I WOULD like to be the president of the Republic of South-Africa, and assume office next year and this is why: Beautiful, exquisite and courageous – that is exactly how I would describe a great many South Africans.
We sparkle, we dazzle, we mine the treasure in our own minds, we need not look across any sea for inspiration – we are certain to find it in our own homes – parents draw abundant energy from the faces of their bubbly, energetic children, and our toddlers defy our slightest words, gestures and actions, seeking and finding their inspiration from us, their faithful parents.
It becomes necessary, then, that we hone in on the innocent, superfluous energy of our children, from whence they make their grand entrance into this wonderful world, fully expectant of great wonders and candid experiences, and rightly so.
At this juncture in our history, it is imperative that we begin to prioritise to place South Africa firmly on the globe as a hub for excellence in education, not just as a top-down quick-fix, tertiary imperative, but, fundamentally, at pre-primary and primary school level. The childhood years should be a wonderful time for all children. Well over 1 million children are orphaned by HIV/Aids all over South Africa.
As a team, as young South Africans, we must mobilise to ensure that each and every one of these children is housed, fed, nurtured, educated, protected and given all other care that they may require.
There is money, there is land, there are bricks, there is mortar. Above all, we all have abundant love and ubuntu. Where is the hold up? A lot of us ponder this in exasperation.
The answers… logistics, transport economics, adequate human resource allocation solutions, rural infrastructure development, building and decentralisation of competitive schooling, the dynamic education of our learners for a new world economy, increasing specialised academies of trades and technology and excellent performance arts education at all levels. Impossible? A trillion percent possible! Are we not the nation whose young people as young as three years old gave their lives, on June 16, 1976, to have better educational opportunities?
In my ideal South Africa, every boy child has a chance to attend a school equivalent to St John’s College, go on to Harvard University and work at Nasa, in the US, if he so wishes to.
Siyabulela Xuza has achieved this and is the brilliant shining star that each and every South African child is. Not only that, in every South African child there are not only elements of Ruth First, Basetsana Kumalo, Steve Biko, Jenny Cryws-Williams, Xolani Gwala, Ellis Mnyandu, Mark Shuttleworth, Chris Barnard, Chad le Clos, Khanyi Dhlomo, Lerato Mbele, Redi Tlhabi, Lucas Radebe, Brenda Fassie, Chris Hani, Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala, or Madiba, of course. But, in our children lies all of the courage and potential of these winners, put together, and then some.
I feel, more than anything, that we need a paradigm shift. We need to be at the helm of leading global organisations that are not just mining orientated, food, or other manufacturing conglomerates.
We need to initiate more advanced technology like solar powered electricity generation and space aircraft engineering and exploration in which we have the potential to become global leaders, with the advent of the new Square Kilometre Array telescope in the Northern Cape.
The key method I propose for poverty-alleviation is the creation of a sizeable investment fund, whose mandate will be two-fold: First, to accumulate enough capital to place a large monetary injection into the overhaul and total restructure of our education system, from grass roots (pre-primary and primary school), so our tertiary graduates will not only be competitive in this new world economy, but so that South Africans rise far above the competition and become leaders – players and not pawns anywhere in the world.
Second, to ensure that small income/financially-challenged households receive micro-loans so we can phase out social grants, boost the small business sector, avidly, and generate great wealth.
I am Ms Lerato Tshepang Nkabane. My proposed political movement is called Movement for the Integrated Advancement of South Africa. (MIASA).
I hereby propose to all South Africans, no matter how humble your calling, to come together, to set us on a highway to being a spectacular winning nation – no less than the number 1 country in the world, for all time – the country we all know in our hearts we want for all our children.
This calls for all of us, from the “young, hip and happening” to the “old and wise” – all of us courageously making up our minds, to prioritise and not work haphazardly towards giving all, not just a privileged few South African children, a bright, bold, futuristic education.
Once we have clearly and unanimously established that all children are due their innocence and great opportunities for a better South Africa, as our number one priority, we must roll out effective service delivery, make our environment squeaky clean, protect endangered wildlife species and burgeon our economic growth, by being more innovative with technology. Imagine how “wild” all advertising creativeness can be with each and every aspect and phase of this plan and the vast growth opportunities it presents for them.
Remember: one unified South Africa, one people, one integrated, interwoven, interlinked plan of action.
I say, let’s give this project plan three months to “grow” and “build”, together, by collecting information, data and constructive opinion from each and every sector of our society – from each and every rural subsistence farmer to each member of Anglo American’s planning division. After three months, after establishing the foundations of our pro-grass roots education and poverty-alleviation fund, we can celebrate the eve of our roll-out phase by having a national, cultural, fun-filled, wonderful party holiday. We can celebrate every milestone we experience, together, as we achieve our results.
It’s time we show the world once again that no country on Earth plans, innovates and celebrates like South Africa. Madiba said that we should always put our children first and take excellent care of them.
Wither the nations that take care of their children? These nations soar like the incredible African eagle, above the thunderous rain clouds that are sure to bring a rainstorm onto rich soils, somewhere on our continent, at any given time.
We are all in this together – we know that more than any nation on this planet. It’s time we reclaimed our number one spot – all round and for good this time. It’s there for the taking.
Let’s do it, South Africa. Please, please, please choose me, Lerato, as your very next president, and we will all, not only touch the sky, we will go past the planets and the stars and into orbit! I am really honoured and grateful to be part of such a great country with such wonderful people.
I thank God Almighty, infinitely, for all of you and may He continue to bless us all so abundantly, in Jesus’s mighty name. Amen.
Lerato Tshepang Nkabane is an ordinary South African with a dream to make the country number one.