The new year has begun and all of us are hoping that it will be better than the one that has past.
I feel much more positive this year because we have come a long way since the pandemic started.
Firstly, we are still in the midst of a fourth wave with a new variant doing the rounds and yet we South Africans find ourselves at level 1 of lockdown.
It feels as if the worst part of the pandemic is finally past and we can start dreaming again.
More than that, for the arts, it feels like we can start planning again.
It has been a tough road, with many people losing their jobs, many not being able to work at all, but at the same time there have been many success stories during this pandemic.
We have all become used to wearing our masks and keeping our distance.
The jab has been administered to millions of South Africans and we are slowly but surely moving closer to the “old” normal.
The sense in the world is that everyone wants to get back to living their normal lives and be able to provide for the families without any struggle or interference.
The beauty of this pandemic is that it has forced us to think out of the box and accept that the technological age has arrived.
Yes, we all love to socialise and interact, but we also now love staying home and being entertained on our cellphones.
We have realised that by supporting local, we can help to push each other forward and contribute to our economy.
So yes, I am feeling excited about this new year because this is the year that perhaps those of us who were negatively affected by the national disaster can undo some of the damage.
Even our children’s future seems brighter because hopefully if things stay the way that they are, they too can get back to normal schooling.
At the beginning of this pandemic, we all thought we are going to die no matter who you were or where you found yourself at the time, you had no clue what was coming and you believed you were going to die because of this Coronavirus.
Luckily, we live in a country where we always find the humour in every difficulty, and this has helped us to cope as a family.
The government should begin to shift its focus off the pandemic and internal childish bickering and begin doing their job: the number one priority is to create more jobs for our people.
The quickest way to heal the nation in 2022 is by empowering them and not just handing out these small R350 relief grants, because if you give a man a fish, he will eat one day, but if you teach him to fish, he will eat for the rest of his life.
So yes, I believe if the focus is shifted, we can prevent hunger and anxiety and depression from being our next pandemic.
People are in so much debt because of the pandemic and the funds that were made available won’t be able to cover every family the bank wants to repossess or the landlord wants to evict.
People need work right now and this should be the quest of our government in 2022.
Let us rebuild our people. With that being said, have a blessed year and thank the Almighty for sparing you another year.
To still be alive is our biggest blessing because in the end, the Almighty has proven that He is the giver and taker of life and he gives success to who He wills and when He wills, even in a pandemic.
The Almighty is truly the sustainer.
This has been my biggest reminder and I wish you all a prosperous new year filled with many blessings and good news.