Joblessness is off the charts in Pretoria and Johannesburg. So much so that people have asked me for job opportunities. This is because I make videos. But my videos make zero money. It just helps with web traffic at this point.
But you don’t need to make videos to know that there’s a serious unemployment issue in these cities. Just drive around and look.
One clear way to more jobs
There is one clear way to more jobs in Pretoria and Johannesburg in the next few years. It involves voting right (DA or VF Plus) and getting the corrupt parties (nearly all the smaller parties) and the radical left (MK, ANC and EFF) out of municipal governance—at least as a first step.
Businesses can only open (and grow) when the infrastructure is working. The infrastructure in these cities have been decimated by ANC corruption. Johannesburg is worse than Pretoria. This is because Pretoria (Tshwane) has had stable DA coalitions for certain (short) periods of time over the last decade.
The way out of this mess isn’t quick or easy. The way out is mindful awareness and emotional maturity. Don’t check out. Don’t zone out. Pay attention to what’s going on. Some people have told me that they won’t vote because they’re too angry. Yes. Be angry. We all are. Sewage running in the streets. Potholes. Water leaks. Energy outages. Incompetence. No need to go on, everyone knows.
But don’t let anger cripple you! Rather, let your anger spur positive action. Get involved. Ask questions. Register to vote in November. Make sure you are registered. And most importantly, vote.
A few thoughts on the Democratic Alliance (DA)
Many people are not happy with the DA’s performance nationally. I get it. I only have two things to say to this: Please keep in mind that they are up against entrenched corruption. Secondly, they perform great when they govern municipalities outright. That last part is important: Govern outright. I’m mainly referring to their local governance here.
When the DA has 51 % or more, they govern well. Their control is hampered when they are forced into coalitions with smaller parties. This is especially the case when the smaller parties are corrupt. When DA mayors do their jobs too well they get ousted by the corrupt parties. This happened to both Cilliers Brink in Pretoria and Mpho Phalatse in Johannesburg. This chaos serves the entrenched corruption!
If we want to prevent this trend, we need to give the DA at least 51 % as voters. I think this is possible in Pretoria. Maybe less so in Johannesburg—but I remain hopeful.
The DA has legendary mayors: Chris Pappas, Peter Teixeira, Helen Zille, etc. Keep this in mind when you cast your vote. A change in leadership might not mean everything will be better overnight. But a change in leadership makes a turnaround possible.
True leadership is (enormously) difficult
True leadership is a thankless job. It’s difficult, difficult, difficult. In South African politics, leadership is sometimes life-threatening. (Remember De Ruyter.) Don’t be too quick to judge from the sidelines.
I’m grateful that we still have people in this country who are willing to do difficult, honest work. The least we can do is show up and vote! If we want to do a bit more, we might decide to speak out against dubious practices and corruption. This matters more than you think. Shine a light on the incompetence, deceit and lies. Don’t let it simmer, fester and grow.
Jobs and infrastructure
Local government elections are about service delivery. And if a city has good infrastructure and competent service delivery, more businesses will sprout and grow. This is the thing that guarantees jobs. Businesses. Not political interference. Don’t be fooled into the old race debates. Vote for service delivery. Vote for jobs.
Watch this video on Midvaal. A library, clean swimming pool, 3D printers, Sony PlayStations, and computer courses in the municipality. A soccer field, library, and recording studio (yes, recording studio!) in the township. This is what’s possible when a political party doesn’t steal.
Also, Midvaal’s unemployment is much lower than the rest of Gauteng. This is what’s possible when you have stable governance for more than 20 years despite being hobbled by the national problems and policies.
Emotional awareness and the mess that we’re in
If you’ve ever wondered why things stay the same decade after decade, it’s (often) because of repressed anger and fear. Things don’t change unless there is emotional integration and subsequent emotional maturity. Bring awareness to destructive emotions. Don’t fight these emotions. Mere awareness is enough.
Emotional work is where the gold lies. This is indeed why I write about it. If you are jobless currently, empower yourself by meditating daily and doing emotional work. Bring awareness to destructive emotions. Journal about it. Again, it matters more than you think.
(Inner Work 7: Difficult emotions is one of the most important posts I’ve written about emotional processing. If you’re struggling, consider reading it.)