ED’S LETTER
And parties with an anticorruption tirade are often as guilty of malfeasance as the opponents they deride. We might bemoan the many challenges, but I quoted respected Durban based Advocate Griffiths Madonsela, SC, in a recent story. He toasted the fact that South Africa’s constitutional democracy was bolstered by institutions like the Public Protector and the courts. The adjudicative role of the courts – in the exercise of their review powers – have flourished since 1994. The courts, almost singularly, have held the line when South Africa was potentially at its breaking point – and that must be celebrated, he said. Fellow jurist, former Judge Thumba Pillay, in a radio interview, applauded the courts for asserting rights determined by the Constitution. But, he said injustices of the past couldn’t be blamed for the fact that poor people still used pit latrines. That was down to bad governance and graft, and the poor are the biggest victims of this injustice. The poor were uppermost in my mind when I spent a night in a rondavel in rural Msinga as part of a feature for this edition on the informal economy. The moths were the size of bats and I lay awake in the pitch dark on a bed on a cow dung floor, musing about the people immersed in a myriad of “lowly” activities in South Africa. They are the country’s unsung heroes. As author GG Alcock says in the story, these aren’t celebrated entrepreneurs in the mould of Richard Branson. But we need to redefine our heroes. We need to stop worshipping tenderpreneurs with big cars, huge houses,
Issue 05
JUNE 2019
05
enormous egos and tiny personal success. Our solutions needn’t be grand. They are common sense. When we regain the lost years we can harness our enormous potential. Consider Shirley le Guern’s story in this edition about the monster investments being rolled out in KZN. Take note of Matthew Hattingh’s story on Durban’s Point. It wrestles with the issue but concludes that for all the naysayers and legitimate criticisms, the Point is still a success. We extend this topic into the inner city with our Vega talks partnership. The outlook is sunny if you look at the success of Sibaya and booming Ballito. Another tonic is Shelley Seid’s story on the wonderful Fotobooth initiative, a lovely rendition of KZN’s evolving culture. We’re also proud to feature a spread of pictures from Neville Matjie, a high powered chap whose hobby, like Thuli Galelekile’s job, encapsulate KZN’s gems. Indeed, there’s more reason to be heartened than downbeat. Happy reading.
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