AFTER THE RAINBOW: A CLEAR BLUE SKY

This week as I felt myself sinking under the crumbling debris of global wars and murmurs of discontent from all corners of South Africa I came across these words penned and shared by Bongiwe Mlangeni, a former colleague and my senior in the field of journalism. Her words, which follow, reflecting on the current socio political climate in the country are refreshingly hopeful and offer a mature (adult) voice of reason in an atmosphere of screaming hungry children and disparing, angry adults. While reading her words I recalled Ben Okri's words in his book Astonishing the Gods when he asked "Do you realize that you know more than you think you know? Do you realize that if you use all you know and all the possibilities within you, that there is almost nothing you can't do?"

I felt renewed. So I thought I'd share her words of wisdom and empowerment with you as we all still have so much work to do.

Bongiwe Mlangeni is the Chief Executive Officer of the Social Justice Initiave a new organization which promotes a just and robust democratic society and strives for transformation still desperately needed in South Africa. She wrote this in her personal capacity. And not a moment too soon. It is my pleasure to present, Bongiwe Mlangeni in her own words:

I AM AT PEACE WHEN I FEEL ...

Okay that the rainbow in the nation has disappeared. Rainbows by nature fade and leave behind a clear blue sky. I am grateful for this powerful prophetic myth that helped South Africans re-imagine themselves. The myth gave us hope that we can be a better and more united society.

Okay that we are a ‘broken’ nation. What’s new? Brokenness is our default position. The only time we were anything else but a broken nation were the last 21-years. I am grateful we had a window that made us realise we can be different. For this, I thank and celebrate Tata Mandela and the leaders that drove the Madiba Magic with him.

Okay with our shared sense of inadequacy. It was the curse of apartheid for all races. Nothing is ever good enough. But we also know how to use this sense to inspire ourselves to successfully organise events such as the 2010 soccer world cup and prove ‘them’ wrong. Whoever 'them' are!!!

Clear that each time we speak about the marginalised, we mean the centre that holds society together. The centre is living in poverty while the 'peripherals' enjoy the riches. We know what happens when the centre implodes!!! It is time to do more to share the wealth and privileges and build a fair and better society.

I am at peace when I care to remind myself of the values espoused in the Constitution. It is the best vision of the country we have ever crafted. Read it, study it, and live by it to build a just society.