I may have said this before but a good definition of insanity is just continuing the same old way and hoping for a different radically different outcome.

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The reason why I am thinking about this relates to the out-of-control-spiraling-crime-rate in South Africa.

From politicians at the top, to corporates (yes, I am referring to Bossasa where Mr Agrizzi is trying to get a plea bargain for himself to stay out of jail.), down to the common man and woman at the bottom of the food chain.

In this Bossasa case, Mr Agrizzi, is saying that between four to six million rand in cash was handed out in bribes for many years.  Go have a look on www.news24.com for more detail because many prominent politicians are going to be fingered.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.  Not only those Gupta fellows.

Another tragic case is about a school that was built in the Tsakane township, the Menzi Primary School.  It is paperless and there were several hundred tablets, lots of computers and laptops.  The school was opened with a great fanfare earlier in January 2019, and the Gauteng MEC of Education, Panyaza Lesufi  begged the community to protect the primary school from theft and vandalism, yet only a week later, 185 tablets, all the computers and laptops, a giant TV screen and the petty cash were stolen.  Politicians are demanding the community to name the perpetrators or the school upgrades will be removed.

Then there was the Metro train disaster where hundreds were injured and several other passengers killed when two trains collided on the the same line.  The one train was stationary when the other train rode into it.  Why?  Cable theft again.

Today (Thursday 17th of January 2019), the Gautrain was delay due to cable theft.

The list of crimes are endless, the poor police force is understaffed and undertrained.  Courts are log jammed with tens of thousands of unresolved cases.

How can the government think that just continuing down the same old road is going to improve things?  Insanity?  I think so.

What can we as a nation do?  Are harsher punishments going to be a more effective deterrent or not?  I would hope so but reality may be different.

Consider China.  A Canadian who was caught smuggling drugs, Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.  He appealed the sentence but then was convicted as the primary party and sentenced to death.  Now there is a huge international furore.  Claims are being made that China is responding to Canada arresting several Chinese business executives.

Regardless, the drug smuggler knew the risks of smuggling drugs there.  There are dozens of drug smugglers (mostly from Nigeria) on death row.  The consequences are severe, yet he still chose to smuggle drugs.  How can a person be so stupidly blind to the terrible risks? 

It appears that crime does not pay in China.  Yet crime certainly does pay in South Africa and even in the rest of Africa.  What is wrong with us on this continent?  I know that there are similar problems on the rest of the planet but the MAGNITUDE of woes in Africa dwarf the rest of the world's problems into insignificance by comparison.  Donald Trump may be lambasted as a buffoon in world media, but compare him to nearly all of Africa's "Finest"?  He still wins by a country mile.

Corruption is a cancer that is eating South Africa alive, it poisons all, irrespective of colour, race, being wealthy or poor,  educated or uneducated.

Where is the collective will ever going to come from?

I find it best to avoid the news if I want to be happy and not depressed.  Yet do I want to be an ostrich with its head hidden in the sand?

Endless complaining without having a plan is also likely to be defined as insanity.

I can only force ONE person to change.  That is ME.

I can try be a good influence in my family and pass on "the mantle of decency" to my children and other family members.  I can respect my wife and work together with her.  We can set an EXAMPLE to all those around us.

It is like the story of the man who was throwing starfish back into the sea.  Could he save all?  No.  Could he save most?  No.  Could he even make a significant difference to the entire beach?  No.  Yet each one he saved made a life-saving difference to that one starfish.  

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I will try to throw back the odd starfish into the sea, that's all I can do.  Then I hope that others will do likewise, in the long run it can make a difference.

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