A country of 'must insult or dehumanise'

IT WAS unseasonably hot in last week's Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development's virtual meeting, and the shining ring-light beams brought a combative glow to the lawmakers' faces, as members clashed over the adoption of a report recommending candidates for the newly established Office of the Small Enterprise Ombudsperson.

- NKOSIKHULULE NYEMBEZI

The session, which was meant to streamline support for small businesses, instead devolved into a battleground of partisan politics, procedural disputes, and allegations of manipulation.

The acrimony is widespread as citizens are brimming with anger, despondency or misery about the state of our government which does not feel sustainable.

That is completely understandable, and what has fundamentally caused that wave of negativity might be a lot simpler than some people would like to think. Poor oversight on the R500 million Spaza Shop Fund is another flashpoint in the absence of a comprehensive report detailing disbursements and monitoring mechanisms.

All these and many other concerns highlight that citizens are paying much more with votes and taxes for far less accountability and efficiency - surely the dictionary definition of infuriating.