis as Oprah Winfrey referred to it seems to be coming to a head. Numerous small businesses have collapsed or are facing premature closure. President Ramaphosa’s cabinet reshuffle has done little to quell any fears of failure. The new ministry of Electricity tasked with bringing a solution to the load shedding crisis seems to have its work cut out for its self. Perhaps Minister Ramokgopa will find a way to turn the pessimism in to well-lit optimism.

Here at home, while it’s generally folly to praise a fish for swimming, it’s great to see the potholes being patched (finally) and the traffic and street lights actually functioning. The civil service reform seems to have started with that ever present phrase “meritocracy” being bandied about. Next week the Prime Minister will kick into action the livestock chip implantation process to guard livestock against cross border theft, a worthy intervention that will hopefully prove successful.

A fortnight ago, we learned that the country would get its first female major general ‘Matumelo Ramoqopo. This is the kind of progress this once mighty kingdom ought to be making all the time.

Last week, celebrating International Women’s Day, I attended a conference organised by both August houses, parliament and the Senate as well as the European Union. A wonderful event wherein the Speaker of parliament Tlohang Sekhamane gave a most rousing speech. The premise being as men we ought to unlearn a number of toxic behaviours and traits that have become standard. Initiatives such as those are important not only from the value they bring but also for the collaborative nature of the organisation process. We need more collaborative efforts across sectors in order for us to reach the prosperity we so desperately desire.

In closing let me wish the Right Honourable Prime Minister ntate Ntsokoane Matekane a very happy birthday. I joked that he was right to don the army fatigues as he had bought them this time last year! And finally, to the legendary Meshu Mokitimi who just gets wiser but doesn’t age, the indomitable leader of the youth league and artiste par excellence, all the best and here’s to the next 97!