In his latest Slice, Gasant Abarder did a little experiment outside a school where there is a three-way stop. It proved what he’s been thinking: let’s be outraged at Jacob Zuma and Co, but let us not slip further into lawlessness ourselves.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here, exclusive to Cape {town} Etc.
The other day, if you were in the neighbourhood, you may have seen a strange sight. An old fart in a gown and slippers with a little notebook. If you saw this, let me explain.
Across the road from my house is a primary school where the entrance meets a T-junction and a three-way stop.
No, I wasn’t looking for the next Herschelle Gibbs like some retired cricket scribe so I could report him to his dad Herman for being a naughty boy. The point of this work-from-home exercise was, of course, all in the name of research and for your benefit, my dear reader.
I was watching just how many cars actually stopped at this little T-Junction.
In 20 minutes, I counted 43 cars where, if there were no other cars or kids in sight, the driver didn’t stop. One driver stopped. A second at least slowed down as if it was a yield sign.
The point of this exercise? While it seems like a tiny infringement, those 43 motorists were breaking the law. A tiny act that illustrates just what a lawless society we are and how we don’t see any hassles with cutting corners.
Now I hear you saying, “But what about Jacob Zuma and all the billions that were stolen?” And you’re right. When he finally appears in court the judge should throw the book at him. Preferably against his head (which, in fairness, won’t be that hard to miss).
But I then go off to a quick meeting after my experiment and I spot pedestrians crossing the road at impossible places where you’re asking to be hit by a car.
They move in slow motion in a very zombie-like fashion. I half expect them to turn to look my way and drone out “Brains! Brains!” But the dirty look such a pedestrian will give you, because “how dare you be driving here where I’m walking”, is equally lethal.
This happens elsewhere, outside of South Africa too, of course. But try crossing a busy London street in this fashion. You’ll be hurt quite badly or it could be fatal.
And yet, cyclists get around the city without fear of being hit. No wonder pedestrian deaths are climbing steadily in Cape Town. We see a zebra crossing or a corner where it’s safe to cross but we couldn’t be bothered to move the extra 10 metres.
It is the same lawless behaviour – however tiny or innocent it may seem – that led an otherwise healthy young man, save for low blood pressure which technically isn’t a co-morbidity for COVID-19, to travel from Sea Point to Mitchells Plain to jump the queue for a vaccine.
Some defended this 30-year-old chap who lied and said he was a health worker when he registered.
And then, he couldn’t resist tweeting about it – leading to an outrage that made him later realise his misdemeanour. A misdemeanour that was small in the Jacob scheme of things. But a misdemeanour that angered many people who have lost elderly parents to COVID-19, who couldn’t get the vaccine. He had apparently heard there were extra J&J trial vaccines available and took the gap.
(I’m guessing this was his first visit to Mitchells Plain because a friend had sent directions – which he felt the need to tweet as well. Next time, I hope I can treat him to my tikka guy’s extra hot quarter chicken with chips in Athlone. He’ll need another vaccine after that!).
In all seriousness, we can and should be pointing fingers at politicians who steal. They deserve the harshest punishment. What Jacob did is akin to treason because he sold our country’s integrity to one family and his disastrous 9-year stint as president set our progress back for decades.
And yes, we know too, that South Africa is a violent place and violent crime is another pandemic. But if you lie on your CV, or cut a corner here, or have a connection there to jump a queue, then are you on your way as well? Are you any better than Jacob? What’s next? Lying on your tax return? Doctoring your books with some creative accounting? Giving your cousin a bit of outsourced work from the company budget? Murder?
Having integrity means doing the right thing – all the time. And that means you, sir, in the white BMW with the personalised plates. Next time, I’ll be taking a video and reporting you to the traffic cops. I can’t guarantee there’ll be any consequences because they may just laugh at me. That is how far we’ve fallen.