Make It Your Own

South Africa Is Yours As Well

Greetings my beloved family!

The President’s SONA

‘I want to be there when the people start to turn it around,
 When they triumph over poverty,
 I wanna be there when the people win the battle against AIDS,
 I wanna lend a hand,
 I wanna be there for the alcoholic,
 I wanna be there for the drug addict,
 I wanna be there for the victims of violence and abuse,
 I wanna lend a hand, send me’

A quote from the great Hugh Masekela’s ‘Thuma Mina’ by our New President, The Honorable, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, wherein his maiden SONA he included in his closing remarks;

“Now is the time, where all of us should lend a hand,
 Now is the time, for each one of us to say, ‘South Africa, send me’
 Now is the time, for all of us to work together…”

Like millions of South Africans, I would like to echoe deep appreciation for the heart of the new Commander in Chief, which he articulated in the SONA. The renewed hope that it has brought, is truly tangible throughout the nation.

What Is My Role?

After listening to our leader and the debates that followed, I had this question in my mind, “When he said, ‘Now is the time, where all of us should lend a hand’, who was he referring to?” Ever so often we look at such events as declarations of what the leadership of the country is going to do for us, and it seems our only occupation is to make sure that they do it.

I have no doubt that the government of the republic has an incredibly massive role in helping our country move forward in a positive light, as they were voted into this office by the people after all. Also, it is indeed our duty as a nation to hold them accountable to what they say they will do. However, how many of us, on the ground, actually ask the question, “What is my role in this positive change?”

I am not a politician, but simply a member of the South African family who would like to raise a call to action. News reporters tell us that the president will need a very good team to carry his mandate forward and as long as we see it as ‘His’ mandate, we will just hold back and watch if he comes through. I motion a change of mentality.

A better Mzantsi is about all of us and when I listened to the delivery of the SONA, I decided I want to take up my role in making it come to fruition, in my own family and in my own community. So what is your role in us moving forward as a nation?

Team South Africa

Imagine, if you will, what would happen if every one of us, in our own part of the country, find out what we can do to share the vision laid out by our Commander in Chief. Regardless of the team that he might have in government, there is no way these life-changing objectives will be reached at the level that it can, without our individual and collective participation. With just under 3 million public servants trying to serve over 57 million people, you can easily see how much more effective we can be if we all played our part.

How about we joined his team, ‘Team South Africa’ and we all made it our personal mission to combat Unemployment, Women and Child Abuse, Gender Based Violence, Land Expropriation, Investor Confidence Rising, Educational Challenges, etc? How about we check our own skill set and use it in our part of the nation to help whoever we can right there in our communities? Let this be clear, ‘If there is something you don’t yet have, it’s because of something you don’t yet know’

Therefore, let’s be part of Team South Africa, under the leadership of the president, and let us all be responsible to hold each other accountable for advancing our country forward.

make it your own

President Ramaphosa made mention of the celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Former Statesman, Nelson Mandela. The legendary president said these words, ‘We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference’. You see, once we can make the State of 

The Nation, our own, then I foresee a far greater impact on our country’s sustainable and evolving success, and instead of pointing fingers at anyone else, let’s begin with the mirror. Let’s make it our own!

Now is the time where all of us should lend a hand. Now is the time for each one of us to say, “South Africa, send me.”

Gabriel Mothobi

The Messenger