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United we can make a difference. Divided we will continue to fail.
Church in the Community - Media Release in the Herald: 15th August 2022
Source: TCN / Neville Goldman
Date Added: 2022-08-15
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
Date Added: 2022-08-15
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
I am not asking everyone to agree with this column.
But, I believe that we as the church and civil society are the witnesses of one of the most challenging times in the history of our beloved country.
Following the struggles of a liberation movement against the evils of apartheid, colonialism, racism and capitalism we are now facing something that has not been envisaged.
There is a new struggle – against corruption and state capture by those whom we trusted.
The struggle against a lack of accountability and the capture of our constitution with all its noble objectives should unite us as a nation and as a people.
It is amazing to see the concept of divide and rule raise its head again in our country.
It is an age-old strategy that was used by the architects of apartheid to control and conquer by sowing division.
This concept has been effectively applied in other countries and over the ages.
The Latin phrase “Divide et impera” is attributed to Julius Caesar.
Jesus refers to it when he says a kingdom that is divided against itself shall not stand.
As civil society and the church we should ensure that it is not in the best interest of the political leadership to create divide and conquer strategies.
We should resist being divided along racial lines and the past wrongs.
The divisions in society are having a negative impact on all of us and are distracting us from the challenge of facing the very real societal ills in our metro and country.
We can break the bonds of the divide and conquer strategy by harnessing the power of a unified people around a common objective that affects all of us.
You can see the power of a unified people at a rugby game between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
The excitement of victory causes people to celebrate irrespective of race, political affiliation, social status or religious belief.
The unifying factor is around a common objective.
We saw the community rise up in the pain of our daughters being raped in Krugersdorp allegedly by illegal miners known as Zama Zamas.
The common factor that united us is the pain of violated trust.
The fight against gender-based violence should be another unifier as it affects all of us.
The message is clear “your daughter is my daughter.”
It is the community unifying in support of the women that has forced the SAPS into action.
Give people a common objective that affects them and you will release in them the ability to unite irrespective of race, creed, political affiliation or their differences of opinion.
We have reached a place in our country where we the people have to deliver when government fails.
Churches, civil society, business and sporting bodies all need to unite to stop the violation of our human rights.
Failure to provide jobs, proper houses, sustainable water, food and power are all gross human violations.
It is criminal that our local council cannot spend the money allocated to it in the face the huge needs in our society.When infrastructure is neglected in our metro it should become a community unifying factor that moves us to self reliance.
When crime and unemployment are not addressed, we need to come together to find solutions.
Signs that the community is taking matters into our own hands include members walking through the streets and knocking on doors to identify leaks.
When you see business partner with the Gift of the Givers to dig and restore boreholes, that is unity in action.
When you see residents spend their own money to secure steel gates and erect them around a substation to protect it against cable thieves, you see the power of self reliance.
When you see young and old remove the rubble from their streets, you are witnessing citizens taking ownership.
We are being unified not because of our religious beliefs or our ethnic grouping, or economic strength. We are becoming unified in order to tackle the lack of service delivery, which leads to poverty, unemployment and inequality.
When you see business partnering with communities to adopt a school, adopt a sub station, you are witnessing the rise of a people that have lost hope in the government of the day.
The absence of decisive leadership in our metro affects all of us.
How will we overcome the divisions that the politicians want to maintain?
I do not have all the answers and I do not believe everyone would agree with me.
Let us eat the elephant bit by bit.
It is in our best interest to partner together in addressing the challenges we face in our wards.
Let us unite in our ward systems across our metro.
Create a safe and secure ward by acknowledging the different structures that are in place.
Churches are in a unique position to connect and draw all stakeholders together in their wards.
Start by engaging the ward councillor.
Work with the ward committees in your ward. Create a united front against crime. Create a safe and secure ward.
Acknowledge it when sterling work is done by the community policing forums, the security companies and SAPS.
Draw up your own ward Integrated Development plan by identifying the infrastructure that is most desperately needed.
Ensure that your ward councillor sees to it that these matters. In other words, keep local government accountable.
Government is an enabling agency. Partner with them.
If that does not work then let us fix our own streets, our own potholes.
Clean up bit by bit and let us continuously keep each other accountable.
Why? We all benefit.
If there is no service delivery or enabling environment to change society for the better, then let us as church and civil society make our voice heard at election time.
We must unite because the lack of delivery and leadership affects all of us!
Apostle Neville Goldman
Ebenezer International
But, I believe that we as the church and civil society are the witnesses of one of the most challenging times in the history of our beloved country.
Following the struggles of a liberation movement against the evils of apartheid, colonialism, racism and capitalism we are now facing something that has not been envisaged.
There is a new struggle – against corruption and state capture by those whom we trusted.
The struggle against a lack of accountability and the capture of our constitution with all its noble objectives should unite us as a nation and as a people.
It is amazing to see the concept of divide and rule raise its head again in our country.
It is an age-old strategy that was used by the architects of apartheid to control and conquer by sowing division.
This concept has been effectively applied in other countries and over the ages.
The Latin phrase “Divide et impera” is attributed to Julius Caesar.
Jesus refers to it when he says a kingdom that is divided against itself shall not stand.
As civil society and the church we should ensure that it is not in the best interest of the political leadership to create divide and conquer strategies.
We should resist being divided along racial lines and the past wrongs.
The divisions in society are having a negative impact on all of us and are distracting us from the challenge of facing the very real societal ills in our metro and country.
We can break the bonds of the divide and conquer strategy by harnessing the power of a unified people around a common objective that affects all of us.
You can see the power of a unified people at a rugby game between the Springboks and the All Blacks.
The excitement of victory causes people to celebrate irrespective of race, political affiliation, social status or religious belief.
The unifying factor is around a common objective.
We saw the community rise up in the pain of our daughters being raped in Krugersdorp allegedly by illegal miners known as Zama Zamas.
The common factor that united us is the pain of violated trust.
The fight against gender-based violence should be another unifier as it affects all of us.
The message is clear “your daughter is my daughter.”
It is the community unifying in support of the women that has forced the SAPS into action.
Give people a common objective that affects them and you will release in them the ability to unite irrespective of race, creed, political affiliation or their differences of opinion.
We have reached a place in our country where we the people have to deliver when government fails.
Churches, civil society, business and sporting bodies all need to unite to stop the violation of our human rights.
Failure to provide jobs, proper houses, sustainable water, food and power are all gross human violations.
It is criminal that our local council cannot spend the money allocated to it in the face the huge needs in our society.When infrastructure is neglected in our metro it should become a community unifying factor that moves us to self reliance.
When crime and unemployment are not addressed, we need to come together to find solutions.
Signs that the community is taking matters into our own hands include members walking through the streets and knocking on doors to identify leaks.
When you see business partner with the Gift of the Givers to dig and restore boreholes, that is unity in action.
When you see residents spend their own money to secure steel gates and erect them around a substation to protect it against cable thieves, you see the power of self reliance.
When you see young and old remove the rubble from their streets, you are witnessing citizens taking ownership.
We are being unified not because of our religious beliefs or our ethnic grouping, or economic strength. We are becoming unified in order to tackle the lack of service delivery, which leads to poverty, unemployment and inequality.
When you see business partnering with communities to adopt a school, adopt a sub station, you are witnessing the rise of a people that have lost hope in the government of the day.
The absence of decisive leadership in our metro affects all of us.
How will we overcome the divisions that the politicians want to maintain?
I do not have all the answers and I do not believe everyone would agree with me.
Let us eat the elephant bit by bit.
It is in our best interest to partner together in addressing the challenges we face in our wards.
Let us unite in our ward systems across our metro.
Create a safe and secure ward by acknowledging the different structures that are in place.
Churches are in a unique position to connect and draw all stakeholders together in their wards.
Start by engaging the ward councillor.
Work with the ward committees in your ward. Create a united front against crime. Create a safe and secure ward.
Acknowledge it when sterling work is done by the community policing forums, the security companies and SAPS.
Draw up your own ward Integrated Development plan by identifying the infrastructure that is most desperately needed.
Ensure that your ward councillor sees to it that these matters. In other words, keep local government accountable.
Government is an enabling agency. Partner with them.
If that does not work then let us fix our own streets, our own potholes.
Clean up bit by bit and let us continuously keep each other accountable.
Why? We all benefit.
If there is no service delivery or enabling environment to change society for the better, then let us as church and civil society make our voice heard at election time.
We must unite because the lack of delivery and leadership affects all of us!
Apostle Neville Goldman
Ebenezer International
Source: TCN / Neville Goldman
Date Added: 2022-08-15
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
Back to News IndexDate Added: 2022-08-15
Category: General News, TCN News, Issues - General, Issues - Politics, Issues - Social upliftment,
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