Plan should unite us against pandemic, hunger – not each other

Uncle Gweezy, as some call the minister, should by now know that time waits for no man

Uncle Gweezy, as some call the minister, should by now know that time waits for no man

Published Oct 24, 2020

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Editor’s Note by Mazwi Xaba

“This clock is moving and I haven’t started,” complained Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe as he rose to contribute to the parliamentary debate on the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan on Wednesday.

But Uncle Gweezy, as some call the minister, should by now know that time waits for no man – not even honourable members of Parliament.

The minister went on to make some solid points about the vitally important energy reforms under way and assisted the president deal with some very cheeky comments from the opposition benches.

DA interim leader John Steenhuisen simply went too far in dismissing the plan as “a wish list” and “a letter to Santa”.

But it’s true the plan is not new and delivery is long, long overdue.

Gwede’s little timekeeping joke illustrates an important maxim. Time waits for no one. Time is always of the essence.

The current administration’s time is running out. Time has been flying even while President Cyril Ramaphosa and his crew haven’t exactly been having fun. They are about halfway through their term already, can you believe it?

Another speaker who said something that might help South Africa move forward faster was Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi.

The prince, whose Zulu forebears know a thing or two about war, said we should all work together as though we are in a war. And we are in a war – against hunger and the pandemic, and not one another.

The Independent on Saturday

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