G20: curated prosperity amidst lived poverty

ANOTHER VOICE

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AS STATED in this column last week, I believe we are at the end of the era of 'the rich boys' club'.

The nauseating fact that Johannesburg could clean itself up for a three-day visit by rich people and ignore the plight of its own people for 30 years should never be okay with us. It reeks of callousness and contempt. This is the 2010 FIFA World Cup all over again. It's The Truman Show on steroids.

We don't become better as a nation by pretence. We become better by deliberate intention. The water cuts, power outages, broken municipal systems and potholes will all be back this morning. This is how politics are conducted in the new era. It's all performative. Nothing is substantive. It is not based on fact or intention. South Africa is a masterclass on performative politics. Nasrec looked incredible, and the G20 attendees and guests were all impressed and lauded the 'first G20 on African soil.' For the sceptical elite, South Africa is always a curious place. They love our authentic Big 5 and our curated Big 3: Sandton, Kruger National Park and the Atlantic Seaboard. The rest of the country is a war zone that they don't dare venture into.