The nation of strikes

The great Einstein once said, you cannot try to solve a problem with the same mentality it was created… and neither can you perform the same actions and expect different results. True?

In the year 1956, the strong and brave women of this country went out to march.  According to the History of South Africa Online, about 20 000 women representing all racial back rounds came from all over South Africa. They came together to march towards the Union Buildings for this very freedom we have today. Sadly many did not return home that day, and families were broken. In 1976 history repeated itself in the Soweto Uprising.  And again many did not make it back home alive.

Through all that has been fought for and all we have achieved, by now this country must have realised that strikes seem to be doing more harm than good. Between the months of August and September a strike occurred from the miners in Marikana.  According to Mail & Guardian this strike claimed over 60 lives. Not long after this, truck drivers also entered into a strike, cars have been damaged and people have been injured. Clearly this channel of communication cannot go on forever.  One of two things can be the cause of all this. Its either the people of this country are failing to be patient towards the unions and government, so much that they cannot even communicate their needs to top. Or our unions and government are to slow to hear the people and communicate back to them. Now the sad reality is that generations to come are going to learn and are already learning that striking together with violence is the way to solve any given problem, and that is the future South Africa that is being built.

 New procedures must be put in place to help this nation deal with challenges, procedures that will do away with striking and violence. Procedures that will bring unity and confidence back into our country. It is enough!